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Rick and Robin have a new assignment to share about pastoring the Open Bible church in Austin, Minnesota. If you are ever in the area, please come and join them for Sunday service at 10 AM at 301 4th Street SW, 55912They also challenge their listeners to take on an assignment for the new year to pray II Chron. 7:14, "If my people, who are called my my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then I will hear from heaven, forgive their sins, and heal their land." Set your alarms for 7:14 AM and 7:14 PM every day. Pray for yourself, your family, your church, and your country.

A new year always seems to present possibilities. New beginnings. A hope for better days ahead. This is especially true for this coming year after all we have been through in 2020.  Let me ask you a question? How did you face the challenges of last year? On a scale of 1 to 10, what was your level of anxiety and stress? If you rated low, let’s ask how we can better face 2021? I tell you plainly that you need to face it with Jesus.  Imagine this next year is like taking a journey across America. Compare the journey to your life going into this new year. You are going to have to navigate through a wide variety of environments and situations.  The journey or a year can present so many different scenarios you cannot predict or control. The key to going through any year is to keep Jesus at the center. Then, there is one constant in your journey and that is Him. No matter what hits you, you will not be moved internally despite your circumstances because you know Jesus is in you and with you wherever you go and whatever you face. And the second part of making the journey as successful as possible is to let Jesus drive the vehicle. Give Him control and trust Him to take the best route. He will be your constant companion to guide you and comfort you when the journey seems to be so long. He is there and you are not doing the journey alone. Psalm 22:5 says when you put your trust in the Lord, you will not be disappointed. I can promise you with all certainty that if you keep your eyes on Jesus, you can face anything. Jesus is the answer in walking through life’s storms. He will either take the storm away or He will help you get through the storm. Either way as you have found out from last year, trying to handle life in your own strength or by relying on others to lead you, just doesn’t work. So many of us try to figure life out on our own, barely giving Jesus the time of day. You continue to do that, you will end up hobbling through another year and I don’t want that for you. Jesus doesn’t want that for you. He says there is a better way by putting your trust in Him and relying on Him. Let Him take the wheel and give the directions. He already knows what is ahead so let Him get you to your destination smoothly and safely. New implies change. Jesus says to stop doing things the old ways. It is time to do things a new way, to do things Jesus’ way, the way you were created to be, filled with Him and following Him. You have to get rid of your old ways of thinking.  It will weigh you down, restrict you and you get stuck and you can’t move forward. Jesus has a better and new way for you to live and that is to face the new year with Him. Surrender and implement all His new ways and you will find is that heaviness is gone and you now can live out your days with joy, excitement, praise, and thanksgiving. [Eph 4:22-24] “You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.”  Joel Osteen says, “Inside each of us there are two people: One says, ‘I will become everything God has created me to be. I can do all things through Christ. I’m surrounded by God’s favor.’ The other says, ‘I’ll never get out of debt. I’ll never lose the weight. I’ll never break that addiction. I’ll just learn to live with it.’ One wants to stretch. The other wants to settle. You choose which person you will be.” My prayer is that you choose to make Jesus the center of your life for the coming new year and embrace all His ways. Let Him drive the car on your journey and don’t look back. Forge ahead, be not afraid because you have the King of the universe at the wheel. Happy New Year!!

We are going to talk about the action of abandoning. An action we need to take to abandon something, not someone. So, to make a distinct difference, there are some things that we must abandon. Things we need to renounce, terminate, stop, surrender, relinquish, or discontinue. Biblically we use words and phrases like leave behind troubles and sorrows, letting go of the past, put off the old self, and throw off everything that hinders. Note: on New Year’s Day we are going to talk about all things new but in ending the year, we want to focus on leaving 2020 behind. ·       [Matt 11:28] “Come to me who are weary and heavy ladened and I will give you rest.” Need to take weight off to move forward. ·       [Phil 3:13b] “Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead.” There comes a point in all of our lives where we need to let go. We need to let go of the past: the hurt, unmet expectations, loss, hopes, and dreams. Holding on is unhealthy and it keeps us stuck.  ·       [Is 43:18a] “Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past.” At all times, we must learn to forget the past and forge ahead. If we fail to let go of the past, it is very difficult to move forward. ·       [II Cor 5:17] “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away.” ·       [Gen 19:17] God told Lot’s family not to “look behind you,” don’t look back. Don’t long for or look back at the sinfulness and wickedness and destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah. ·       [Luke 9:62] “Jesus replied, ‘No one who puts a hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God.’” ·       [Prov 4:25] “Let your eyes look straight ahead; fix your gaze directly before you.” ·       [Rom 8:13] “For if you live according to the sinful nature, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body.” ·       [Heb 8:12] “For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more.” If God is not going to hold our sins against us, we should not condemn ourselves. ·       [Eph 4:31-32] “Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander to put away from you, along with all malice. ·       [Heb 12:1] “Let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles.” With God, your past mistakes do not hold you back. God punished all of our sins on the cross in His beloved Son, Jesus Christ, so you would no longer be stuck in your sin, or be held back. Sins blocks your relationship with God and Jesus. Leave behind grief and disappointment which can lead to depression, don’t revisit painful memories too often and also live with constant negative emotions. Don’t keep opening up the wound, leave alone so it can heal. Release anger, resentment and forgiveness or bitterness will take over.  Lay aside past hurts in childhood or you won’t mature. Maybe you might need to let go of a toxic relationship. All of these things stop you from moving forward. Reminds Robin of a story where a man was walking on path in the fog and didn’t see where he was going and fell of the side, lucky enough to grab a branch on the way down. He cried out for help but the fog was too thick to see anything. Finally, he heard a voice telling him to let go but he said he couldn’t or he would die. The voice insisted if he let go, he would be alright but he wouldn’t because he was too afraid and didn’t trust the voice. Eventually the fog lifted and he looked down and saw he was hanging two feet above solid ground holding on to the branch. Moral of the story, don't hold on to fear, let go and trust in Jesus' voice.

