In Spirit & Truth

Most all of us have some sin in our past that’s hard to forget. You might lie awake at night mulling it over, feeling shame and regret over that choice. But, as Pastor JD encourages us in today’s message, as much as that transgression may haunt your memory, you can have joy and confidence knowing that God has forgiven you. 

In today’s message, Pastor JD reminds us that faith requires a lot of patience. As bad as your circumstance might seem, just like Joseph in the 17 years he waited for his dream to be fulfilled, or David as he hid in caves from a murderous king, you can have faith that God’s timing is perfect and He will fulfill His promises. 

For many of you, the Mid East Prophecy Update is a staple of your weekly discipleship. We are so very thankful for everyone who listens and watches these prophecy updates. Today Pastor JD will do a sort of review dating back to 2006 when this ministry first started. It's amazing to see JUST HOW MUCH has developed over the years...even so, come quickly LORD Jesus!

As you well know, the land of Israel has long been a hotly contested part of the world. In fact, it is the single MOST hotly contested piece of land in ALL of the world! Today Pastor JD begins sharing with us the amazing development in the last several weeks. Our president recently announced that the world should recognize that Israel has authority over the Golan Heights.

David was no stranger to affliction and hardship, but he learned in those times that the best thing to do was to draw near to God and worship Him. As Pastor JD encourages us in today’s message, when you find yourself in the midst of heartache and the storms of life, seek God. He will pull you in and comfort you in a way no one else can.

As we continue our journey through Psalms in today’s message with Pastor JD, we once again encounter the vulnerable heart of the psalmist. David was not afraid to humble himself and put his weakness on display before God, and God always came through in a mighty way to meet his needs and vanquish his enemies.

By understanding that God is always with us, we will gain the ability to make it through even the worst of situations. Pastor JD reminds us that the light of God is always upon us. Even in the darkest of times a shadow remains because His light never allows total darkness. If you are in hard times look to God knowing that He will guide you out.

The day we are saved is the day that we can know that an eternity with God awaits us. The power in this is the understanding that no matter how bad things may be here, the eternal future holds for us absolute exuberance. Pastor JD encourages us to grasp the greatness of the eternal life which awaits us and to allow it to inspire us here now.

Your time here on earth may not be long. The events of recent days and the overwhelming heaviness of discord around the world are bringing you closer to the end. But, as Pastor JD will remind you today, you have another home waiting for you! When the time comes where Jesus says “ENOUGH!”, you get to be with Him forever in Heaven!

With everything happening in Israel and around the globe, it's easy to become discouraged. Pastor JD understands and today wants to remind you of the peace that comes with a hope of Salvation! Don't let the heaviness of events weigh you down! You're learning from God's Word exactly what will take place, and it's bringing you one step closer to eternity with Jesus!

Discouragement is the greatest tool of the enemy. Through convincing us that our futures do not hold any good, he can potentially take from us faith or hope for the future. Pastor JD reminds us that God is always with us and that if we can allow ourselves to trust in that, we will never have any need for fear.

Through His death on the cross, Jesus opened the door for us to Heaven. Pastor JD explains to us how the scarlet worm sacrifices itself for it's children in the same way Jesus sacrificed Himself for us. As you move forward in your walk with Christ, know that He can turn any stain into a pure white. He offers you a refreshing through His salvation.

We all should be happy if we're angering the Devil. When we begin to feel the pressure of spiritual warfare, it's then that we know we are making changes for the better of God's Kingdom. Pastor JD reminds us today that if we are in God's Will we will experience spiritual warfare. As such, it's crucial that we know God's Word and lean on His strength. 

Leaders of ministry will be targets for the enemy. Those who are placed in charge are the ones the devil wants to tear down the most. As such, Pastor JD reminds us of the great need to pray for our leaders. What may seem as a small act may very well be the thing that gives them the strength and courage to continue in ministry.

The world offers many sources of so called hope. People ascribe to self help thinking and positive affirmation. Pastor JD will remind us that our only TRUE hope is in the return of Jesus Christ. Why? Because when Jesus returns, He will bring with him a rule of righteousness that will end all of the darkness that we see in this world.

The most recent developments regarding the protection of babies who have actually been BIRTHED is absolutely astounding! Where have we come to as a society that we are not willing to protect breathing, living babies that have survived the wicked abortion process!?!?!? Truly friends, we are in the last days. May God be merciful while we await His return.

The Lord takes notice of the thanksgiving and praise that we give to Him. Pastor JD shares with us the importance of acknowledging God for His good works. Through giving Him the thanks He deserves we will not only remind ourselves our need for Him, but we will bring joy to His heart, inspiring in Him the desire to trust more to us.

