Riot Podcast

???? ???? ?? ???? ?? ?? ????????? is the topic that will be discussed today on RIOT Podcast, a Christian Discipleship Podcast In today’s show, we are going to talk about What does it mean to be redeemed? In summary, according to Christian beliefs, every individual is in need of redemption due to the state of guilt and separation from God caused by sin. The concept of redemption is closely linked to the idea of being bought out or liberated. Through Christ’s sacrificial death on the cross, believers are freed from the bondage of sin and the Old Testament law. The benefits of redemption include forgiveness, holiness, justification, freedom, adoption into God’s family, and reconciliation with Him. This redemption is made possible through the price paid by Jesus as a ransom for our release from sin and its consequences. As a result, former slaves to sin are transformed into saints and can look forward to eternal life and praise for the Redeemer who saved them.

?? ?? ????? ??? ????? ?? ??? ???? is the topic that will be discussed today on RIOT Podcast, a Christian Discipleship Podcast The question of whether to yield the Sword or the Cup stems from a significant biblical event described in the Gospel of John, specifically in Chapter 18, verses 11-27. This passage recounts the arrest of Jesus Christ in the Garden of Gethsemane and highlights a critical decision faced by one of Jesus’ disciples, Peter. In this context, the “Sword” symbolizes Peter’s instinct to resort to violence or physical defense. As Jesus was being apprehended by a group of soldiers and officials sent by the religious authorities, Peter, driven by his love and loyalty for Jesus, drew his sword and struck the high priest’s servant, cutting off his ear. However, Jesus quickly intervened, urging Peter to put away his sword and declaring that those who live by the sword will die by the sword. On the other hand, the “Cup” represents Jesus’ acceptance of his impending suffering and crucifixion. Moments before his arrest, Jesus prayed to God, asking if it was possible for the “cup” to be taken away from him, signifying his desire to avoid the immense pain and sacrifice that awaited him. However, he ultimately submitted to God’s will, expressing his willingness to drink from the metaphorical cup of suffering and fulfill his purpose in God’s plan of salvation. Therefore, the question of yielding the Sword or the Cup encapsulates the contrast between using force or violence to defend one’s beliefs and embracing sacrifice and suffering for a higher cause. It presents a moral and spiritual dilemma, emphasizing the choice between following one’s immediate instincts or surrendering to a more profound purpose and divine will. The passage encourages reflection on the nature of power, self-sacrifice, and the transformative power of nonviolence in the face of adversity.

?????????, ??? ???? ??? ??? ?????! is the topic that will be discussed today on RIOT Podcast, a Christian Discipleship Podcast The topic, “?????????, ??? ????, ??? ??? ?????,” corresponds to a specific passage in the Bible, specifically ???? ??:?-??. This passage recounts the events leading up to Jesus’ arrest in the Garden of Gethsemane. ?????????: In this passage, Jesus demonstrates obedience to God’s will. He knew that his time had come, and he willingly submitted himself to the authorities who had come to arrest him. Jesus’ obedience to God’s plan is a recurring theme throughout his life and ministry, and it serves as an example for his followers to trust and obey God’s will. ??? ????: In John 18:1-10, one of Jesus’ disciples, Judas Iscariot, betrays him by identifying him to the authorities with a kiss. This act of betrayal was a sign of familiarity and friendship, but it was used to facilitate Jesus’ arrest. The kiss symbolizes deceit and hypocrisy, contrasting with Jesus’ message of love and genuine relationships. ??? ?????: During the arrest, one of Jesus’ disciples, Peter, draws his sword and cuts off the ear of a servant of the high priest. This impulsive action displays a misguided attempt to protect Jesus. However, Jesus quickly admonishes Peter and heals the wounded servant, emphasizing a message of non-violence and peaceful submission to God’s plan. The sword here represents the world’s methods of resistance and violence, which Jesus rejected in favor of a different path. This topic illustrates the complex dynamics of human behavior, including betrayal, loyalty, obedience, and violence. It emphasizes Jesus’ commitment to God’s will, his teachings of love and non-violence, and his willingness to surrender to the events that would ultimately lead to his crucifixion. It serves as a reminder of the importance of faith, obedience, and following Jesus’ example in our own lives.

??? ???????? ?????? ???? ???????? is the topic that will be discussed today on RIOT Podcast, a Christian Discipleship Podcast Today we will read ???? ?? which is the greatest prayer ever prayed on earth and the greatest prayer recorded anywhere in the Scripture. ???? ?? contains what is often referred to as the “Greatest Prayer” or the “High Priestly Prayer” of Jesus Christ. It is a significant passage found in the New Testament of the Bible, specifically in the Gospel of John, where Jesus prays to God the Father just before his crucifixion. Jesus knows that his time on Earth is coming to an end, and he is about to face immense suffering and sacrifice. It is in this moment that he offers up a heartfelt and profound prayer to his Father. The prayer can be divided into three main sections. First, Jesus prays for himself, acknowledging the completion of his earthly mission and expressing his desire to be glorified so that he can bring glory to God. He recognizes his role as the Son of God and the means through which eternal life is granted to humanity. The second section focuses on Jesus’ disciples, whom he prays for next. He asks God to protect them and keep them united, emphasizing the importance of unity among his followers. Jesus expresses his hope that they would experience the fullness of joy and be sanctified in the truth. Finally, Jesus extends his prayer beyond his immediate disciples and prays for all those who will believe in him through their message. This includes future believers, which means he is praying for us as well. Jesus asks God to bring unity among all believers so that the world may know that God sent him. Throughout the prayer, there is a sense of deep intimacy and connection between Jesus and his Father. It reveals the profound love and care Jesus has for his disciples and all those who would come to believe in him. It also demonstrates his understanding of his divine purpose and his desire for God’s will to be done. Overall, ???? ?? captures a moment in Jesus’ ministry and provides insight into his relationship with God the Father and his concern for his followers. It is a prayer that continues to inspire and challenge believers today, reminding us of the significance of unity, love, and the ultimate purpose of sharing the message of Jesus Christ with the world.

??? ??? ??? ?? ?????? ???????! is the topic that will be discussed today on RIOT Podcast, a Christian Discipleship Podcast In today’s show we are going to talk about ??? ??? ??? ?? ?????? ???????. Forgiveness is a complex and deeply personal topic that holds great significance in human relationships and personal growth. It involves the act of letting go of resentment, anger, and the desire for revenge towards someone who has caused harm or wronged us in some way. When we forgive, we choose to release negative emotions and move forward with compassion and understanding. There are several reasons why forgiveness is important and why we should consider practicing it: 1. Emotional well-being: Holding onto grudges and harboring resentment can have a detrimental effect on our mental and emotional well-being. It keeps us stuck in the past, constantly reliving the pain and preventing us from moving forward. Forgiveness allows us to free ourselves from the burden of negative emotions, promoting healing and emotional healing. 2. Restoring relationships: Forgiveness can be a powerful tool in restoring and repairing damaged relationships. By letting go of past grievances, we create space for reconciliation, understanding, and rebuilding trust. It opens the door to meaningful communication and the possibility of a renewed connection. 3. Personal growth and maturity: Forgiveness is a sign of personal strength and growth. It requires us to rise above our own pain and recognize the humanity in others, understanding that everyone makes mistakes. By choosing forgiveness, we cultivate empathy, compassion, and emotional resilience. It helps us break cycles of negativity and foster healthier relationships in the future. 4. Health benefits: Research has shown that forgiveness is linked to improved physical health. Letting go of grudges and resentment reduces stress levels, lowers blood pressure, and strengthens the immune system. It can also lead to better sleep and increased energy levels. 5. Breaking the cycle of hurt: When we hold onto anger and refuse to forgive, we risk perpetuating a cycle of hurt and negativity. By choosing forgiveness, we can disrupt this cycle and create a more positive environment for ourselves and others. It allows us to break free from the grip of negativity and choose a path of healing and growth. It is important to note that forgiveness does not mean condoning or forgetting the hurt caused by someone. It does not imply that we should reconcile with the person or continue to subject ourselves to harmful behavior. Forgiveness is a personal choice that empowers us to move forward without being weighed down by past grievances. In conclusion, forgiveness is a transformative and empowering act that can bring emotional healing, restore relationships, promote personal growth, and improve overall well-being. It requires courage, empathy, and a willingness to let go of the pain of the past. By practicing forgiveness, we can create a more peaceful and compassionate world for ourselves and those around us.

??? ????? ????? ?? ??????? ???! is the topic that will be discussed today on RIOT Podcast, a Christian Discipleship Podcast According to many religious and spiritual traditions, Satan is considered to be an evil force that seeks to lead people away from goodness and towards sin and destruction. The methods that Satan is said to use to achieve this goal vary depending on the belief system in question. According to many religious and spiritual traditions, Satan is considered to be an evil force that seeks to lead people away from goodness and towards sin and destruction. The methods that Satan is said to use to achieve this goal vary depending on the belief system in question. In Christianity, for example, Satan is often described as a tempter who tries to lead people astray through deception and trickery. He is said to plant seeds of doubt and discord, encouraging people to turn away from God and pursue their own selfish desires. Satan is also believed to use fear, anxiety, and temptation to manipulate people into making poor choices that ultimately lead to their downfall. In other traditions, Satan is portrayed as a powerful adversary who seeks to undermine the spiritual progress of individuals by instilling negative thoughts and emotions. He may use feelings of anger, jealousy, or resentment to turn people against one another, or he may try to create chaos and confusion in order to prevent individuals from finding their true purpose in life. Regardless of the specific tactics that Satan is believed to use, the ultimate goal is always the same: to lead people away from their connection to God or the divine, and towards a life of suffering and despair. To protect oneself from this destructive force, many religious and spiritual traditions advocate cultivating a strong connection to God or the divine, as well as engaging in practices such as prayer, meditation, and acts of kindness and compassion towards others.