Welcome to our Christmas special episode from our series on the ABCs of the Attributes of Jesus Christ. Merry Christmas Everyone! We are so glad you are joining us on this special day when we celebrate the birth of the Son of God, the Savior of the world. Remember that without the birth of Jesus, and without His willingness to die to pay the price for our sin and to bring us to God, we would have nothing to celebrate at Christmastime. Let’s ask the study question here in the story of Jesus’ birth: “Who do you say that I am? What does the Christmas story tell us about who Jesus is and what He is like? He is the Christ-Child at Christmas. In John 1:14 it says, “The (Almighty, Eternal, Infinite) Word became flesh and dwelt among us.” The Christ-Child was a weak, limited, helpless, vulnerable infant laying in a manger who was completely dependent on His earthly parents to take care of Him and provide for all His needs; but at the same time it says in Col 1:15-20, “for in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily.” It is a mysterious thing to contemplate. Theologians call the birth of Jesus the “incarnation,” a Latin term meaning to enter into or become flesh. One definition says the incarnation is where “Christ took our human nature and brought it into union with His Divine Person, and became man.” We saw His divinity in the miracles and in all of the healings He performed. He proved in His actions that He was God in the flesh. In Matthew chapter 1, it states that Jesus will be called Emmanuel, God is with us. Mary held God in her arms and it reminds me of the lyrics to the song, “Mary Did You Know when you kiss your little baby that you are touching the face of God?” The heart of Christmas is that God came to dwell on earth and to bring peace and good news to man. And what specifically was this peace and good news that this little baby brought? The birth of Jesus does bring hope, peace, joy and love because that is who Jesus is, His very nature. But most importantly Jesus brought salvation, the gospel, the good news. Yes, we need all of those other things, but we need a Savior first and foremost. That is why He was named Jesus, because He will save His people from their sins. Jesus was eternal. He stepped into time and was born. He grew and then showed us how to live an abandoned life. Jesus lived only to do the divine will of God. Then He accomplished His mission by dying on the cross, rising again in three days, and then returning to heaven. Those who put their faith in Him can then live eternally too just as He is living eternally now. In Him is good news for all mankind:  Fear is banished. Love is displayed. Death is defeated. Hope is renewed. He is the Savior of the World. That is why He came. God’s Free Gift at Christmas. Jesus is a beautiful undeserving perfect present for us. The Son of God wrapped in human flesh. Let’s face it, child birth is a little messy and His birth place was a little smelly in the stable. No Jewish person expected the Messiah to come in such a manner. But God topped it off with a shiny star in the sky for all to see and a heavenly host of angels announcing the news. God is a great giver, He gave His one and only Son. He is generous and thoughtful. With joy, He selected the perfect gift for us in His Son.  Our Creator loves the people He made so much that He devised a plan, a permanent solution, to save us from sin, from the evil in this world, and from eternal death. And that plan called for Jesus to become human. Jesus voluntarily became one of us. He died on the cross and took on all the sins of the world upon Himself. Jesus came as a baby on a rescue mission to save you and me. Focus on who He is and why He came. He came for you. He loves you and gave His life for you. In His eyes, you are a special creation, worth dying for. 

Announcement definition. News means newly received or noteworthy information, especially about recent or important events. There is good news today! Jesus Christ is born! In our world, broadcast stations mostly announce bad news but our God was announcing good news. The good news of peace, hope, joy, love, and salvation for everyone.  How did God announce the birth of His Son? God doesn’t announce the same way that man announces the biggest event of history. Let’s consider a chronological list. 1.      OT prophecies: God has been announcing the coming of His Son since the very beginning. First mention of one coming who would crush Satan’s head in Gen 3:15. But in regards to His birth, Is 9:6 “For unto us a child is born, to us a son is given.”  2.      Luke 1:31, Angel come to announce to Mary that she “will be with child and give birth to a son and you are to give Him the name, Jesus.  3.      Elizabeth’s child leap with joy at the announcement of Mary’s arrival 4.      Joseph and his dream. Others in village of Nazareth. Joseph had his own supernatural encounter. [Matt 1:20-23] First the angel revealed that the child was conceived by God’s Holy Spirit, which made Him the literal Son of God. Second, the angel announced that the child would be the long-awaited Messiah.  5.      Shepherds and people in Bethlehem. The rich and powerful in Jerusalem were blissfully unaware [as it was in the days of Noah] of the momentous event taking place in the countryside, angels appeared to outcast shepherds. Host of angels to the lowly shepherds in contrast to breaking news of today’s standard. Behold I bring you good tidings Luke 2:10. A great company of the heavenly host.  All of heaven rejoicing. The shepherds immediately left their sheep alone to go to “Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.” They found it just as the angels said. They must have gone from fear to joy and wonder at the announcement of the birth of the Savior. They became evangelists. The Greek word for evangelism—announcing of good news. There were thousands of people who emerged on the town then who were available to hear the announcement. They were amazed at what they heard and then promptly forgot about it.  6.      Simeon and Anna. When Jesus was presented on the eight day in the temple as required by law, Mary and Joseph encountered Simeon, a righteous and devote follower, and Anna, a prophetess. The Holy Spirit announced and prophesized to them that the baby would bring salvation to the world. 7.      Magi saw star and followed it, fully expecting it to lead them to a great king, in the capital city, in a royal palace. Jesus however, the rightful heir to the throne of Israel, quietly was born in a small town with no fanfare among no one of great worldly importance. 8.      The Magi made an announcement to Herod and all in palace which ignited death of babies under the age of two. 9.      Skip ahead 30 years and you have John the Baptist saying one who is greater will come. 10.    God at Jesus’ baptism and God on the mountain of transfiguration 11.    Jesus himself told His disciples. 12.    The Demoniac and the Samaritan woman told those outside of Jerusalem. 13.    Demons announced who He was. 14.    All witnesses from then until today. The announcement today is that He is coming again. No one knew the day of the Messiah’s arrival though there were many prophecies. No one knows His second arrival, though many prophecies in Revelation. The message is always the same. Be ready!