Throughout the Psalms we find David go from states of absolute despair, to absolute joy and confidence in the Lord. These drastic changes in state of mind are possible because when he is down he knows to lean on prayer. Pastor JD encourages us to lean on prayer too. When we are sad or scared, truly the best thing we can do is pray.

Jesus will do everything He can to bring us to His Will. Pastor JD reminds us today that Jesus wants us to follow His plan for our lives, not because He wants things His way, but because He knows that it is the best for us. But, for us to follow His Will we must be certain that we are not trapped in the sin which holds us back from it.

The Christian life can be difficult. As we get to know Jesus better we will become more aware of our sin and the ways of the world will become more foreign to us. In addition to that, the spiritual realm will begin to battle us. Pastor JD teaches us that despite these things we must continue to look to Jesus and walk in the direction He intends for us.

Pastor JD will spend time today on the impending elections in Israel, the controversy surrounding their current prime minister, and the current political uproar in the United States. The chaos in the world may seem out of control, but one thing remains certain – God is NOT surprised! He knows exactly what's going on, and the future is still under His control

The news that inundates your life today is frequently violent, angry, or downright depressing! Your world is dark, and getting darker by the moment. Today, though, Pastor JD wants to pierce that darkness with some light – the light of truth! God's Word is refreshing in these end days, giving you hope to hold on to and promises that you know will be fulfilled!

As humans, each and every one of us are guilty of sin. None of us are spotless. David spoke of this in Psalms and Paul said it again to the Romans. Pastor JD teaches us today, that though none of us are sinless, Jesus has offered Himself up for our sins. Because of His sacrifice we have the opportunity to enter the Kingdom of Heaven.

No matter how frightening a situation we are in may be, we must train ourselves to trust in God so much, that our fears are washed away. Pastor JD reminds us today that as Christians we should fear nothing. If we are faithfully walking in the path which He has set us on, we can confidently move forward knowing that He will protect us.

We've all experienced fear, but as Christians it's time for us to realize that we don't need to. Pastor JD challenges us to truly understand who our God is. When we fully realize His holiness and the fact that He desires to help us we can know that there is truly nothing to fear. Commit to Him and His Will and you can confidently stand fearing nothing.

God is just. As such He cannot allow us to get away with the sinful nature which we are born into. Only by sending His son to die for our sins are we saved from the judgement which He must enforce. Pastor JD reminds us that only through Christ can we be forgiven of our sins. Allow Jesus into your heart so that you can find salvation from God's Judgement.

Though it might seem odd...the Bible actually says that as the last days are approaching, more and more people will begin to mock and scoff at the return of Jesus. The more people mock and scoff, the closer we are. If you're paying any attention at all these days, people are mocking the idea of the rapture and the return of Jesus regularly.

Though we've discussed this a few times before here on the Mid East Prophecy Update...our president's determination to bring peace to the middle east is astounding! There is more and more discussion about how peace can be accomplished. These sort of events point us more and more to the soon return of Jesus Christ.

We find throughout the Bible that God used the weak for His work. Pastor JD teaches us that this was so that no one could ever doubt who was behind the miraculous deeds. God will use the weak so that the strong will know it is His work. This teaches us that to be used by God, it would be wise for us to show humility and be transparent with our weaknesses.

We are called to pray for everyone. Even the people who have wronged us or those we consider enemies. Pastor JD encourages us to pray for those we'd rather not pray for. He assures us that in doing so we will find the ability to forgive them easier. Think of those who have wronged you and pray for them instead of thinking ill of them.

As Christians we have a direct line to God. Through prayer we can move mountains if we simply know how to ask the right way. Pastor JD reminds us just how powerful prayer is and challenges us to put it into practice regularly. Jesus loves you and wants to hear from you. Speak to Him through prayer and allow Him to move in your life.

The enemy cannot stand the name of Jesus, for he knows he cannot defeat Him. Pastor JD reminds us that the name of Jesus holds power. In the spiritual realm the name of Jesus is impenetrable and infinite. As His followers we can call on Him in hard times knowing that He will deliver and protect us from all enemies that may come.

Today Pastor JD continues a discussion on the painful subject of abortion. This topic is flaring emotions from all sides, but needs to be addressed in the church! Pastor JD will remind you that sharing the Gospel message ALWAYS needs to be your priority. Everyone needs to be set free from sin – EVERY SIN – and that can only be done through Jesus!