????????? ?? ???? is the topic that will be discussed today on RIOT Podcast, a Christian Discipleship Podcast Today we are going to talk about the ????????? ?? ????. Pete is currently on location in Naples Italy and we are going to talk about His Journey traveling to Places Paul spent time in sharing God’s word. The ????????? ?? ???? is a term used to describe a popular Christian pilgrimage route that traces the missionary journeys of the Apostle Paul as recorded in the New Testament. These journeys are chronicled in the Book of Acts and include his travels throughout the Eastern Mediterranean, from modern-day Turkey to Greece and beyond. The Footsteps of Paul pilgrimage typically starts in the city of Antioch in modern-day Turkey, where Paul began his first journey with Barnabas. From there, pilgrims followed in his footsteps as he traveled to Cyprus, then on to modern-day Greece, where he preached in cities such as Philippi, Thessaloniki, and Corinth. The pilgrimage often includes visits to important biblical sites, such as the Acropolis in Athens, the Areopagus where Paul preached his famous sermon, and the ruins of ancient Corinth where he lived and preached for over a year. In addition, pilgrims may visit other sites of historical and cultural significance, such as the ancient city of Ephesus and the island of Patmos where the Apostle John is said to have written the Book of Revelation. The Footsteps of Paul pilgrimage is a meaningful experience for Christians seeking to deepen their faith and connect with the history of their religion. It offers a chance to visit the places where the early Church was established and to gain a better understanding of the cultural and historical context in which the New Testament was written. It also allows pilgrims to connect with other believers from around the world and to share in the communal experience of worship and fellowship.

???? ?? ????????????? ??? ????????? ????? is the topic that will be discussed today on RIOT Podcast, a Christian Discipleship Podcast Understanding our spiritual order can be a deeply personal and individualized journey, as each person’s spiritual path and beliefs are unique to them. However, there are some general keys that can help guide our understanding of our spiritual order: 1. Self-awareness: Understanding our spiritual order begins with understanding ourselves. We must be willing to look within and examine our beliefs, values, and experiences. By developing self-awareness, we can better understand our spiritual path and the role it plays in our lives. 2. Connection to something greater: Many people find meaning and purpose in their spiritual order by connecting to something greater than themselves, whether that be a higher power, the universe, or a collective consciousness. This connection can help us feel a sense of belonging and provide guidance in our lives. 3. Mindfulness: Practicing mindfulness can help us cultivate a deeper awareness of the present moment and connect more fully with our spiritual order. By being present and engaged in our experiences, we can develop a greater understanding of our beliefs and values and how they shape our lives. 4. Compassion and empathy: A key aspect of many spiritual orders is the importance of compassion and empathy towards others. By cultivating these qualities, we can develop a deeper understanding of ourselves and the world around us, and find greater meaning and purpose in our lives. 5. Ritual and practice: Many spiritual orders involve ritual and practice as a way to connect with our beliefs and values. This can include meditation, prayer, or other forms of spiritual practice that help us connect with our higher selves and the divine. Overall, understanding our spiritual order is a lifelong journey that requires self-reflection, mindfulness, and a willingness to connect with something greater than ourselves. By cultivating these qualities, we can find greater meaning and purpose in our lives and deepen our understanding of our spiritual path.

???????? ??????? ??? ?????? ?????????! is the topic that will be discussed today on RIOT Podcast, a Christian Discipleship Podcast The topic discusses victimization and victim mentality. It explains that victimization is when someone is treated poorly or unfairly, while victim mentality is when someone blames others for their problems and believes that bad things always happen to them. The text encourages readers to ask themselves if they have a victim mentality and to try to break free from it, as it can negatively impact their life. The topic also provides examples of people who overcame victimization and victim mentality, such as Jesus, Paul, and Joseph. It suggests that the fruit of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil, which represents the source of victimization, cannot transform the heart and give abundant life, unlike God, who wants people to have an overcomer’s mindset. The belief is that God does not want the suffering or trauma that you have experienced to define your entire life. Instead, God wants you to be liberated from it. Jesus is regarded as the ultimate example of someone who was victimized but chose to overcome a victim mentality. The depiction of Jesus’ suffering in the movie The Passion of the Christ can be difficult to witness, particularly when He endures the physical abuse inflicted upon Him, such as being whipped, having His beard pulled out, and being mocked. Even after all of this, He was crucified even though He had done nothing wrong. Despite being blameless, Jesus did not succumb to a victim mentality. If anyone had reason to feel victimized, it was Him.

??? ??? ??????? ?????????? ??! is the topic that will be discussed today on RIOT Podcast, a Christian Discipleship Podcast The presence of evil in the world is a result of human sin and disobedience, as seen in the story of Adam and Eve and their decision to eat from the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil in Genesis. This disobedience caused a separation between humanity and God, leading to a loss of authority and influence over Satan, who is described as the ruler of this world. The effects of sin are evident in the cultural values and practices that promote selfishness, greed, violence, and other forms of evil. The impact of these cultural values and practices can be seen in the way they affect how we live our lives. They promote a worldview that is centered on individualism, materialism, and self-gratification, often at the expense of others. This leads to a lack of empathy and concern for the well-being of others, which in turn perpetuates social and economic inequalities, injustice, and violence. To overcome the negative effects of cultural evil, we need to turn back to the Tree of Life and embrace the values of love, compassion, and selflessness. This requires a change of heart and a commitment to living a life that is guided by the principles of the Gospel, which teaches us to love our neighbors as ourselves, to care for the poor and the marginalized, and to seek justice and righteousness. By living in the spirit of Christ, we can counteract the negative effects of cultural evil and help to bring healing and transformation to the world around us.

Did Jesus’ resurrection happen? is the topic that will be discussed today on RIOT Podcast, a Christian Discipleship Podcast The Resurrection of Jesus Christ is a central doctrine of the Christian faith. It is believed to be the ultimate vindication of Jesus’ teachings, life, and ministry, and the ultimate sign of God’s power and love for humanity. The resurrection is seen as evidence that Jesus is the Son of God and that he has conquered sin and death. For Christians, the Resurrection is not just a historical event, but a present reality that is central to their faith. The Apostle Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 15:17, “And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins.” In other words, the Resurrection is essential to the Christian belief that Jesus’ death on the cross was the atonement for humanity’s sins. The Resurrection also has significant implications for the Christian understanding of life and death. It is believed to be a promise of eternal life for believers, who will be raised from the dead like Jesus and live forever in the presence of God. In conclusion, while there may be differing opinions on the historicity of the Resurrection, it remains a central and foundational doctrine of the Christian faith. The Resurrection is seen as evidence of God’s power and love for humanity, the ultimate vindication of Jesus’ life and teachings, and the promise of eternal life for believers.

Overcoming our pain with Joy – John 16:16-38 is the topic that will be discussed today on RIOT Podcast, a Christian Discipleship Podcast 16-24 Confusion, go away. World rejoice them sorrowful, but they will have joy 25-33 No matter what we go through we are never alone; the Father is always with us and He loves us. Last week’s show “?????????? ?? ??? ???? ??????” was a passionate spirit filled show. If you haven’t already, we would recommend you go back and listen to it. Today, we’ll pick up where Jesus left off in preparing the disciples for His departure from earth this week. This section of our reading will cover John 16:16-33, which concludes the Upper Room Discourse and focuses on the disciples’ emotions. They were depressed, perplexed by some of Jesus’ teaching, and terrified. It gives us hope to know that the disciples were real men with real problems, and yet Jesus was able to use them. Joy is a recurring theme in this section of our reading. That night, the Eleven were not having much joy! But what Jesus said to them eventually changed their lives. Today, we will see how tenderly and patiently Jesus explained to His people how they can have joy in their lives. Let’s read John 16:16-22 We see here that Jesus gives His disciples something to live by, and that is that God brings joy to our lives, not by substitution but by transformation. Yeah, His illustration of the woman giving birth makes this clear. The same baby that caused the pain also caused the joy. In birth God does not substitute something else to relieve the mother’s pain. Instead, He uses what is there already but transforms it. Every parent knows what it is like to have an unhappy child because a toy is broken, or a friend has gone home. The parent can do one or two things. One substitutes something else for the broken toy or absent friend. Or transform the situation into a new experience for the unhappy child. If the mother always gets a new toy for the child each time a toy is broken. That child will grow up expecting that every problem is to be solved by substitution. If the mother always calls another playmate and invites him or her over, the child will grow up expecting people to come to his rescue whenever there is a crisis. The result, either way, is a spoiled child. The way of substitution for solving our problems, is the way of immaturity. The way of transformation is the way of faith and maturity. We cannot mature emotionally or spiritually if somebody is always replacing our broken toys. So now that we understand the principle, we can better understand the problems and the questions of the disciples. In vs 16, Jesus announced that “in a little while, they would not see Him.” This appears to be a deliberately puzzling statement. Jesus spoke in proverbs and the disciples did not understand them. What did Jesus mean? I am encouraged by this, because there are many hours that I read through the scripture to try and understand what is being said. Without trying to read into this, Jesus was possibly talking about “the soon to occur events” in connection with His death and resurrection. After his burial, they would not see Him for a little while, but then, He would rise from the dead and they would see Him again. He had told them on previous occasions that He would rise from the dead after 3 days, but His words did not sink into their minds and hearts. I think Jesus is also speaking about His return to the Father. This ties in with vs 10, Because I go to my Father, and you will see no more. The disciples did not live to see the return of Christ, but they did see Him die and arrive in His glory. Yeah, in comparison to eternity, the time that the church has been awaiting the Lord’s return has really been but a little while. The phrase “a little while”, is used in this very sense in Hebrews 10:37. For yet a little while, and he that shall come will come, and will not tarry. Jesus had to go to the Father to set up the church phase. He sent His Holy Spirit to the Church, and the church is carrying the Word of His grace to the ends of the earth. To the mother experiencing birth pains, every minute may seem to be an hour. Our concept of time changes with our feelings. 30 minutes in the dentist chair may seem like hours, while hours fishing or dining with friends may seem like a very short time. The mother feels as though the birth is taking a long time, when really it may be only a little while. When the baby has been born, pain is forgotten as joy fills her heart. The world today does not want Jesus or His church. The world is rejoicing while we are suffering, longing for our lord to return. In Romans 8:22 it says “all of creation is suffering birth pangs, because of sin, awaiting His return.” In Matthew 9:15 it says “when the bridegroom is away, the bride mourns. But in a little while, he shall return, and we shall go with Him to heaven to enjoy the Fathers house.” While the immediate application may h