Why is Jesus called Emmanuel, God is with us? When contemplating who Jesus is, the best place to start is at the top. If you start at any other place, you will get who He is wrong. Jesus is not saying He is a mere man with great moral insights like other religious figures. He is saying He is God in the flesh who walked among us. Jesus isn’t just saying He is sent by God, that He speaks the words of God or that He lives perfectly in the ways of God. He is saying He is God.  How can this be? Jesus’ earthly mother was Mary but His Father was God. To explain the human/divine nature of Jesus, the bible begins by saying that Mary, His human mother, was a virgin when Jesus was conceived. There was no human father in the equation for His conception. The Holy Spirit came upon Mary and provided male component needed for the development of the child Jesus. Phil 2:6-8, that says Jesus “being in very nature God” was “being made in human likeness.” Jesus was born and was “found in the appearance as a man.”  Mary certainly, more than anyone, knew that Jesus was conceived in holiness. She knew she hadn’t been with another man and it would have been impossible for her to become pregnant. At any point, in the beating, and torturing, and crucifixion of her son, she could have called out and confessed that it wasn’t true. But she knew it was true. Matthew found the message of Jesus’s promised presence so important that he bookends his gospel with it. In Matthew 1:23 is says, “the virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call Him Immanuel—which means, “God with us.”  In the last chapter of Matt 28:20, Jesus says, “And surely, I am with you always to the very end of the age.” Jesus was and will always be with us from beginning to end. It is a promise that we will never be alone. The birth of Jesus and His deity was foretold in the Old Testament. [Is 9:6-7] “For to us a child is born, to us a son is given…And He will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.” Note that it says a son is given. Jesus is that son. Not just a son to Mary but God’s Son, the Son of God. And it says He will be called Mighty God. That is because Jesus is God.  John 1:1-2, affirms Jesus’ deity. Jesus is described as the Word. John says, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning.” Jesus is distinct from God but God in the fullest sense. He existed before he became man. Then in verse 14a John says, “The Word became flesh and made His dwelling among us.” And that is Jesus Emmanuel. No other person in the world can truly be called this holy name in the fullest sense of the definition. At one point Jesus asks the Twelve disciples, "You do not want to leave too, do you?" Simon Peter answered Him, ‘Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. We believe and know that you are the Holy One of God.’” His true followers knew who He was. If they didn’t believe it to be so true, they wouldn’t have died as martyrs for Him. Jesus purposefully sought to be with certain people. He invited Himself over to Zacchaeus the tax collector’s home; He invited zealots and fisherman to follow Him, He intentionally went through Samaria to meet the woman at the well, He hung out with sinners, He touched people with every kind of deformity and disease, and He said, “Come unto me and I will give you rest.” This should bring us great comfort that although you may feel alone, hated, and an outcast, Jesus desires to be with you today and every day. [John 14:1-4] Jesus tells His disciples, “I will come and get you, so that you will always be with me where I am…Don’t let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, and trust also in me…I am going to prepare a place for you...When everything is ready, I will come and get you, so that you will always be with me where I am.” 

Fulfillment means the achievement of something desired, promised, predicted, required, pledged, or expected. In this podcast, we will talk about God fulfilling His promises, the fullness of Jesus Christ, being filled with the Holy Spirit, and filling the emptiness we have in our hearts. We can be assured that God fulfills all of His promises. The scriptures must be fulfilled is a common statement. You can trust that when God makes a promise He will bring it to fulfillment. He makes faithful promises to the Israelites, the church, and He makes personal promises to us. [Jos 23:14] “You know with all your heart and soul that not one of all the good promises the Lord your God gave you has failed. Every promise has been fulfilled; not one has failed.”  [Ps 57:2] “I cry out to God Most High, to God, who fulfills His purpose for me.”  [Ecc 5:5] “It is better not to vow than to make a vow and not fulfill it.” God fulfills His promises but we aren’t as faithful to Him or to each other. Jesus fulfilled all prophecy. There are 400 Old Testament prophecies about the Messiah and Jesus fulfilled every single one of them. There were calculations made to figure out the odds that one individual could fulfill just 8 of the prophecies and the odds were 1 in 1027, that is 10 with 27 zeros. All throughout the New Testament is says, “this was done to fulfill prophecy.” [Col 2:9-10] “For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form, and you have been given fullness in Christ, who is the head over every power and authority.” NIV commentary says the very essence of deity was present in totality in Jesus’ human body. [II Chron 7:1] After Solomon build temple, it said, “the glory of the Lord filled the temple.” God’s presence was there. We are now the temple of God and believers can be filled with the presence of God through the Holy Spirit.  [Eph 5:18] “Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit.” NIV commentary says the Greek present tense is used to indicate that the filling of the Spirit is not a once-for-all experience. Repeatedly, as the occasion requires, the Spirit empowers for worship, service and testimony. There is a contrast here between wine and the Spirit. Each will affect you in some way. You need to choose whether to be under the influence of wine or the Spirit. [Matt 5:6] “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.” This is a promise. Heart longs for fulfillment. God promises to fill us with hope, joy, and peace. He can fill every need that you have. Every person has a need for love, purpose, identity, security, and relationship. [Rom 15:13] “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as your trust in Him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.”  We are designed with a great capacity for God. God has placed a deep-down desire in our hearts on purpose. We have a heart-shaped vacuum that can only be filled by Jesus. When our hearts ache to be filled, we tend to fill it with things to dull the ache. Things like alcohol, drugs, immoral fantasies, food, relationship, work, shopping, money and busyness. We can also fill it with worry, anxiety, depression, fear, anger, greed, malice, and other unhealthy emotions. These things only give a temporary satisfaction because they don’t fit the space. The bible says to guard your heart and be careful what you let in. If you fill it with negative things, then there is no room for the positive. You need to open up space in your heart and ask Jesus in. Jesus is enough and is the only one who can fill that empty space in your heart. And the beautiful thing is that He can fill it to overflowing, He uses the word abundant. He can satisfy any longing and meet your deepest need. All you have to do is ask Him to come in and fill it.

Deliver or deliverance means the action of being rescued or set free, to liberate, release, ransom, redeem, and save. This was Jesus’ mission. His entire ministry was a ministry of deliverance.  But what did Jesus come to deliver us from? What was so wrong that the Son of God had to come to earth in human form to deliver us from it? The answer is sin. In the Garden of Eden, Adam and Eve sinned and from that point on, every person born was born with a sin nature. And this sin separates us from God. But God so loved the world that He sent Jesus to deliver us from our enslavement to this sin nature. He took away all of our sins on the cross and those who put their faith and trust in Him are freed from this sin nature and will have eternal life. Only by the Atonement and shed blood of Jesus Christ are we delivered from sin.  What can we say Jesus is like from this? Some people say that Jesus wasn’t all about sin, He was about love and acceptance of everybody. But sin was the very reason why He came. The bible also says that without the shedding of blood, there can be no forgiveness of sins. We needed forgiveness. He knew very well that He was coming to deal with sin, once for all. To say that Jesus wasn’t about looking at and dealing with the sin in people is a wrong view of Jesus. When the woman was caught in adultery, He rescued her from death, loved her, but then told her to “go and sin no more.” Jesus was not shy about addressing the sin in people’s lives.  Whenever the disciples said or did something wrong, He loved and forgave them but He immediately admonished them for their lack of faith or corrected them for their wrong thinking or challenged their pride and prejudices. He even told Peter once, “Get behind me Satan…you do not have in mind the things of God, but the things of men.” The bible says Jesus knew what was in the heart of man. He did not let sin go unaddressed. He didn’t wink at it, ignore it, or pretend it didn’t exist or wasn’t so bad. Sin had to be dealt with, there is no getting around it. Sin separates us from God and Jesus came to deliver us from sin so we could be in right relationship with God. On the cross all the sin of the world was placed on Him and His death is what truly showed His love for us. Jesus can only deliver because He is master over and has power over all things. When Jesus was on earth, it says that He had compassion on the crowds and He delivered many people from various problems, heart-aches, and difficult situations. For example, he delivered people from physical danger and disaster, basic needs like hunger, financial crisis, from a difficult life, mental illness, physical handicaps, and spiritual ruin.  Ps 37:40 says, “The salvation of the righteous comes from the Lord; He is their stronghold in time of trouble. The Lord helps them and delivers them; He delivers them from the wicked and saves them, because they take refuge in Him.” David knew where his help comes from and he always expressed his honest feelings in times of trouble as Ps 70:5 says, “I am poor and needy; come quickly to me, O God. You are my help and deliverer; O Lord, do not delay.” David always went to the true source of power with petitions for deliverance. So, go to the one who can deliver you. Don’t go anywhere else. Go to Jesus. He is the complete Deliverer for every circumstance. Not only did He come to completely deliver you from your enslavement to sin but He is always with you to deliver you from anything trouble that may stand in your way.