In today's message, Pastor JD tackles the current and difficult topic of late term abortions. This is a sensitive subject, but one that needs to be addressed in light of God's love and truth. Pastor JD will share personal experiences along with Biblical passages that he hopes will help you navigate this topic. In it all, he reveals God's heart toward His beloved children!

Unanswered prayers sometimes are simply prayers which require more time to come to fruition. Pastor JD teaches us that God knows and sees all of time. This being the case He knows what is the best timing for prayers to be answered. Be patient in your prayers and know that God will answer the prayers which serve you and Him best. 

Spiritual warfare is real and as such you can expect the enemy to do what he can to stop you from praying. Pastor JD challenges us to commit to prayer and to see it through no matter what circumstances arise to dissuade us. Allow prayer to be a steady and consistent part of your life. Do this by scheduling times for you to sit and speak with God.

Our God is not only a father who will protect us, but a father who will encourage and help us to lift our heads. Pastor JD asks us to grasp the goodness of God. He helps us to understand that God is the best of Fathers and mightiest of Kings. He will protect us from all and He will inspire us to move forward if will simply allow Him to do so.

God loves each of us. In fact, He likes us! He hopes that we will see the grace which He offers through His son Jesus Christ and hopes we will accept Him. Pastor JD teaches us the need to know that our God loves us. He is not a God that made us on accident but instead a God who made us with purpose. Allow Him to fulfill His purpose in us.

Coexistence and the belief that everyone's god is the same is one step near to one world religion. When such theology is encouraged, people can be misled from the one true messiah. Jesus said, "I am the way, the truth, and the life, no one comes to the Father except through me." The road to the Father is narrow so don't let anyone fool you into thinking its a wide open path.

For the first time in history, the Pope visited the Middle East and met with leaders from Catholicism, Islam, Judaism. The Pope called this “a new page in the history of relations between religions”. While the idea of peace among all religions sounds like a good idea, coexistence is one step closer to the one world religion described in the book of Revelation.

Each one of us had our name written in the book of life. It's only through our choices while we are here on earth that our name may be blotted out. Pastor JD reminds us that we are responsible for our eternity. Only through accepting Jesus into our hearts as our Lord and Savior can we be granted access to the Kingdom of Heaven. 

During the Kingdom age there will be one thousand years of sin-less living with Jesus as the King. Pastor JD helps us understand how the world will be at first when Jesus comes back to earth. Mankind will finally live the way in which they were intended to. Praising and proclaiming Jesus as King, in a land of peace and prosperity.

What is the dominant influence in your life? In today's message from Pastor JD, he challenges us to ask ourselves this question. Many of our valuable influences, can come from our families and friends; however the most dominant influence, should be the Word of God. 
 God's Word, needs to be the dominating influence in every part of our lives!

You are, who you surround yourself with! In today's message from Pastor JD, he teaches us to be careful with whom we keep our company. Often times, we are known by who our friends are. When we surround ourselves with godly people, we become godly. As Christians, it's important we surround ourselves with those who love The Lord.

Wake up followers of Christ; his return is coming nearer every day. Be prepared and repent of your sin. Continue to follow the current events, so you may see the indicators of Jesus return. Look up and stare intently at the sky, eager for his return. Be encouraged; soon you will be in your real home, the house of the Lord.

A pivotal reason to read the bible is so you can know and be prepared for the times ahead. Ignorance is not going to make you happy; you will just be unprepared. While looking forward to the return of Christ, be empowered to fight the good fight, spreading the good news to unbelievers so that all may have a chance to avoid the wrath of God.

A parent is only as happy as their saddest child. In today's message from Pastor JD, he teaches us from this saying, that just as a parent's heart aches for their child who is hurting, so does our Heavenly Father for us. God desires for His children to be blessed, and stops at nothing to help lead His children in the ways of righteousness.

Job had a really good life. That’s part of why Satan targeted him. Yet, when all of it was lost, as painful as it was, Job never stopped believing that God knew what He was doing. As Pastor JD points out in today’s message, God not only restored Job’s earthly blessings, but He blessed Him above and beyond his previous wealth.

It’s easy to place family, friends and earthly possessions on a pedestal in your life. As long as those things are good, it’s easy to worship God and give Him thanks. But, as Pastor JD asks in today’s message, when you are confronted with the loss of those things, what will you lean on? Will you curse God or lean in and trust Him?

In the middle of your trials, it is challenging to see any good coming of them. As Pastor JD begins to wrap up our study of Job in today’s message, we witness the culmination of Job’s hardship. As horrible as his life had become at the hands of Satan, Job came through with faith and ultimately got to experience the reassuring voice of God.