The Geniusness of the Holy Spirit is the topic that will be discussed today on RIOT Podcast, a Christian Discipleship Podcast In Episode 122 Titled: “Why does the world hate Christians?” We unpacked John 15:18–16:4. In verses 18 and 20, Jesus stated that the reason the world hates Christians is because they first hated Him, and because we now identify with Him, they will also hate us. If you haven’t listened to it already, I encourage you to do so. This week we will pick up where we left off in John. At this time, Jesus has told His disciples once more that He must die and ascend to the Father. As usual, Jesus gives His disciples hope with the promise of the Holy Spirit, despite the fact that His disciples are somewhat confused and sorrowful. Today’s reading will reveal to us some additional awesome ways the Holy Spirit assists us in our daily walk with God. It will be a fantastic show. Let’s begin and start our reading with John 16:5-11. We know that up until this point, Jesus had been with His disciples for three years and had protected them from attack, but He was about to leave them. He’d told them this earlier in the upper room, and Peter had asked as to where He was going. So, they were still a bit confused, and Jesus needed to explain why it was critical for them that He had to return to the Father. Of course, the main reason is that the Holy Spirit may come to empower the church for life and witness. Furthermore, the risen Savior would be able to intercede for His people before the heavenly throne of grace. This new truth was difficult for his disciples to grasp. Something to keep in mind in what we just read; the Spirit comes to the Church and not to the World. This means that Jesus is working in and through the Church. The Holy Spirit does not operate in isolation. Just as the Son of God required a body to carry out His work on earth, so too does the Holy Spirit require a body to carry out His ministries, and that body is the church. Our bodies are His instruments and temples, and He desires to use us to praise Christ and proclaim the gospel to the lost. Is our ministry set up to equip and advance God’s kingdom? People occasionally pray, “Lord, send your Spirit to speak to the Lost!” May the Spirit move from one heart to another. Such prayer is without a doubt sincere, but is it Biblical? No, the Holy Spirit does not float up and down the rows of a church building, seeking to win the lost. The Holy Spirit works through the people He dwells in. When the Holy Spirit descended on Peter at Pentecost in Acts 2, He gave him authority to preach, and the preaching of the Word brought conviction to those who heard. The key word here in vs 8 is “reprove”. It is a legal word that means to bring to light, to expose, to refute, to convict and convince”. It could be translated as “pronounce the verdict”. So by this definition Jesus is saying the world may think that it is judging Christians, but it is the Christians who are passing judgment on the world as they witness to Jesus. Yes exactly, Believers are the witnesses, the Holy Spirit is the prosecuting attorney, and the unsaved are the guilty prisoners. However, the purpose of this indictment is not to condemn, but to bring to salivation. The Holy Spirit convicts the world of one specific sin, unbelief. The law of God and man’s conscience will convict the sinner of his sins (plural), but it is the work of the Spirit, through the witness of the believers, to expose the lost world’s unbelief. Yes because it is the unbelief that condemns the lost sinner, not the committing of individual sins. A person could clean up his life and quit his or her bad habits and still be lost and go to hell. The Spirit also convicts the sinner of righteousness, not unrighteousness, walk us through whose righteousness? The righteousness of Jesus, the perfect Lamb of God. The world would not receive the Son of God, so He has returned to the Father. When He was here on earth, He was accused by men of being a blasphemer, a lawbreaker, a deceiver, and even a demon. The Spirit of God reveals the Savior in the Word and in this way glorifies Him. The Spirit also reveals Christ in the lives of believers. Keep in mind the world cannot receive or see the Spirit of God, but they can see what He does as they watch the lives of dedicated believers. The Holy Spirit convicts the lost sinner of sin. This statement should not be confused with Acts 24:25, which speaks of righteousness, temperance, and the coming judgment. Jesus is referring to His judgment of Satan, which was accomplished through His death on the cross. Satan has already been judged and the verdict announced. All that must take place is the executing of the sentence, and that will occur when Jesus returns. But back to Jesus’ point a lost sinner is truly under conviction, he will see the folly and evil of unbelief, he will confess that he does not measure up to the righteousn

What is a Christian Revival? is the topic that will be discussed today on RIOT Podcast, a Christian Discipleship Podcast The topic of today’s show is“What Is a Christian Revival?”.We’ve heard about what’s going on at Asbury, and we’re seeing signs of revival on the campuses of many other universities across the country.So, what is Revival exactly? We believe it is a spiritual re-awakening from a state of dormancy or stagnation in a believer’s life. It includes a renewed love for God, an appreciation for God’s holiness, a love for His Word and His church, a convincing awareness of personal and corporate sin, a spirit of humility, and a desire for repentance and growth in righteousness. Revival energizes and sometimes deepens a believer’s faith, opening his or her eyes to the truth in a new and exciting way. It generally causes a new beginning with a clean slate, a new beginning of a life lived in obedience to God. Revival breaks the world’s charm and power, which blinds men’s eyes, and generates both the will and power to live in the world but not of the world. The First Great Awakening, also known as the First Revival, occurred in the United States in the 1730s and 1740s and resulted in a spike in Protestant devotion, leaving a lasting imprint on American religion. It came about as a result of authoritative preaching that profoundly affected the congregation with a convicting understanding of individual guilt and the amazing nature of salvation through Christ. By igniting a strong emotional need for a relationship with Christ, the Great Awakening liberated Christianity from mindless ceremonial and dull ritual, making it extremely personal to the average person as it should be. In many ways, revival mimics the experience of a believer when he or she is saved. It is prompted by the Holy Spirit, who creates an awareness of something missing or wrong in the believer’s life that can only be corrected by God. The Christian, in turn, must respond from the heart, acknowledging his or her own need. The Holy Spirit then powerfully draws back the veil that the world has cast over the truth, allowing believers to fully see themselves in comparison to God’s majesty and holiness. Such comparisons, of course, bring great humility, but also great awe of God and His truly amazing grace. Isaiah 6:5 And I said: “Woe is me! For I am lost; for I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts!”. Unlike the initial conversion experience, which results in a new relationship with God, revival represents a restoration of fellowship with God, the relationship having been maintained despite the believer’s withdrawal for a time. In a variety of situations, God, through His Holy Spirit, calls us to revival. The letters of Christ to the seven churches reveal some of the circumstances that may necessitate revival. Christ praised the church in the letter to Ephesus for their perseverance and discernment, but He also stated that they had abandoned their first love (Revelation 2:4-5 “But I have this against you, that you have abandoned the love you had at first. Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent, and do the work you did at first. If not, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place, unless you repent.” Many times, as the excitement of accepting Christ fades, we lose the zeal that we once had. We become engrossed in the ritual, going through the motions, and lose sight of the joy of serving Christ. Revival aids in the restoration of that first love and passion for Christ. Revelation 2:10-11 is about the church in Smyrna, which was under severe persecution. Life’s cares and concerns can wear us down, leaving us emotionally, physically, and spiritually exhausted. Revival can provide us with new hope and faith. Revelation 2:14-16 says “But I have a few things against you: you have some there who hold the teaching of Balaam, who taught Balak to put a stumbling block before the sons of Israel, so that they might eat food sacrificed to idols and practice sexual immorality. So also, you have some who hold the teaching of the Nicolaitans. Therefore repent. If not, I will come to you soon and war against them with the sword of my mouth.” These verses address the issue of worldly compromise and incorporating worldly values into our belief systems. Revival assists us in correctly determining what values we should hold. The problem of tolerating false teaching in our churches is addressed in Revelation 2:20-23 it says “But I have this against you, that you tolerate that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess and is teaching and seducing my servants to practice sexual immorality and to eat food sacrificed to idols. I gave her time to repent, but she refuses to repent of her sexual immorality. Behold, I will throw her onto a sickbed, and those who commit ad

Why Does The World Hate Christians? is the topic that will be discussed today on RIOT Podcast, a Christian Discipleship Podcast We will discover a unifying thread in today’s reading from John 15:18–16:4 that unites all of our reading. That is, the church is facing hostility from the world, while the Holy Spirit’s ministry is operating with and through the Church. Jesus had been teaching His disciples primarily about love up until this point, but now He will be speaking about hatred. In this section of scripture that we are reading today, He used the term “hatred” seven times. Jesus is the very definition of love. Everything He has ever done is because of His love for others, so how could anyone hate him? His desires the best for us, however, He tells us that we too will be hated like Him. If we identify ourselves as Christians today, then that is the way things will be. Jesus warns His followers that the world will persecute them in the same way that He is being persecuted, and that the world also will hate them. It is clear from John’s gospel that the religious establishment not only rejected Jesus, but also actively sought to have him killed. The lesson Jesus is teaching His disciples here is that they must endure this hostile environment and persistent hostility until Jesus comes again or until they die. Let’s dive in and unpack these powerful verses. Let’s Read John 15:18- 16:4 We should start by defining what Jesus means by “the world,” because the term appears at least three times in the Bible. It can refer to the created world (John 1:10 the world was made by Him), the world of humanity (John 3:16 for God so loved the world), or society apart from God and opposed to God, which we refer to as the world system. From a Christian perspective, the world includes all of the people, plans, organizations, activities, philosophies, values, and so on that belong to society without God. Some of these things may be very cultural, while others may be very corrupt, but they all have their origins in the heart and mind of sinful man and promote what sinful man wishes to enjoy and achieve. As Christians, we must be careful not to fall in love with or conform to the world. Now that we described the term “world”, let’s ask the question, Why does the world system, including the religious world, hate Christians, the ones who believe in Jesus and seek to follow Him? Jesus himself gave us several reasons and the first one is because “we Identify with Him”. In verses 18 and 20, Jesus says that if they hated Him, they will also hate those who identify with Him. Jesus quoted the statement He made earlier in John 13:16 and in John 15:20, and the logic is clear. We are the servants to the Master. Because He is greater than we are, He deserves to be praised and glorified, but the world will not praise or glorify Him. The world despises Him, so the world must despise us. If Jesus, despite His greatness and perfection, does not escape persecution, what hope do we have with our own flaws? Some other passages in the Bible show a special bond between Christ and His followers, that when He is attacked, so are we. In Matt 26:31, we are the sheep and he is the shepherd, so when the shepherd is attacked, the sheep suffer. When they attack Him, they also target us because He is the Master and we are His followers. But it is comforting to know that Jesus shares in the pain of God’s people when they are persecuted since He is the Head of the body and we are the members. Remember in Acts 9:4 when Jesus said Saul and Saul, why are you persecuting me? Paul was persecuting the Church and Jesus took it personally. So, anything that the enemy can do to us has already been done to Jesus. He is with us as we suffer, absolutely amazing. The next reason Jesus gives us why the world system hates us, is found in vs 19, “because we do not belong to the world.” When we trusted Jesus we moved into a new spiritual position. We are now “in Christ” and “out of the world” To be sure, we are in the world physically, but not of the world spiritually We are now partakers of the heavenly calling (Heb 3:1) we are no longer interested in the treasures or pleasures of sin in this world. This does not mean we are isolated from reality or insulated from the world’s needs, so heavenly minded that we are no earthly good. Rather it means that we look at the things of earth from heaven’s point of view. The world system operates on the basis of conformity. As long as a person follows the fads and fashions and accepts the values of the world, he or she will get along. But the Christian refuses to be conformed to this world. In 2 Cor 5:17 says that “the believer is a new creation; old things are passed and behold all things are made new.” That is saying that we no longer want to live in the old life. We are the light of the world, and the salt of the earth. But a dark world does not want light and the world hates that we are differe