A command is an order, a compelling task given to an inferior. When you add ‘-ment’ to the end you get another word = Commandment. Commandment means a divine rule that must be obeyed, especially one handed down by God like the Ten Commandments. The Hebrew and Greek literally are translated as “The Ten Words.” Ten Commandments, not the 10 suggestions.  Does God have the right to command us to do anything? The Jewish people made a covenant with God. It was a legal binding agreement. God kept up His end of the bargain but the Israelites did not. NIV commentary says, God’s covenant people are to render complete submission, allegiance and obedience to Him out of gratitude for His mercies, reverence for His sovereignty, and trust in His continuing care. Jesus reduced to two commandments. Love God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength (covers commandments 1-4) and love your neighbor as yourself (overs commandments 5-10). Mark 12:28-31. Many might think that because of grace, our need to follow the commands strictly is not necessary; but Jesus actually taught an even stricter adherence. In Matt 5, the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus said He did not come to abolish the Law but to fulfill it. He said to break God’s commandments inwardly is equivalent to breaking them outwardly. 1. You shall have no other gods before me. No deity, real or imagined is to rival the one true God in our heart and life. Anything that takes a higher priority in your life than God. 2. You shall not make for yourself an idol, you shall not bow down to them or worship them. God says He is a jealous God and this is a jealous love. He wants all our love to go to Him. 3. You shall not misuse the name of the Lord your God. By profaning His name or swearing falsely by it. Jesus said when we pray that we should honor God’s name, hallowed be His name.  4. Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. Having completed His work of creation, God rested on the seventh day and we are to observe the same pattern in service of God in creation. Jesus said that the Sabbath day was created for us, not us for it.  5. Honor your father and your mother. Honor means to prize highly, care for, show respect, and obey. The first commandment with a promise.  6. You shall not murder. The Hebrew word refers to a premeditated and deliberate act. Jesus said, anyone who is even angry with his brother will be in danger of the fire of hell. 7. You shall not commit adultery. Jesus said, anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart. 8. You shall not steal. There is no justification for stealing in any way, whether on your taxes, supplies from your workplace, fruit off your neighbor’s tree, and words like plagiarism. 9. You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor. Basically, do not lie. Here, Jesus elaborates on oath-taking in Mt 5:33-37, saying let your yes be yes and your no be no, anything beyond this come from the evil one.  10. You shall not covet anything that belongs to your neighbor. To desire something with evil motivation.  God’s commandments aren’t there to punish or restrict us. Deut 10:12-13 says, what does the Lord your God ask of you but to fear the Lord your God, to walk in all His ways, to love Him, to serve the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul, and to observe the Lord’s commands and decrees that I am giving you today for your own good.  God’s commandments can be described as warning signs for life. Life is like a mine field. God doesn’t say don’t enjoy life but He does say that there are dangers that you are going to want to avoid. Follow His path through the mine field and you will live. If you take away the commandments then you will follow the wrong path through life and it will lead to death.

The cross is the principal symbol for the Christian religion. It represents the crucifixion of Jesus Christ, His Passion, and His death. The cross is a sign both of Christ Himself and of the faith of Christians. In New Testament bible times, the cross symbolized a very different thing, a shameful form of execution for criminals. When you place the cross on anything, you are basically stating an identity with Jesus.  Believers of Jesus Christ know the magnitude of what happened on the cross. Jesus didn’t just die on it. The weight of all mankind’s sin was nailed to the cross. Jesus’ blood was shed on the cross. The King of the Jews hung there in agony to save the world, to redeem it, and to bring it near to God. The earth shook and darkness descended on the land. All love and forgiveness emanated from the cross. Sorrow and tears flowed. Burdens of guilt and shame were laid at the foot of the cross. The work Jesus came to earth to do was finished there. Every single prophecy concerning the crucifixion of Jesus Christ was fulfilled to the minutest detail. For example, He was delivered to Gentiles for judgement, the execution was to be outside of Jerusalem, He would hang on a tree, He would be lifted up from the earth, the Roman soldiers would pierce His hands and feet, they cast lots for his clothing, none of His bones would be broken, and people would hurl insults at Him.  The Old Testament contains over 400 prophecies about the coming Messiah. Jesus Christ perfectly fulfilled every one of them. Calculations have been made to figure out what the probability would be of just eight of the prophecies being fulfilled in any one person who had lived up to the present time. The result: 1 in 10 to the 27 power. These odds should turn any reasonably thinking person to believe that Jesus is who He says He is. The last words spoken by Jesus were on the cross. A person’s final words prior to death generally are taken to have particular significance.  Words of Forgiveness - Luke 23:34: “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.” Words of Salvation - Luke 23:43: “Verily, I say unto you today, thou shalt be with Me in paradise.” Words of Relationship - John 19:26-27: “Woman, behold thy son.” And then He said to John “Son, behold thy mother.” Words of Abandonment - Matt 27:46 and Mark 15:34: “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?” Words of Distress - John 19:28: “I thirst.” Words of Triumph - John 19:30: “It is finished.” Words of Reunion - Luke 23:46: “Father, into Thy hands I commit My spirit.”  I Cor 1:18 says, “For the message of the CROSS is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.” So, the cross has power in its message and power in the Savior who died on it.  Matt 10:38 says “Anyone who does not take up his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.” Cross-bearing is a willingness to suffer and die for the Lord’s sake. How do you feel about that? Would you be willing to lay down all of your self-focus each day at the feet of the cross and make Jesus the sole object of your life and actions. This is a difficult, scary, and radical message and one that has kept many from being a true follower of Jesus Christ. But here is some encouragement from Heb 12:2-3, “Let us fix our eyes on Jesus…who for the joy set before Him endured the CROSS, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider Him who endured such opposition from sinful men.” When we look at the cross, remember all He endured in accomplishing our redemption, our salvation, our freedom, “so that we will not grow weary and lose heart.” Our present suffering for the gospel’s sake is nothing compared to the hope of our future glory with Him in heaven.