?? ?????’? ??????? ?? ??? ???? ???????, ?? ???? ?? ?????????? ???, “??? ????? ?? ?? ??????” on RIOT Podcast, a Christian Discipleship Podcast. God tells us in Genesis, that travel is a divine command (vocation). It’s a work trip to do the Lord’s business. God tells Adam and Eve to “be fruitful, multiply, and fill the earth”(??????? ?:??). In other words, traveling is part of humanity’s job description. However, God isn’t so much telling Adam and Eve to leave the Garden as He is telling them to extend the Garden. From the beginning of time, travel was a thing to do and it was something that we did together, with God and one another. Gen 2:1-3 We worked together and Sabbathed together. Sadly, many of us have lost the missional, meaningful, sabbatical, worshipful and communal intent of a trip. Before the fall travel was blessed by God, after the fall it became a curse. God had to “turn the car around” in a sense; instead of the trip being about expanding the Garden, it became about finding a way back to the Garden. It’s hard to deny that there is something troubling about the modern American approach to travel, which at this point, could almost be classified as a competitive sport. Travel, especially the travel we see on social media, seems to have devolved into: • ? ?????? ??? ???????? (travel to find myself); • ? ????? ??? ?????????? (travel as a way to be seen and accepted); • ??? ??????? ?? ??????? (travel as a substitute for purpose); • ?? ??????? ?? ??????? ?? ??????????? ?????? ??? ?????????(travel as a way to titillate and medicate). We should travel with an eye towards the opportunities God will provide to share the gospel and extend mercy. In other words, whether we are traveling for work or play, we should be looking for opportunities on the plane, playground or in the hotel lobby for chances to tell people about and practically show them the love of Jesus. . To wrap up everything today, God wants us to take advantage of the opportunity to travel and explore the world around us. He knows that through experiencing different cultures and learning about different people, we can become better, more understanding, and compassionate individuals. Traveling allows us to break down barriers and make connections that would not have been possible otherwise. It can also be a great way to practice our faith and deepen our spiritual connection with God.

On today’s podcast, we will discuss, “????? ? ?????? ?? ??? ??? ????????” on RIOT Podcast, a Christian Discipleship Podcast. Today we continue our reading in ???? ??:??-??, and we will see the common theme we have read over the last three chapters: that we are to love one another. When we bear fruit in our lives, one of the byproducts is that we love others as Christ first loved us. In ??????? ??:??-??, Jesus is asked what the most important commandment is. He shared with them the Jewish Shema, a prayer said by Jews every morning and evening that states that the Lord God is one and that we should love the Lord God with all of our heart, soul, and might. Then He added a second commandment, that we should love our neighbor as ourselves; all the law and prophets hang on these two commandments. We see Jesus here telling His disciples that they are no longer just servants, but that they are His friends. Many of us have a large number of friends who are not close to us and only a few who are in our inner circle. We also have friends who have turned on us or that have been unfaithful and betrayed us, such as Judas Iscariot. To be honest, even our closest friends can let us down when we need them the most. When Peter, James, and John should have been praying, they went to sleep in the garden, and Peter, even denied Jesus three times. Jesus is saying that the only person that will never let you down in Him. Being a friend and a servant are not mutually exclusive. Abraham is the perfect example of this. According to ? ?????????? ??:?, he was a “friend of God” and a “servant of God”. God desires that we have a deep friendship with Him, but in order to do so, we must remain in Him and obey Him. The more we get to know Him, the more we become acquainted with his thoughts, ideas, and purposes. It’s then that the incredible intimacy and love grow within us as a result of that. God will never stop loving us in spite of us, but we cannot know Him as a friend if we don’t remain in Him. This kind of relationship that Jesus is describing is supernatural, it is unlike anything any of us will ever experience here on earth. It is a relationship of deep love, both for Him and for each other. The friends of the King, could not compete with each other for attention or promotion. They were a part of the inner circle, not to promote themselves but to serve their King. How is it possible that Jesus commands us to love one another? Can true love be commanded? We must remember that Christian love is not simply a feeling, it is a deliberate act. The evidence of our love is not in our feelings, but in our actions, even if it means laying down our lives for Christ and one another. Jesus gave His life for both His friends and His enemies (Romans 5:10) While emotions are definitely involved in how we love it’s more than that. True Christian love is an act of will and a byproduct of the fruit we produce. We can love naturally as Christ loves when we remain in Him. One of the greatest privileges of being a friend of Jesus is getting to know God better and learning God’s secrets. Servants get first dibs, and each of us can get as close to Jesus as we want. We are His friends, and we should be near the throne, hearing His word, enjoying His intimacy, and obeying His commands. In ???? ??:?? Jesus reminded the men that they had this privileged position only because of His grace. They did not choose Him, it was He that chose them! In ???? ??:?? He said He chose them out of the world and ordained them to do His will. So, because God chooses us to do His work, does this take away our free will? No, as we have always said, He will not force us to be His friends; we must act in obedience in order to experience intimacy with Jesus. The word ordained means “appointed” in this context. It refers to the act of distinguishing someone for special service. The Lord has graciously chosen and sets us apart to go into the world and bear His fruit. He is telling His disciples that He is sending them out into the world as His personal ambassadors to tell and witness Himself to others. Friends of Christ bear fruit and advance the kingdom of God. ???? ??:? says the evidence that we know we are Jesus’s disciples is because we bear fruit. We are in the kingdom-building business with Jesus. Where there is true fruit, it remains forever. But if it is manufactured by Man, done in the flesh by man’s own power, then that fruit will eventually disappear. Jesus closes this part of His message by reminding them and us of the most important commandment of all: Love one another. There are dozens of “one another” statements in the New Testament, but all of them are summarized in “Love one another”. To wrap up everything today, we can put it like this; Being a friend of God has many spiritual and practical benefits. Friendship with God is a source of strength, comfort, and peace. It provides a feeling of being connected to something greater than ourselves.

Why Dating Matters is what will be discussing today, with our special guest, on RIOT Podcast, a Christian Discipleship Podcast In honor of Valentine’s Day this week in the United States, we thought we’d do a show about ways to date your spouse or, for those who are single, your girlfriend or boyfriend. When most people think of “dating,” they envision pre-engagement fun filled with long talks, throbbing hearts, and flower bouquets. But, who says it has to end after engagement “or, for that matter, after marriage? What is the purpose of dating? “A purpose”, according to Merriam Webster, is “something set up as an object or end to be attained.” A purpose defines the ultimate goal, destination, or intended outcome of an action. If your ultimate goal is having a great relationship, then dating should be a part of your purpose. While Christ-centered intimacy is the great prize in marriage, Christ-centered clarity is the great prize in dating. In the context of marriage between man and woman, intimacy is the safest, and marriage is safest in the context of clarity. We must date to get married and date to stay married if we want to have and enjoy a Christ-centered intimacy If “Clarity” is Gods truth on everything, then our ultimate purpose is “to glorify God and to enjoy him forever,” Colossians 3:17 says, “every part of us should be striving toward this end.” In order to glorify God in our marriage we must first and foremost grow in our holiness together. Humans are created for relationship (Genesis 2:18), and it’s in this context of connecting and clashing with other sinners that God frequently makes us aware of our sin. What does that mean exactly? Dating is a time to get to know each other better, to focus on how we can elevate one another. If you are not married and you want to grow in Holiness together, practice self-discipline by setting and keeping boundaries. Always show compassion and forgiveness toward each other. Practice patience with each other and look for ways to complement each other. Display the gospel to others through your relationship, be a light to others. LEARN TO LOVE To grow in Holiness together is hard to do if you don’t know how to love each other as Christ love us. This “love” is different from the kind you’re referring to when you say “I love you” for the first time. Rather, it’s the selfless, sacrificial love we are commanded to show to everyone as believers (Mark 12:30-31). The longer you date someone, the more you’ll know how to love them really well. You learn their love language. For instance, like how hugs make them happy, so you go out of your way to give them a quick embrace before anything else happens in the date. Learn their love languages and sacrifice what you want first to focus on them. If you both do this the date will be unbelievable. What are the love languages? Time, Touch, Words, gifts, service MAKE TIME…No Matter What. Hebrews 10:24-25 “24 Let us think of ways to motivate one another to acts of love and good works. 25 And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing near.” The first step to dating your spouse is commitment. Always plan one date a week, you don’t have to be stuck on a certain day unless your schedule demands it. The bottom line is to make it a priority, not an every once in a while, sort of thing. HAVE GOOD TALKS James 1:19-20 tells us that “Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry.” Don’t just talk to talk, but make it a point while dating to have fruitful meaningful talks, ask positive questions and listen. Creating space for healthy communication is important! Dates are the perfect opportunity for you and your spouse to reconnect. Spend time talking so that you can keep acquainted and stay in touch with each other’s lives! GET-CREATIVE- Colossians 3:23, ‘Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord.” Romans 12:6, “We have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us.” MAKE ERRANDS INTO DATES- Ecclesiastes 4: 9-12 “Two are better than one because they have a good return for their labor: If either of them falls down, one can help the other up. But pity anyone who falls and has no one to help them up. Also, if two lie down together, they will keep warm. But how can one keep warm alone? Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.” A relationship is stronger when they work together, but it’s even stronger when they have God as their leader. Obviously, there is a time we should date without doing errands together but, why not go to the store together, have fun, and adjust your schedule to just hang out. BE OK WITH CHEAP Even if you’re rich. A common misconception is that quality romance has to be expensive. Let’s throw out that idea right now. Sure, we may be able to afford bo

On today’s podcast we are teaching from John 15:1-11. How do we know if we are producing fruit? is what will be discussed today on RIOT Podcast, a Christian Discipleship Podcast Today we will study John 15:1-11, where Jesus makes His seventh and last “I am” statement: “I am the vine.” Jesus considers His disciples to be His friends, He reveals to them that He is the source of their life, in Him all things are new and good. We are the branches in His illustration; if we remain in Him, we can do anything, but without Him, we can do nothing. As branches, we have the privilege and duty of sharing His life and abiding in Him. As His friends, we have the privilege of understanding His perfect will and the option to submit to it. Let’s read vs 1-11 and uncover all of its fruit. The planting of vineyards was essential to Israel’s economy and way of life back then. According to history, a golden vine decorated Herod’s temple. When Jesus employed this picture, He was not introducing anything new; it was well-known to every Jew. Let’s dissect four aspects of Jesus’ teaching to better comprehend what He is saying. The first is the vine itself. In the Bible, there are three different vines. The past vine is “Israel”, the future vine is “the earth” as described in Revelation 14:14–20, and the present vine is “Jesus”, which Includes His church as its branches. Let’s break down each one, starting with the past. Psalms 80:8-10 1. The Past Vine: The past vine mentioned here is an act of God’s grace, He transplanted Israel into the land of Canaan. He blessed them with fruit, milk and honey. 2. The second vine talked about here is “the future vine of the earth” Revelation 14:14-20 3. The last vine mentioned here is “the present vine”. This vine represents Jesus, who is the only true vine all other vines of religion are false. So, let’s look at what Jesus says, “The first, was that He is the vine, and the second, was that we are His branches. This crucial idea of connection and communion is emphasized in a number of the biblical passages that relate to Christ and the believer. In Eph 5:25-33, it talks about Jesus as “The Bride” and we as “His bridegroom”. In 1 Cor 12, Jesus is the Head of the body and we are its members, and in John 10 we are Jesus’ “sheep” and He is “our shepherd”. Jesus, in referencing the branch being broken off here, is saying, that a body part that is severed from the body will die. As Christians, we must accept that we are branches that need to be in communion with Jesus in order to live and breathe. How can we know for sure that we are continuing to abide in Christ? Is there a distinct feeling we get? We must keep in mind that while the branches do not consume the fruit, others do. We don’t grow fruit to please ourselves, but to help others. We should be the type of people who nourish others through our words and actions. Prov 10:21 says, “the Lips of the righteous feed many.” There are several different kinds of spiritual fruit that are named in the Bible. Romans 1:13 says, “we bear fruit when we win others to Christ.” In John 4:35 it says, “we are a part of the harvest.” Romans 6:22 says, “We grow in holiness and obedience when we are bearing fruit.” Paul, in Romans 15:28 said that believers that are committed to bearing fruit have a dedicated life bringing of bring God glory. And we know that Gal 5:22 says, “we will bear the fruit of the Spirit which are Joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.” Bearing fruit will always build up others around us and point them to Jesus. What does yielding fruit not entail? That would be living in the flesh. Living in the flesh is living in our effort that produces dead results and cannot be reproduced. If it were Spirit produced fruit, then it will go on producing from one life to another. In John 14:27, Jesus spoke about having God’s peace living within you. In verses 9-11, He talks about having love and joy in you. The first three fruits of the Spirit are love, joy, and peace. When we abide in Jesus, we will always produce His love, joy, and peace in our hearts. To wrap up all that we have learned today, we can sum it up like this; We, as branches are to remain in the Vine, we are now entrusted with the dual roles of being faithfully obedient to God and to produce fruit so that others can eat from us.

Peace I leave with you, Peace I give you John 14:19-31 is what we will be discussing today on RIOT Podcast, a Christian Discipleship Podcast Episode 116 from last week was titled “Fear not, help is here”. My little brother, Bill joined us as a special guest on the show. We covered John 14:16–18, which is when Jesus taught His followers about the Holy Spirit. It was a fantastic show to go back and listen to, if you haven’t already, especially, if you want to learn more about how the Holy Spirit can impact our daily lives. This week is a continuation of last week’s show. Today, we will learn how we can enjoy the Father’s love. Romans 5:5 says “The love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Spirit which is given unto us.” Orphans feel unwanted and unloved, but our Father shares His love with us. Today, we will see how Jesus shared three manifestations of God’s love with his disciples. Let’s Read John 14:19-24 and get started In vs 19-20, we see Jesus sharing a past manifestation of His love. Verse 19 focuses on His resurrection and post-resurrection appearances. He is saying, “I have been with you in power for some time now and you will no longer see me physically. But there will be a time you will see me again, when I come back in power, with great glory to judge lost sinners.” In vs 21 & 23-24 Jesus is showing a “present manifestation” of himself to the believers. Note the repetition of the word “love”. If we treasure His word and obey it, then the Father and the Son will share Their love with us and make Their home in us. Jesus is saying that we have heaven in us now as we are on a mission with Christ and one day when we die. Verses 19- Here, Jesus is saying that there will be a future manifestation when He returns. Judas (not Iscariot), recalled that Jesus had said He would not manifest Himself to the world. This seemed to contradict the other statements that He had made, such as recorded in Matthew 24:30. His question was, “What has come to pass that you are no longer going to reveal yourself to the world?” He is questioning Him as if he is saying, has there been a change in the divine plan? One of the best ways to ease a troubled heart is to bathe it in the Love of God. When you feel like an orphan, let the spirit of God reveal God’s love to you in a deeper way. Charles Spurgeon said, “Little faith will take your soul to heaven, but great faith will bring heaven to your soul. Your heart can become a heaven on earth, as you commune with Jesus and worship him.” Now let’s read John 14:25–31 In verse 27 the word “peace” there is Shalom, it is a precious word to the Jewish people. It means, much more than just the absence of war or distress. Shalom means “wholeness, completeness, health, security, even prosperity in the best sense.” When you are enjoying God’s peace, there is joy and contentment. God’s peace is not like the peace the world offers, it is perfect and everlasting. The world bases its peace on its resources, while God’s peace depends on relationships. While in the world, peace is something you wish for or strive for, for the Christian peace is a magnificent gift from God that is gained through faith. People who are not saved gain peace when there is no conflict or trouble. Christians however, experience calm and peace despite difficulties and challenges because of the Holy Spirit’s influence and power in our life. People in the world walk by sight and depend on the externals, but Christians walk by faith and depend on the eternals. In verse 27 it says “The spirit uses the Word to give us His peace”’, In John 15:9-10 He uses the Word to give us His love; in John 15:11 He uses the word to give us Joy. In verse 28, Jesus is assuring His disciples they would see Him again. He’s basically saying, rejoice, because I am returning to the Father. They are like, why should we rejoice again? Because His return made their way possible to the Father in heaven and He is giving them the gift of the Holy Spirit as a helper. In John 14:30-31, Jesus named two of our great spiritual enemies, the world and the Devil. Jesus overcame the world and the devil and the devil has no claim on Him. There is no point in Jesus where the Devil can get a foothold. In verse 28 Jesus said, My Father, is greater than I. He was not denying His own deity or His equality with God, for then He would have been contradicting Himself. When Jesus was here on earth, He was necessarily limited by having a human body, so this is a reference to this fact. Jesus showed His love for the Father (and the world) by voluntarily going to the cross. He did not hide or flee. He willingly laid down His life. He and the disciples may have left the upper room at this point so, what Jesus said from that point on, was spoken on the way to the garden. Or they could have been lingering for a while as he shared this. We can easily imagine the allegory of the vine being given as they walked that night through the vineyards

Fear not Help is here John 14 16-18 is the topic that will be discussed today on RIOT Podcast, a Christian Discipleship Podcast. In episode 115, titled “Let not your hearts be troubled”, we unpacked John 14:1-15. During the show we talked about the key encouraging assurance statements by Jesus to His disciples. He shared with them that one day they will be with Him in heaven for all eternity. He also shared with them, that now in His name, they can pray directly to the Father and that their prayers will be answered. It was a very encouraging show for anyone that might be going through hard times currently, if you have not listened to it yet, we highly recommend that you do. In our coming shows, we are continuing this conversation that Jesus is currently having with His disciples. In today’s show through John 14 verses 16-18, Jesus will be sharing with them about the assurance they will have in the Holy Spirit. In the following shows coming up, we will unpack vs 19-24 when Jesus will talk about how, that when He is gone, they will enjoy the Father’s love and lastly in vs 25-31, Jesus will share with them that they will have the same peace here on earth as He had. Let’s read our text for today John 14:16-18 Jesus had a great deal to say about the Holy Spirit in His upper room message, for apart from the help of the Spirit of God, we cannot live the Christian life as God would have us live it. We must know who the Holy Spirit is, what He does and how He does it. Our English word “comfort” comes from two Latin words meaning “with strength”. We usually think of comfort as soothing someone, consoling him or her, and to some extent this is true. But true comfort strengthens us to face life bravely and to keep on going. It does not rob us of responsibility or make it easy for us to give up. Vs 17 says that the HS is “the Spirt of Truth”. Here Jesus is relating the HS to himself, “The Truth” and the word of God, which of itself is the truth. If we want the HS to work in our lives, then we must seek to glorify Christ, and we must make much of the Word of God. When we compare Eph 5:18- 6:9 with Colossians 3:16-4:1. To be filled with the Spirit is the same as to be controlled by the Word. The Spirit of Truth uses the Word of Truth to guide us into the will and the work of God. The HS abides in the believer. He is a gift from the Father, an answer to the prayer of Jesus. During His earthly ministry, Jesus had guided, guarded, and taught His disciples, but now He was going to leave them. Jesus also called the HS another helper, or in some translations, a councilor or comforter. Jesus said the word “another” before helper, that word translated in Greek means “another of the same kind”. So, has the HS been on earth before Jesus? Of course. He empowered men and women in the OT to accomplish God’s work. However, during the OT age, the Spirit of God would come upon people and then leave them. Remember King Saul, in 1 Sam 16:14 and David’s writing in Psalm 51:11. Both illustrate the leaving of the HS. In Acts 2 at Pentecost, the HS was given to God’s people to remain with them forever. Even though today, we may grieve the HS, but he will never leave us. Something to think about, the way we treat the HS is the way we treat Jesus. The believer’s body is the temple of the Spirit (1 Cor 6:19-20), so what he or she does with their bodies affects the indwelling HS. Another truth to remember is that the world cannot receive the Spirt because, the World lives “by sight” and not by faith. The world does not know Jesus, and you cannot have knowledge of the Spirit apart from Jesus. Lastly, in vs 18, John uses the word “comfortless”, that word translated in the Greek is “orphans”. We must know that in Jesus we are never alone, abandoned, helpless, or hopeless! Wherever we go, the Spirit is with us, so why should we feel like orphans? There is no need to have a troubled heart when you have the very Spirit of God dwelling within you!