The definition of resentment is bitter indignation and displeasure at having been treated unfairly. A persistent ill-will at something regarded as wrong, an insult, or an injury. It could be an act made against you or a remark made by a person. It is a very complex multi-layered emotion mixed with disappointment, disgust, anger, hostility, envy, grievances and feelings of revenge. It is a strong emotion. A lot of people don’t want to admit that they have strong negative emotions. You might say you dislike or are annoyed with someone because those words are milder and you don’t want to admit that you actually have hate in your heart toward anyone because it is such a strong word.   Resentment is a very strong and destructive emotion. The complete opposite word for resentment is love. If you are resentful toward someone, you are not loving them. Some may think the opposite of love is hate. Hate and anger are components of resentment.  If resentment lands on you, you want to make sure you take it off quickly. Don’t let it take root. If you have resentment, you are angry because you have been treated unfairly. In general, if you have some resentment in your heart, it is going to overflow in your attitude, overflow in the decisions you make, you can be easily critical of people and in your relationships.  There is a quote from Carrie Fisher of Star Wars fame: Resentment is like drinking a poison and waiting for the other person to die. You are hurting yourself. Resentment puts you in bondage to it. It doesn’t release on its own. So what can we do to free ourselves? How do we break free from it? Rick says, no psycho-babble will get you out of it. The only thing that is going to get you out of it is Jesus. Going to him and casting all of your cares upon Him. One thing you have to do first off is to acknowledge that you have resentment in your life. You can’t go to Jesus about it if you are in denial that you have a problem. Resentment is sin. The next thing is to think about the other person and you need to forgive them. Then, You have to decide that you are not going to harm the other person. Make a conscience decision, or then you will be the one doing the harm and you will have to ask for forgiveness.  Rick got the picture of a somebody who has a little tiny snowball. When you go out after a fresh snow, and it has warmed up a little bit, the snow that was so fresh, it gets sticky. And you take that little snowball of resentment and you start to roll it and start to play with it. What you need to do is destroy it. What you want to do is roll it up into a ball and you want to throw it as someone. Or you want to make such a big snowball or a boulder out of it that you can roll it over them. What did Jesus do when he faced mocking and injustices?  He was falsely accused. He faced all kind of things that He could have been resentful for but He wasn’t. And on the cross, He said, “Father, forgive them for they know not what they do.” He looked inside the person and understood that they didn’t even realize what they were doing but He forgave them anyways and He was treated just about as unfairly as anyone could have been treated.  So today if anyone can relate to what Rick and Robin have talked about, and you are saying that is me. You have resentment for somebody for something they did. And you may be totally right in what they did is wrong. Jesus was totally right in what He was saying about those who were killing Him and they knew it. Jesus is our example. The one who set before us what to say and how to be. He forgave us and he tells us to forgive others as He has forgiven us.  If you want to move on and move forward, forgive others who have hurt you, who have abandoned you, who have persecuted you, who have spoken falsely against you. That is what you do to live a radical life.

Blood is necessary to the life of humans and animals. It is essential to maintain life. So, it has been called lifeblood. Lev 17:11 says, “for the life of a creature is in the blood.” Without blood there can be no life. Jesus was human and had lifeblood too. But His blood was particularly special. Jesus’ lifeblood brings life to us. His lifeblood is key and necessary to our salvation. There are a couple of events that God put into place for the Jewish people that were a foreshadow of the blood of Jesus. God always had in mind His Son as He set up feasts, festivals, and ceremonies. Blood was an essential component in many of them.  Passover for example was observed in remembrance of how God miraculously brought them safely out of slavery. The sacrificial animal they slaughtered to get the blood to put on the doorframes was called the Passover lamb. I Cor 5:7 says, “For Christ, our Passover Lamb, has been sacrificed.” Jesus' death and shed blood, Christ fulfilled the true meaning of the Jewish sacrifice of the Passover Lamb. The bible confirms that Jesus was crucified on Passover day. And He was the sinless and spotless sacrificial Lamb of God who frees us from being a slave to sin. Those who put their trust in Him will escape the judgement of death. Heb 10:10 says, “we have been made holy through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.” He substituted His life for ours and there was no longer any need for countless sacrifices.  We know in Jesus’ last meal with His disciples, after he had given thanks, he took the cup saying, ‘Drink from it, all of you. This is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.’” The shedding of Jesus’ blood is a covenant sign, and God states our salvation is sealed and paid for by Jesus’ blood. And we are to regularly set aside time to remember that His body was broken and His blood shed for us. Jesus went through what we go through to identify with every aspect of life including having our flesh cut. He allowed every drop of blood to be shed while He was being whipped, the crown of thorns pushed on to His head, and the nails hammered into His hands and feet. Jesus knew with every blow the significance of His blood being spilt for the sins of man. The blood was spilt for the Pharisees, Pilot, Herod, the crowds, his disciples, His mother and even the Roman soldiers who were whipping Him.  A speaker on Focus on the Family radio said that the human body can replace 20 million cells in just a few seconds, which means over a lifetime your body produces a lot of blood. Adult humans have somewhere around 25 trillion red blood cells in their body. This means that Jesus had this many red blood cells too and they were being replaced every few seconds. The speaker said he didn’t want to over spiritualize it but were there enough divine and powerrful blood cells shed so that there was enough for every person whoever lived in the world? Is it possible that we each have one red blood cell assigned for us? And that cell is so holy and pure that it can do what it says in I John 1:7, “the blood of Jesus…purifies us from all sin.” Jesus shed His blood for you to cleanse you from all unrighteousness. Cleansing is a result of being washed in the blood of Jesus. When God washes us, we become whiter than snow. White is a sign of purity. If you feel your life is so impure and stained with so much sin that you can never be made pure again, Jesus is saying and promises that His death and shed blood has the power to completely wash you clean so you can begin anew. All you have to do is accept this truth, confess your sins, and ask Jesus to come into your life and then you will receive the gift of this cleansing through His blood. Will you please do that today? Put your trust in Jesus who shed His lifeblood to bring you eternal life.