Let not your heart be troubled (John 13:36–14:15) is the topic that will be discussed today on RIOT Podcast, a Christian Discipleship Podcast. In our reading today, we are continuing the conversation the disciples have been having with Jesus at Passover. Jesus is letting them know He will no longer be with them physically and that He now has to go be with the Father. We will read in John 13:36-38, Peter asks Jesus where He will be going. Wondering if they could join Him. With the questions that Peter was asking, Jesus shows us that they are perplexing questions, which was causing their hearts to be troubled. We know this because in John 14:1 Jesus tells them, “Let not your heart be troubled.” As we read through this chapter, we will see Jesus bring them a sense of calm with encouraging words of comfort. Jesus is the only one who can truly know our hearts. Peter did not know him, and we sometimes have trouble truly knowing our hearts. One thing is for certain: in this life we live, there will come a time when our hearts will be troubled. These next couple of podcasts will help bring to life Jesus’ words of comfort and assurance. We will focus on six wonderful assurances. Assurances that we today may claim and enjoy when life gets messy and confusing. Read John 13:36 and John 14:6 Did you notice Jesus did not rebuke Peter for asking him where He was going? But his reply was somewhat cryptic. He said, “One day, Peter, you will follow me to the cross, and then you will follow me to heaven. But first, you will deny me 3 times.” He starts to calm their hearts with the mention of heaven as a real place. It is not a product of religious imagination or the result of a psyched-up mentality, looking for pie in the sky by and by the fairytale. According to Jesus, heaven is the place where God dwells and where Jesus sits today at the right hand of the Father. Another encouragement from Jesus we find in Vs. 3 is a clear promise that Jesus will return one day for His people. Some will go to heaven through the “valley of the shadow of death,” but those who are alive when Jesus returns will never see death. 1 Thessalonians 4:13–18 says, “In that day, we will be changed to be like Christ, and we will go to heaven.” What a great promise! Thomas’s question revealed his keen desire to be with Jesus, and this meant that he had to know where the Master was going and how he, himself, would get there. Jesus made it clear that He was going to the Father and that He was the only way to the Father. Heaven is a real place, a loving place, and an exclusive place. Not everybody is going to heaven, but rather only those who have trusted in Jesus. Jesus assured his disciples that once they died, they would be with Him in heaven for all eternity. Paul wrote in Romans 8:18 that he considered the sufferings of this present time not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us. We, along with the disciples, will suffer in some way, shape, or form here on earth, but Jesus’s words give us the eternal blessing of heaven to look forward to. Read John 14:7-11 We do not have to wait until we enter heaven to get to know the Father. We can know Him today and receive from Him the spiritual resources we need to keep going when the days are difficult. What does the term “know the Father” here mean? The Greek construction of the question in John 14:10 suggests that the Lord expected Phillip to answer yes. Remember Jesus asking Philip, “Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words that I say to you, I do not speak on my authority, but the Father who dwells in me does his works.” Philip should have realized that the words of Jesus, as well as His works, came from the Father and revealed the Father. The word “Believe” used in John 14:10 is singular, for Jesus was addressing Phillip, but in John 14:11, it is plural, and He is addressing all of His disciples. The tense of both is “go on believing”. Let your faith grow! Read vs 12-15 and see how Jesus encouraged His disciples all the more. There is a plaque out there that says “Why pray when you can worry?” Too many people take this statement as truth for their own life. Jesus in these verses is saying quite the opposite. If God is going to answer our prayers and give us peace in our hearts, then there are certain conditions that we must meet. Jesus pointed out those conditions in these verses. The first is in vs 12, ”We must pray in faith.” The second is in verses 13–14: we must pray in Christ’s name; and lastly in vs 15, we must pray in loving obedience. So, let’s unpack each of these. Pray in faith. The promise is for us to claim, and the claiming of it demands faith. When Jesus used the double “Truly, truly,” it assured us that this was a big announcement. The fact that Jesus did return to the Father is an encouragement, for now, He is interceding for us. The statement about the greater works applies initially to the a

Humility with Holiness brings Happiness (John 13:12-35) is the topic that will be discussed today on RIOT Podcast, a Christian Discipleship Podcast. In last week’s show, we talked about “humility and grace” and it was a powerful one. If you haven’t listened to it yet, we highly recommend you go back and listen after this show. This week, we will be in John 13:12-35 to finish off this chapter. The three key highlights in our reading today are: 1st, Judas Iscariot is pointed out as a traitor by Jesus to the disciples; 2nd, The battle between darkness and light; 3rd, Jesus is teaching His disciples that, in order for people to know that they are His disciples, they will know them by their love for each other. Read John 12:12-17 to start off our reading. This section is a continuation of our reading from last week of Jesus washing the disciples’ feet. I notice here that John 13:17 is the key verse in this section, where it says, “If you know these things, happy are you who do them.” What is Jesus talking about? Jesus asked the disciples if they understood what He had done regarding washing their feet, and it is likely that they did not. So, what we read here, is that Jesus is explaining to them the lesson in humble service. He said this is an example for them to follow. The world thinks that happiness results from others serving us, but the real joy comes when we serve others in the name of Christ. Jesus was their master, so he had every right to command their service. Instead, He served them! He gave them an example of true Christian ministry. On more than one occasion during the previous three years that Jesus has been with them, He had taught them lessons about humility and service, but now He had physically demonstrated the lesson to them. The world asks, “how many people work for you?”. But Jesus asks, “how many people do you work for and serve?” Our leadership should be measured by our servant’s heart within us. The last will be first, the first will be last, (Mathew 20:16). We should care more about the people, than the work they do, and in return, the work they do will be more productive. Let’s move on to read verses 18-35. But before we do, be sure to keep these lessons that Jesus has taught us in this chapter close to our hearts. The sequence is, we first must be humble, then walk holy, then we will receive the fulfillment of happiness. Submit to the Father’s will, keep your life clean, and serve others. The true formula for true spiritual joy. A dark shadow now fell across the scene as Jesus dealt with Judas, the traitor. It is important to note, as we mentioned last week, that Judas was not a true believer, but he was a hypocrite. Remember in last week’s show, we said He had never believed in Jesus. Read John 6:64-71 In vs 21, it says that Jesus was troubled in his spirit. Jesus was concerned that Judas’s treachery would not weaken His disciple’s faith. This is why He related it to the Word of God. When the disciples saw all of this fulfilled, it would make their faith stronger. The most remarkable thing is that everyone sitting at the table with Jesus did not know that Judas was an unbeliever and a traitor. Up to the very hour of his treachery, Judas was protected by the Savior whom he betrayed. I Sam 16 (v. 7) For the Lord does not see as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart. God does not judge us by our outward behavior or our acts like man does, but by the intents and desires of the heart. Peter signaled to John, whom Jesus loved, and who was the closest to Jesus at the table, to ask him who the traitor was. Jesus replied by saying “It is whom I give this bread to”. To the disciples, this probably didn’t register yet because, this was an act that was interpreted as an act of love and honor, so Jesus’ actions were seen in that light. Even though Satan had entered Judas, it was Jesus who was in charge. He lived on the timetable given to Him by the Father, and He wanted to fulfill what was written in the Word. John’s little phrase it was night, carries a tremendous impact when you remember that light and darkness are important spiritual images in his gospel. In 8:12 he wrote, “Jesus is the light of the world”. But, Judas rejected Jesus and went out into the darkness, and for Judas, it is still night. Did you notice in vs 31 the minute Judas was gone; the atmosphere was cleared and Jesus began to instruct His disciples and prepare them for His crucifixion and His ultimate return to heaven? His core message to them was to love one another. He told them their greatest responsibility was to love one another, just as He had love them.

Do you desire Humility and Grace? is the topic that will be discussed today on RIOT Podcast, a Christian Discipleship Podcast. Last year we unpacked John 1-12. John detailed to us the truth of Jesus’s claims as the Messiah. Time and time again, he proved to us through the testimony of many eyewitnesses that Jesus truly is who He says He is. His testimony of Jesus’s teachings showed us that Jesus spent 3 years preparing His disciples for His departure. As we begin this year in John 13, we will see Jesus’s farewell tour, as He begins to give His disciples their final exam. Jesus’s earthy ministry, as they have known it, is now over. He is now transitioning into His final hours, where He will leave them to carry on His work. In chapters 13-21, John presents, for the most part, the private ministry of Christ with His own Disciples. He was preparing them for their future service when the Holy Spirit would come and empower them. Last year, we already studied the days leading up to today’s reading. We learned Jesus had entered Jerusalem on Sunday and then on Monday had cleansed the temple. Tuesday, was a day of conflict as the religious leaders sought to trip Him up and get evidence to arrest Him. The details of these events are in Mathew’s chapters 21-25. Wednesday, was probably a day of rest, and in our reading today, it must be Thursday, as He is meeting with His disciples in the upper room to observe the Passover. Here, Jesus washes His disciples’ feet. Read John 13:1-5 We observe two things in these 5 verses. The first emphasis in verses 1-3 is on what Jesus knew, and the second is in verses 4-5 on what Jesus did. Jesus knew that his hour has come. More than any of the other gospel writers, John emphasized the fact that Jesus lived on a heavenly timetable, as He did the Father’s will. What was this divinely appointed hour? It was the time when Jesus would be glorified through His death, resurrection, and ascension. From a human point of view, it meant suffering, but from the divine point of view, it meant glory. He would soon leave this world and return to the Father who sent him, Jesus had finished His work on earth. Jesus also knew that Judas would betray Him. Judas is mentioned eight times in John’s gospel, more than in any of the other gospels. Why? Let’s unpack Vs 3 a little further, where it says “the Father had given Him all things”. This statement parallels John 3:35, “The Father loves the Son and has given all things into his hand.” It also reminds us of Mathew 11:27 “All things have been handed over to me by my Father, and no one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal him”. In Vs 4 and 5 the disciples must have been shocked when they saw their Master rise from supper, lay aside His outer garments, wrap a towel around His waist, take a basin of water, and wash their feet. Jesus knew His disciples’ hearts and He knew that they had a competitive spirit about them. We read within a few minutes; the men were disputing over which of them was the greatest in Luke 22:24-30. The Father had put all things into Son’s hands, yet Jesus picked up a towel and a basin! His humility was not born of poverty but of riches. He was rich, yet He became poor (2 Cor 8:9) Jesus was sovereign, yet He took the place of a servant. He had all things in His hands, yet He picked up a towel. He was Lord and Master, yet He served others. Read John 13:6-11 and see Peter’s impulsive statement out of ignorance and then his correction by Jesus. The word translated as “wash” in John 13:5-6 is “nipto” and means “to wash a part of the body”. But the word “washed” in John 13:10 is “louo” and means “to bathe all over”. The distinction is important, for Jesus was trying to teach His disciples the importance of a holy walk. But why is it essential to keep our feet clean? We learn an important lesson from Peter here. Don’t question the Lord’s will or work, and don’t try to change it. He knows what He is doing. Notice that John carefully pointed out that Peter and Judas Iscariot were in a different relationship with Jesus. Yes, Jesus washed Judas’ feet! But it did Judas no good because he had not been bathed all over.

Learn and Move Forward is the topic that will be discussed today on RIOT Podcast, a Christian Discipleship Podcast. At the end of the year, business owners are often busy taking inventory. To know if they have made a profit or not, they must face this painful but necessary reality. They analyze the data they gather and make changes for the following year. As Christians, we need to stop at the end of the year and measure our progress. Sometimes this is a very painful thing to do. But that is what we are going to talk about today. In our reading today, Paul is taking inventory of his life, and he gives us the 5 next steps of how we are to evaluate our lives while still moving forward. Read Philippians 3:12-16 PAUL’S EVALUATION OF HIS LIFE INVENTORY 1. His Dissatisfaction With Himself Obviously, Paul was satisfied with Jesus, but he was not satisfied with his Christian life. A sanctified dissatisfaction is the first essential to our progress in the Christian race of life. Many Christians are self-satisfied because they compare their running with that of other Christians, usually those who are not making much progress. Had Paul compared himself with others, he would have been tempted to be proud and perhaps to let up a bit. Has this year produced in us a self-satisfied life where we are tempted to be proud? 2. His Devotion Paul said one thing I do, not many things I do. Many Christians focus on too many things, and Paul wants us to evaluate the one thing we do great. The true follower of Jesus must devote himself to running the Christian race. No athlete succeeds by doing everything; he succeeds by specializing. (James 1:8 A double-minded man is unstable in all his ways) Has our year been focusing on many things or the main one thing? 3. How He Viewed His Direction 13c Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead. The unsaved person is controlled by the past, but the Christian running the race looks toward the future. Imagine what would happen on the racecourse if the runners started looking behind them. They could possibly have a collision or serious injury. Believers should be future-oriented. “To forget” means to no longer be influenced by or affected by. Not fail to remember Have we been breaking the power of our past by living for our future hope in Jesus? 4. His Own Determination I press, this same verb is translated “I follow after” and it carries the idea of intense endeavor. The Greeks used this word to describe a hunter eagerly pursuing his prey. A follower of Jesus does not become a winning athlete by listening to lectures, aka sermons, watching movies, reading books, or cheering at the games. He becomes a winning athlete by getting into the game and determining to win! Has our past year been an intense endeavor to win for Jesus 5. His Discipline It is not enough to run hard and win the race; the runner must also obey the rules. Paul is emphasizing the importance of the Christian to remember the spiritual rules laid before him in the word of God. If we are not in our word daily we will in essence break our training and be disqualified. We cannot compete at the highest level if we do not understand the rules. Bible history is filled with people who began the race with great success but failed in the end because they disregarded God’s rules. As we evaluate our year, have we been in God’s word daily so we can know the rules required for battle?

Jesus, the humble King-Matthew 2:13-23 is the topic that will be discussed today on RIOT Podcast, a Christian Discipleship Podcast. In our last two episodes, we uncovered two facts related to Jesus’s qualifications as a King. The first qualification we discussed was that Matthew was proving that Jesus’s genealogy from both Joseph and Mary gave Him the right to David’s throne. But He knew that would not be enough because there were other men who could claim that as well. We then discussed Jesus’ divine ancestry and how it alone distinguishes him from any other living human being. From there, we talked about the Magi paying Jesus homage and how that also proves His kingship. Today we want to read Matthew 2:13-18 and uncover the hostility that came against Jesus and then finish up with Matthew 2:19-23 and talk about the humility of a King. Read Matthew 2:13-18 Matthew knew that a person is identified not only by his friends but also by his enemies. Herod pretended to worship the newborn King when, in reality, he intended to destroy him. Herod’s anger was evidence of his pride; he could not permit anyone to get the best of him. This led Herod to kill the baby boys, who were two years of age and under, who were still in Bethlehem. What we see in these verses is that Matthew is introducing us to the theme of hostility, which he focused on throughout his book. Satan is a liar and a murderer, as was King Herod. The first mention of Bethlehem in Scripture is in connection with the death of Jacob’s favorite wife, Rachel (Gen 35:16–20). Rachel died giving birth to a son, whom she named Benoni (son of my sorrow). Jacob then renamed his son, Benjamin (son of my right hand). Both of these names relate to Jesus, for He was a “man of sorrows and acquainted with grief,” Isa 53:3, and He is now the son of God at God’s right hand, Acts 5:31. With all of this said, Jacob put up a pillar to mark Rachel’s grave near Bethlehem. Jacob saw Bethlehem as a place of death, but the birth of Jesus made it a place of life! Because of His coming, there would be spiritual deliverance for Israel, and in the future, the establishment of David’s throne and kingdom. Israel, the son of my sorrow, would one day become the son of my right hand. Very few people today think of Bethlehem as a burial place; they think of it as the birthplace of Jesus. Bethlehem is a much bigger story than most people realize. And because Jesus died for us and rose again, we have a bright future before us. Without the new life in Bethlehem, we cannot have our new life, which leads to eternal life. Let’s now read Luke 2:19–23 and talk about the humility of the King. Herod died in 4 BC, which means that Jesus was born sometime between 6 and 5 BC. It is impossible not to notice the parallel between Matthew 2:20 and Exodus 4:19, the call of Moses. The LORD said to Moses in Midian, “Go back to Egypt, for all the men who were seeking your life are dead” Archelaus, one of Herod’s sons, is mentioned in Verse 22; Herod had willed the title of king to him. However, the Jews discovered that, in spite of his promises of kindness, Archelaus was as wicked as his father. So, history shows that they sent a delegation to Rome to protest his kingship. Augustus Caesar agreed with the Jews and appointed Archelaus to govern half of his father’s kingdom. But even this fulfilled prophecy Once again, Matthew points out that every detail in the life of Jesus was foretold in the Scriptures. It is important to note that Matthew did not refer to only one prophet in Matthew 2:23 but instead says that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophets (plural) We will not find any specific prophecy that calls Jesus a Nazarene. The term “Nazarene” was one of reproach. John 1:46 says, “Can any good thing come out of Nazareth?” In many Old Testament prophecies, the Messiah’s lowly life of rejection is mentioned, and this may be what Matthew had in mind. Who has ever heard of a king born in a humble village and growing up in a despised city like Nazareth? No one. He is different and entered this world this way to show us how we also ought to live.

Why a divine birth and homage to the King? is the topic that will be discussed today on RIOT Podcast, a Christian Discipleship Podcast. In episode 109 titled “God’s family tree is messed up, find out why” Matthew 1:1-17 we unpacked Jesus’s human heredity. His family members in His family tree were far from perfect, but God still chose to use their lineage to the birth of Christ, the Messiah, the Savior of the World. In the show this week, we will discuss Jesus’s Divine Heredity and just how Matthew will make it clear that Jesus’s birth was way different from that of any other Jewish boy named in the genealogy of Christ. Read Matthew 1:18-25 As we mentioned in our previous episode, Matthew pointed out that Joseph did not beget Jesus in the genealogy. Rather, Joseph was the husband of Mary, of whom was born Jesus, who is called Christ. Jesus was born of an earthly mother without the need for an earthly Father. This is known as the doctrine of virgin birth. Miracles happen every day and, in this case, a miracle of the Holy Spirit happened. Jesus was conceived in the womb of Mary, a virgin, by the Holy Spirit. Both Mary and Joseph belonged to the house of David. The OT prophesies indicated that the Messiah would be born of a woman Gen 3:15, of the seed of Abraham Gen 22:18, through the tribe of Judah Gen 49:10 and of the family of David 2 Sam 7:12-13. To the Jewish people at that day, betrothal (engagement) was equivalent to marriage, except that the man and woman did not live together. They were called husband and wife, and at the end of the engagement period, the marriage was consummated. But what if she became pregnant during that time, what would happen? Before we move on to chapter 2 let’s consider the three names assigned to God’s son. The name “Jesus” means Savior and comes from the Hebrew name Joshua (Jehovah is salvation). There were many Jewish boys with the name Joshua (or, in the Greek, Jesus), but Mary’s boy was called “Jesus the Christ” Let’s move on to chapter 2 and read vs 1-12. Remember, in episode 109 we talked about what people want to see if someone calls themselves a king. They want to see if they have the proper bloodline, which we have already shown. We also proved that Jesus’s birth is a fulfillment of prophecy and He has through divine heredity. There is another thing people want to see and it is to see who are those that pay homage to Him. If He truly is a king then the people will bring honor to him. Read Matthew 2:1-12 First and foremost, we must confess we know little about these men. The word translated as “wise men” (magi) refers to a group of scholars who studied the stars. Their title connects them with magic, but they were probably more like astrologers. With this said, their presence in the biblical record is not a divine endorsement of astrology, but a way that God used science to bring people to him. We do not know how many magi were there. From the three gifts listed, some people have naturally assumed that there were three kings from the Orient, though this is not certain, When their caravan arrived in Jerusalem, there were enough of them to trouble the whole city. In Jesus are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge Col 2:3. In Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily Col 2:9) It is no surprise that Herod tried to kill Jesus, for Herod alone wanted to bear the title, of King of the Jews. There was also another reason why, because Herod was not a full-blooded Jew, he was actually an Idumaean, a descendant of Esau. This is a picture of the old struggle between Esau and Jacob that began even before the boys were born. Gen 25:19-34. It is the “spiritual” versus the “carnal”,the “Godly” versus the “worldly”. The King and the Jewish priests in vs 4 were ignoring the King. These priests knew the scripture and pointed others to the Savior, but they personally would not go to worship Him themselves! Matthew 2:9 indicates that the miraculous star was not always visible to the magi. As they started toward Bethlehem, they saw the star again, and it led them to the house where Jesus was.