Contentment is a state of being happy and satisfied. Being pleased, fulfilled, and gratified. Not an excited kind of happy but more like a peaceful ease of mind. This is our first episode of our new series called “A Moe-Ment” and the first topic is a moment about contentment. It is nice that it is falling on Thanksgiving week because having a grateful attitude is a part of contentment. What are some of the characteristics of content people? ·       They are flexible, optimistic, open to new ideas, and can view life from different angles. They seek to see their situations from a spiritual point of view and get God’s perspective. ·       They put their faith in God’s timing, purpose, and ways and do not worry and fear. Prov 19:23 says, “The fear of the Lord leads to life. Then one rests content, untouched by trouble.” ·       They will most likely be healthier because being in a relaxed state of mind reduces stress and anxiety which takes a toll on our bodies. ·       They are more accepting and not judgmental of other people. They don’t react to or hold offenses. They realize all people go through things and all people are made in the image of God. ·       They love people more than money and possessions. Heb 13:5 says, “Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, ‘Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you,’” ·       They realize joy does not come from material things. They can distinguish between wants and needs. They don’t have a constant need to strive for more. They do not desire more than they need, have joy in what they already have.  ·       They are satisfied with their current status, situation, and possessions. So, they are able to let go of past failures and live in the present moment. And they don’t have attitude of, “When I get this or that in the future, then I will be happy.” ·       They don’t compare themselves with others because that will get you into a mode of trying to “keep up with the Jones.”  ·       They do not envy or covet. I Tim 6:6-10 says, “But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. But if we have good and clothing, we will be content with that. People who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge men into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.” ·       They don’t let what they have be who they are. They don’t look disagreeably upon themselves. They are able to view themselves as God views them, not by the world’s or someone else’s standard. There is an internal goal to be content and they take steps to meet that goal. ·       They have an thankful attitude and keep their eyes on the one who supplies all their needs and who says, “Come, all who are weary and heavy ladened and find rest.” Oswald Chambers says, “If God has made your cup sweet, drink it with grace; if He has made it bitter, drink it in communion with Him.” Turn it all over to Jesus and all your needs will be met. Ask yourself, if you lost every possession and person in your life, could you still be content? Paul says in Phil 3:8, “What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ.” Possessing Christ is all you need. He is more than enough.

Atonement originally meant “at-one-ment” or “at one with,” to be in harmony with someone. In Christianity, atonement refers to the needed reconciliation between sinful man and woman and the holy God.  In Wikipedia, a human definition states that atonement is the concept of a person taking action to correct their own previous wrongdoing, offense, or injury. The person knows they have done wrong and they want to mend the wrong. To correct it, they might either take direct action, take equivalent action to do good in return for others, or express feelings of remorse, like apologize for what they did. They hope by doing any of these things they can atone for or undo the consequences of the wrong act because if you do something wrong there are usually consequences.  Consequences are a part of God’s divine legal system too. God has great wrath against sin. God says eternal death is the consequence when we sin against God or break one of His laws. The sin causes a break and builds a barrier in our relationship with Him. It separates us from Him. Because of God’s love for us, He desires that we be reconciled to Him; so He created a very specific and necessary path to reconciliation.   Many trying to correct something on their own that they have done wrong; but in God’s system no one can do anything to atone for their own sins. Everyone is born with a sin nature due to Adam’s first original sin. Everyone has sinned against God’s law, it is like the sin is on you and you can’t take your sinful nature off yourself. A sinful person can’t correct or remove his own sin no matter how hard they try. There is nothing he or she can do to atone for their sin and reconcile their relationship to God. So that is why God sent His only beloved Son, Jesus, into the world so that we can be at one with God, in harmony with God. Jesus Christ was God’s solution to our problem of sin. We could not atone for our sin so Jesus atoned it for us.  The Atonement, purged our sins and reconciled us to God. God’s wrath for sin was forever satisfied by His Son’s death. It was God’s requirement for us to avoid the eternal consequences of death and to enter into eternal life with Him. We did not have to do anything. It was a gift from God by grace to all who will receive and accept it. [Rom 5:11] “We were reconciled to Him through the death of His Son.” [I Peter 3:18] “For Christ died for sins, once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God.” We will never know what it was like to have the compressed all-encompassing weight of all the sins of the world placed upon Him. He took away my sin and died the death I deserved. Even though He knew why He was hanging there on the cross, He was also human and He deeply felt the absence of God because of the sin He was enduring in that moment. He was in physical agony due to the beating of His body. He was mentally abused in that He was unwarrantedly mocked, falsely accused, betrayed and slandered. He was emotionally exhausted and in spiritual anguish. There has never been a more terrible death. God’s wrath against us was turned away from us and directed toward Him.   [I Peter 2:24] “He Himself bore our sins in His body on the tree, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness.”  Jesus dies for our sins, the innocent for the guilty. Oswald Chambers says, “The Atonement means that God can put me back into perfect union with Himself, without a shadow between…It does not matter who or what we are, there is absolute reinstatement into God by the death of Jesus Christ and by no other way.” Will we accept by faith Christ’s atonement and acknowledge that it was our sin that He bore in our place? When we believe, repent and put our trust in Him, we receive God’s free gift and then there is no more barrier between God and us. Will choose today to ask Jesus into your life and be reconciled to God. 

Rick and Robin introduce their new topical series called “A Moe-Ment.” The word '-ment' is not really a word, it is a suffix that is put at the end of a word and in doing so it creates a new word. For example, ship+ment=shipment. The suffix '-ment' means an action, a state, or a condition. All of the topics of the series will have a word with '-ment' at the end. The topics will include fun ones such as “Enjoyment” and serious ones such as “Disappointment.” So don’t be disappointed and listen every Tuesday for a new episode for your enjoyment! 

Welcome to our new Radical Life Support series entitled the ABCs of the Attributes of Jesus. This series will be focusing on the attributes, character, names, and works of Jesus Christ. Jesus is the second member of the Divine Trinity and He is described as “the exact representation of God’s being” (Heb 1:3). Jesus is not merely an image or reflection of God. There is God the Father, the Son of God and the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is God and the Son Himself is God. It is very important to start with this view of Jesus.  Jesus was conceived by the Holy Spirit, was born to a virgin, became flesh and dwelt among us. Jesus came for a very specific reason as clearly stated in John 3:16 which says that, “For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him, shall not perish but have eternal life.” Jesus came and died on a cross for the sins of all mankind. He was buried and then 3 days later, He rose again defeating death. He ascended into heaven and now sits at the right hand of God the Father. One day He will return to earth and those who put their trust in Him will live with Him forever in heaven. This is the basic tenant of the Christian faith. It begins and ends with Jesus as the central figure in and for all creation. In our study on the ABCs of the attributes of God, our main theme came from a quote by A.W. Tozer, “What you think about God is the most important thing about you.” Now, with Jesus, what you think about Him has eternal consequences. Our quote for this series will be from Jesus Himself spoken to His disciples in Matt 16, Mark 8, and Luke 9: Jesus and His disciples went on to the villages around Caesarea Philippi. Once when Jesus was praying in private and His disciples were with Him, He asked His disciples, “Who do people say that I am?" They replied, “Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets of long ago has come back to life.” “But what about you?” He asked. “Who do you say I am?” Peter answered, “You are the Christ, the Son of the Living God." The people of the day compared Jesus to good men, believing He was a good man. People even do that today. He was a good teacher they say; but that was not the right or complete description of Jesus. Peter accurately said He was the Christ, the long awaited anointed one. Stating Him as being divine, more than a mere man. When we talk about who Jesus was and is today, we must start at this point. It is a serious matter to get His identification correct. His true identity is of utmost and absolute importance for the world and each of us personally. It is a matter of eternal life or eternal death for those who would or would not believe in Him. We don’t need to guess who Jesus is or make Him up. In our study, we are going to see in scripture what God says about Jesus and what Jesus says about Himself. It is plainly stated to either be believed or not. The bible is the source of true knowledge regarding who Jesus is. People’s opinion or our own understanding of who Jesus is or who we want Him to be will always be inaccurate. Do not rely on it and make sure whatever you believe about Jesus matches with scripture. When you seek Him, the bible says you will find Him. That is a promise for anyone who is seeking with their whole heart. So, in these next weeks, let’s seek Him together. Let’s find out if we really know Him for who He is. We can’t afford to get it wrong. Ask yourself our theme question as if Jesus was asking you directly, “But what about you?” “Who do you say I am?”

We are interviewing Dave Peightal at his home in Glenwood, Arkansas. Although Pegtop was really the name of the band Dave was in, started after Teen Rescue, many think his name is Dave Pegtop. Rick and Dave met back in the mid to late 1980s at Sunshine Festival over 30 years ago. Dave was in the Cutting Edge band at the time and they were introduced and shortly thereafter Dave began to travel with the RLS band.  When Rick thinks back at the impact Dave had in the band, he remembers what was happening on stage was so evident. But what he saw when you were with the group and the band, Rick always saw this incredible gentle spirit that would be sitting there with whoever. Dave just ministered so beautifully to people. There was peace that was in the vehicle while they were traveling. Rick especially noticed it when Dave was not with us. He would ask to himself, why is there some contention today. And one of the reasons was -- Dave is not here. Rick thanks God for the season He gave him to have Dave present with Teen Rescue and in the band because Dave went on to start the band, Pegtop.  Dave wrote several songs that RLS used. One specific one that was one of Rick’s favorites was “I Believe in You." Also, Rick remembers particularly the song, "Everything I Own." It was a song also covered by artist, Jason Gray. Dave states that a lot of the songs we wrote during the time he wrote that song were written during a very difficult time in his life. The songs were Psalm-like in that they came out of depression and oppression with intense honesty. Dave’s songs came from real life experience and they were songs that others could relate to who were going through similar situations.  Dave was contemplating and being discouraged that his Christian walk had not progressed further than it had been. He was evaluating how he had spent his time. Realizing that most of the time we spend as humans is on things that do not really matter and he wished he had spent more time on things that matter.  The song goes on to compare what Jesus has done and how He gave everything He owned. That is the hope that we have. Dave says the song was written out of despair and it is one of the few songs that still touches him when he sings it so he still plays it everyone once in a while.  Rick asks Dave who he remembers from the days with Teen Rescue. Dave says that if it hadn’t been for RLS, Pegtop would never have been started. All the people he played with came from the RLS band: Wes T., Terry S., Ben C., and eventually Matt P. The team was knocking off new songs while they were traveling. Rick would be listening from the front of the van thinking how cool it was. Dave says that Rick put people in positions where they found themselves in Christ. Everyone in Pegtop were people that Rick had in one way or another challenged to get out and do things for Jesus. Others Dave remembers are Cindy T., Eric H., and Dwight L.  Rick said Dave’s time with Teen Rescue was invaluable and amazing and the years that followed. And here we are today, God is still working things in and through us. Our journey isn’t over, not even close. Dave says it is an exciting time because things are happening. When people put their trust in the Father and walk in obedience, He promises to protect us. We need to learn to listen and obey that voice and walk in it. We do not need to be afraid. When we trust the Father completely, there is no fear.   Rick replies that the bible says that those who follow Christ did not love their life even unto death. And that is spoke of about how do we defeat Satan and overcome evil? How do we overcome the accuser of the brethren? By the blood of the Lamb, the word of our testimony and that we did not even love our life even unto death. And that is what we call a radical life!!

Zealous is a super-positive word that accurately describes God. Zealous is a word that implies passion, enthusiasm, devotion, and dedication for something or someone. If you have zeal, you are willing, energized, and motivated for that thing or person and that is the real picture of God’s zeal.  It is important to understand why God is so zealous for us. One of God’s names is Qanna and it is translated zealous, jealous, or envy. [Ex 34:14] “Do not worship any other god, for the Lord, whose name is Jealous, is a Jealous God.” Zealous and jealous are sometimes used interchangeably with a similar meaning in translation. That God is zealous and jealous is best shown in the marriage relationship. God says when He created marriage, the two will become one flesh. When a man and a woman make a marriage commitment, they are making a covenant before God that they will be faithful through all circumstances of life and will not redirect their love to anyone else.  Zeal can be described as God’s jealous love. In scripture, God is depicted as Israel's husband.  God is like a jealous lover who is unwilling to abandon or give up His redeemed people. His passion and zeal is for them to be in covenant relationship with Him. As in a marriage relationship, God is wanting all our praise for Himself and no one else. He makes a commitment to be zealous and all out for our good and we in turn decide to be 100% devoted to Him and to love Him with all of our heart, mind, strength and soul. God made a covenant with His people in love. Because Israel turned to other gods, God said they had for all intentions committed adultery against Him. God was so displeased with the Israelite’s over their unfaithfulness that He sent His people into captivity for 70 years. We don’t often like to think that God hates sin as much as He does and that it angers Him; but the bible doesn’t hide this jealous attribute of God.  We much prefer to hear the verses when God’s is no longer angry and merciful. God forgives after we have repented of our unfaithfulness and then with continued zeal works to restore the relationship. In [Zec 8:1,7] “I am very jealous for Zion; I am burning with jealousy for her…I will bring them back to live in Jerusalem; they will be my people, and I will be faithful and righteous to them as their God.” God always keeps His part of the covenant. And God has a right because of His faithfulness, to want us to be faithful to Him in return. There is no sin in His righteous jealousy. God is zealous and deeply cares that you think of Him rightly. So, let’s ask our series theme statement in a form of a question: What comes into your mind when you think about God? Deep in your heart, what do you believe God to be like? Tozer says that once we know what a person thinks about God, then, “we might predict with certainty the spiritual future of that man (or woman).” Your answer is of immense importance. Your answer to this question will show whether your view corresponds to the true being of God.  Some may quote the Apostle’s Creed stating that is what they believe about God. But that can be just a religious statement that doesn’t dig down into the specific beliefs about God. We need to find out what God says in scripture about Himself and compare our thoughts against that. It could be difficult to find out that our knowledge is inaccurate and that we have believed God wrongly for so many years. How elevated is your view of God? Do you have a high opinion of Him? Is your view a view that God would consider is worthy of Him? Is it a view that causes you to live your life in a certain way? What you believe about God truly is the most important thing about you. Since God has taken so much effort to reveal all of His wonderful attributes about Himself through the word, through creation, through Jesus and in our hearts, shouldn’t we work with zeal to make sure we know Him rightly?

Yahweh is God’s name, not an attribute of God. But in OT times, a name wasn’t just a way to provide identification of someone, it could also describe their character and personality. God has many names in the bible. He reveals Himself to us through His names. Yahweh is a divine and sacred name. It is a name only used for the one true God, the self-existent, living God. "Let them praise the name of the LORD: for his name alone is excellent." [Ps 148:13a]. God stands behind His name with full force and truth and is zealous of His name.  Yahweh or Jehovah is the name God uses of Himself. It is a covenant keeping name between God and man. It means Lord, Master. And even more personally, a name God uses to communicate with His own people and a name used when in relationship with the people He loves. He defined His name for us so that we could better understand who God really is and all of His attributes. It is a holy, eternal name that holds great might and power. This section references the Blue Bible Book website. Don Stewart: Why Is God Called Yahweh? (Jehovah). In [Ex 3:14] God said to Moses, “I AM who I AM. This is what you are to say to the Israelites: I AM has sent me to you.” God’s name here encapsulates the full depth of who He is. The One and Only True and Living God of all gods. It describes the eternal supremacy of all He is over all others in the universe. No one else holds a name greater than His name.  Yahweh and Jehovah is used in combination with other names for God. These compound names include Jehovah Jireh: The Lord Will Provide; Jehovah-Shalom: The Lord is Peace; Jehovah Sabaoth: The Lord of hosts, The Lord of Powers; Jehovah Shammah: The Lord is There; Jehovah Tsidkenu: The Lord Our Righteousness; Jehovah-Raah: The Lord My Shepherd; Jehovah-Rapha: The Lord that Heals, The Lord Your Healer; Jehovah Nissi: The Lord My Banner; and Jehovah Mekoddishkem: The Lord Who Sanctifies You. Jehovah is translated as "The Existing One." Many scholars believe the most proper meaning is “He Brings into Existence Whatever Exists” (Yahweh-Asher-Yahweh). [Jer 33:2] He who made the earth, the LORD who formed it and established it -the LORD is his name. Yahweh-Elohim. This title is used of God’s relationship to humanity as Creator. First used in Gen 1:1. [Ps 95:6] Oh come, let us worship and bow down; let us kneel before the Lord our Maker. Jesus’ name was given by God to Joseph in a dream, [Matt 1:21[ “you are to give him the name Jesus, because He will save His people from their sins.” Jesus means Savior, appropriately named for what he would do and how His life would be represented and remembered. In Acts 4:12, it says that “there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be save.” This indicates the eternal significance for us of the power of the name of Jesus. In Phil 2:10 is says that, “God gave Him the name that is above every name and that at that name every knee will bow in heaven, on earth, and under the earth.” We should never take His name lightly. [Lev 22:32] says, “Do not profane my holy name.” We are to treat His name with reverence and grave significance in our minds and hearts. Do not use it casually, flippantly, or in vain. When you honor His name, you are showing Him devotion, respect, and admiration. You are showing that God's name is of the utmost importance to you. People will notice when you do this. If you take His name seriously, people will see that your heart is fully committed and they will more likely believe your witness about God and Jesus His Son.  “Who is God to you?” When you pray, are you praying to an “it” or to a “thing?” I hope not, because God is a person with a name who created you and loves you. What does His name mean to you? Ask yourself, is He your Most High God, All sufficient One, Master and Lord? Is He your Provider, Shepherd, and Friend? God knows us by our name, shouldn't we know Him by His name?

This episode was inspired by a song Robin wrote on the ukulele which is recorded at the end of the podcast for your enjoyment. Some people don’t seem to want to take their troubles to the Lord. They would rather wring their hands and worry and fret. They want to keep their troubles from the Lord. We all have a list of troubles and trials to worry over. I will bet the list is not as long as the number of times God tells us to not to be anxious or be afraid. God said not to be dismayed because I am your God. Don’t be discouraged or hopeless or in despair but be encouraged and full of hope. Who do you take your troubles to? You take them to God the Father; God the Son, Jesus; and God the Holy Spirit. You can bring them to either or all three. Ask the Father in Jesus name to be filled with the Spirit.  Each is a person that you can have a relationship with. Take your troubles to the God of all gods and His Son Jesus who have all the power in the universe to take care of everything.  When do you take your troubles to the Lord? Immediately, right now, you do not have to wait. Why hang on to your troubles? We have a tendency to try and handle our troubles ourselves first and taking them to God is our last resort.  Today is the day of salvation. Salvation is another name for God. Jesus means Savior. He doesn’t just save our souls but it is salvation for any trouble you find yourself in. Jesus says, “Come unto me all those who are weary and heavy laden and I will give you rest.” That call to come is always open, His door is open any time. When Jesus was on this world, He could only be in one place at a time. But now His spirit is available to all to be with them at any time, always present, always near.  Where do you take your troubles? Some think they can only bring troubles in a formal church setting but you can bring them in your car or any place. One symbolic place to bring your troubles and your burdens is at the foot of the cross. Use your imagination to set them down at the cross. Jesus went to the cross just once, He died on the cross just once, He was put in the tomb just once, and rose again from the dead just once. So that He could be with the Father. He work was complete. What troubles should you take to the Lord? Remember it is not just about big things but God wants you to give Him small things as well, nothing is too small. God knows your heart and it doesn’t bother Him for you to give Him every detail of your life. Anything you might be stressing out about. Don’t be afraid to share with God that it is too insignificant to bother Him with. Give it all to the Lord. Whatever is going on with you, take your troubles to the Lord. This is just another characteristic and identifying mark of a radical life! TAKE YOUR TROUBLES TO THE LORD Chorus: Take your troubles to the Lord, Take your troubles to the Lord, Take your battles, your sorrows, your pain and your tomorrows, Take your troubles to the Lord Verse 1: Your job is overwhelming and your boss is bearing down, the kids are screaming louder and you can’t think through the sound, a friend told a lie about you just the other day, Take your Troubles to the Lord. Verse 2: You’re being mistreated ‘cause you’re different from the rest, another sleepless night filled with worry, fear and stress, you made a mistake and you don’t know what to do, Take your Troubles to the Lord Verse 3: Not enough money to pay your bills again, you’re taking your prescription though there’s no more pain to mend, you just heard some news that’s turned your world upside down, Take your Troubles to the Lord. Bridge: Sing a halleluiah when you’re down and out, sing a halleluiah when your hopes run out, sing a halleluiah ‘cause you know it’s not the end, when you take your troubles to the Lord.