God’s family tree is messed up, find out why is the topic that will be discussed today on RIOT Podcast, a Christian Discipleship Podcast. In the next 3 weeks leading up to Christmas, we are going to unpack Matthew 1 and Matthew 2. We will focus on the birth of Jesus and His proclamation to be king. Imagine you were alive during that time, and a man suddenly appeared and claimed to be a king, which you, the public, would want proof of. You might ask yourself, “What is his background? Who pays homage to him? What credentials can he present to prove that he is a King? Anticipating these important questions, Matthew opened his book with a careful account of the birth of Jesus and the events that accompanied it. He presented 4 facts about the King and over the next three weeks, we will unpack all 4 of those facts. The first one we will cover today is in chapter 1 verses 1-25 – The Heredity of the King. Since royalty depends on heredity, it was important for Jesus to establish His rights to David’s throne. Matthew gave His human heredity in verses 1-17, as well as His divine heredity in verses 18-25. Let’s read Matthew 1-17 Genealogies were very important to the Jews, for, without them, they could not prove their tribal membership or their rights to their inheritances. Anyone claiming to be the son of David had to be able to prove it. Many bible readers usually skip over this section of reading, especially all the unpronounceable names. But this list of names is a VITAL PART of the gospel record. It shows that Jesus is a part of history and that all of the Jewish histories prepared the way for his birth. The genealogy also illustrates God’s wonderful grace. It is most unusual to find the names of women in Jewish genealogies since names and inheritances came through the fathers. But in this list, we find 4 women from the Old Testament history: Tamar, Rahab and Ruth, and Bathsheba. Without Jesus’ birth as a gentile, we have no right to heaven or eternal life. We are all flawed sinners, in desperate need of God’s grace. These four women were all involved in sexual scandals and far from perfect, but God still chose to include them in His family tree. Let’s break down who these four women were. Let’s start with Tamar. We find the story of Tamar in Gen 38. We learn that her first husband was so evil that God put him to death. She has left a widow and childless. Tamar followed her cultural practices and married her husband’s brother. But this brother didn’t want to share his inheritance with children born to her. So, God put him to death, so she was left widowed and childless again. Tamar then dressed as a temple prostitute and put herself in the path of her father-in-law, Judah. So, she seduced him to have sex with her and produce an heir. She needed evidence, so she asked him for a seal and his staff so that she wouldn’t be killed and have proof of what happened. Her plan worked and she gave birth to twins fathered by her father-in-law. And one of her twins’ names was Peres, and they became part of Jesus’ Family. Then there was Rahab, we find her story in Joshua 2 and 6. She ran a brothel in Jericho, and she heard about God’s army advancing toward her town. She knew that they would win and helped the Israelites spy on her people, and in so doing, she became a part of the Israelite family. She and her family were the only ones saved from the destruction of Jericho. This former madam became a mother and grandmother and still found a way into Jesus’ lineage. Next Ruth, we find her story in Ruth 1-4, she was a Moabite, which means she traced her ancestry, not to Abraham but to his nephew Lot. Lot was the guy that impregnated his daughters while drunk. The family itself was an incestuous family and the culture Ruth came from. Her husband died and left her childless so she moved to Bethlehem with her mother-in-law, Naomi. There she met a Godly man named Boaz and He redeemed her and married her and gave her a child. Thus Ruth, a foreigner brought into the family, became a great-grandmother to David, whose greater son was Jesus. Last but not least, is Bathsheba the wife of Uriah. We find her story in 2 Samuel 11-12. We all know her story, David had an affair with her and then killed her husband to cover up the affair. But God restored her and gave her and David a son, Solomon, the wisest king ever to live. He found his way into Jesus’ genealogy. Jesus came from a long line of outsiders, outlaws, scoundrels, and sinners. When he entered into the world, he entered into the messiness of the human family, even in his own family. He was the only one in his family that did not bring shame to his family. Instead, he took upon himself the shame of every person in the family tree. Many Jewish men could have traced their family back to King David. Matthew knew it would take more than human pedigree to make Jesus the son of David and heir to David’s Throne. That is why next week we will unpack the divine heredity

Are you entitled and don’t know it is the topic that will be discussed today on RIOT Podcast, a Christian Discipleship Podcast. Imagine if many of your friends were recently invited on an all-expenses-paid international trip. It is great for them — but you were left out. Of course, your first reaction might be not to rejoice for their good fortune, or delight that they got to enjoy an incredible experience. Initially, your heart might be jealous, hurt, and stinging under a sense of entitlement. You wonder why they were chosen and not you, it’s not like you don’t all know the same people. In fact, you reason in your mind that you do more than they do for God’s kingdom, and if anyone deserved to go it was you. Before you know it, you realize that you might have an attitude of entitlement. Many times, throughout our lifetime, we have moments when we think we deserve more than we actually do, and when we don’t get it, our entitlement siren starts blaring. Watch out because when it does, we often act irrationally — in a way that looks foolish and maybe even childish from the outside. Read James 4:1-12 On the show today, we want to talk about how to recognize our own sense of entitlement, and what steps we can take to surrender it to God. First, we need to understand what entitlement truly is. Entitlement is the belief that we inherently deserve privileges or special treatment, or that we have the right to something. Entitlement shows no partiality; it will reach for life’s greatest gifts and claim its smallest pleasures. When it comes to the big parts of life, we can find ourselves thinking along these lines: “I deserve to have children, so why am I struggling with infertility? After all, aren’t children a blessing from God?” “I’m tired of being single. I’ve remained pure and sought Christ, so why hasn’t he brought a spouse into my life?” “I’m such a hard worker. I don’t understand why I still can’t manage to find a high-paying job.” But entitlement can also touch smaller issues: “I’m a good homemaker and work hard to keep the house clean and tidy. I deserve to have a nicer, bigger home.” “I work so hard to provide for my family. I deserve to watch TV when I come home.” “I’ve been good with my finances. I deserve to buy what I want for a change.” Paul wrote, “Not that I speak from want, for I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am” (Philippians 4:11). “The ‘entitlement mentality is dangerous because it is a threat to contentment.” -Andy Sochor “As long as our hearts have the entitlement mentality, personal growth in our relationship with God and with others will cease.” -Ray Kim What Are We Entitled To? There is no question that a sense of entitlement dominates many cultures around the world. If you think about it, it has been that way from the beginning, right back to the Garden of Eden. The issue of Entitlement has been cited by many as one of the major problems in the world, especially in America. “The growing entitlement mentality in America is completely toxic, slowly eating away at our spirits like acid” (David Ramsey). To help us understand entitlement better, we must think of it as a foundation of our sinful nature. And, as you do, look at it in the context of personal relationships, particularly in marriage. If you are single, think about it from the perspective of expectations in a relationship, now and in the future. Russell B. Lemle, Ph.D., is an Associate Clinical Professor in the Dept of Psychiatry, University of California San Francisco. He gives five reasons why we fall into entitlement: You are owed because of your sacrifice or generosity in the relationship. “I gave up my career to raise our children. You can at least let me redecorate the living room.” You are owed because you are feeling so emotional—so stressed, etc.—that your spouse must support what you want. “Since I work longer hours, you should pick up the kids from soccer practice.” “Listen, I’ve been home all-day cooking and cleaning, you go, I went last time.” Entitlement seems so legitimate when we feel strongly about something. “Having my own quiet time in the evening is vital to me; I don’t understand why you can’t go along with this.” Gender, as entitlement, has often been used as a way to get what we want, but it is not very effective. “Look, as head of the household, you should listen to me about ___________ (fill in the blank).” “I am the mother of these children; I know what is best for them.” If you are the primary breadwinner, money can be used. “I’ve earned the right to have time to play golf.” “It’s my money, and I will spend it, however, I want to.” Let’s face it, we likely have unknowingly inherited a lot of ideas about entitlement from our parents (and our kids are learning from us). From their influence, without thinking, we may insist that our way is the “right” way to do things, especially if we believe it is the most efficient. Many times, a spouse falls into entitlement when what they want

Being thankful when life isn’t fair is the topic that will be discussed today on RIOT Podcast, a Christian Discipleship Podcast. Thanksgiving Day marks an annual celebration of family, food, football, and fun. But for Christians, Thanksgiving has a much deeper meaning that goes to the core of their spiritual beliefs. The original Thanksgiving celebration was held by the Pilgrim settlers in Massachusetts during their second winter in America in December, 1621. The first winter killed 44 of the original 102 colonists. At one point, their daily food ration was down to five kernels of corn apiece, but then an unexpected trading vessel arrived, swapping beaver pelts for grain, providing for their severe need. The next summer’s crop brought hope, and Governor William Bradford decreed that December 13, 1621, be set aside as a day of feasting and prayer to show the gratitude of the colonists that they were still alive. These Pilgrims, seeking religious freedom and opportunity in America, gave thanks to God for His provision for them in helping them find 20 acres of cleared land, for the fact that there were no hostile Native Americans in that area, for their newfound religious freedom, and for God’s provision of an interpreter to the Native Americans in Squanto. Along with the feasting and games involving the colonists and more than 80 Native Americans (who added to the feast by bringing wild turkeys and venison), prayers, November sermons, and songs of praise were important in the celebration. Three days were spent in feasting and prayer. From that time forward, Thanksgiving has been celebrated as a day to give thanks to God for His gracious and sufficient provision. President Abraham Lincoln officially set aside the last Thursday of November, in 1863, “as a day of thanksgiving and praise to our beneficent Father.” In 1941, Congress ruled that after 1941, the fourth Thursday of be observed as Thanksgiving Day and be a legal holiday. Scripturally, we find things related to the issue of Thanksgiving nearly from cover to cover. Individuals offered up sacrifices out of gratitude in the book of Genesis. The Israelites sang a song of thanksgiving as they were being delivered from Pharaoh’s army after the crossing of the Red Sea. Exodus 15:15 Then Moses and the people of Israel sang this song to the Lord, saying, “I will sing to the Lord, for he has triumphed gloriously; the horse and his rider he has thrown into the sea. 2 The Lord is my strength and my song, and he has become my salvation; In the New Testament, there are repeated admonitions to give thanks to God. Thanksgiving should always be included in our prayers. Some of the most remembered passages on the giving of thanks are the following: “Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, and in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you” (1 Thessalonians 5:16–18). “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God” (Philippians 4:6). “Therefore, I exhort first of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men” (1 Timothy 2:1). If the stresses of life are getting the best of you this Thanksgiving season, Maybe try some of these ideas that might help recenter your focus * Write a Thanksgiving Poem or Prayer * Share Thanksgiving Bible verses with friends and family * Remember things of the past that you were thankful for * Take communion and give thanks to Jesus for what He has done for you. * Be a blessing to others by donating your time or a gift so that they can receive your Thanksgiving blessing. We, like the Pilgrims, have a choice. In life, there will always be things that we can complain about (the Pilgrims had lost many loved ones), but there will also be so much to be thankful for. As our society becomes increasingly secular, the actual “giving of thanks to God” during our annual Thanksgiving holiday is being overlooked, leaving only the feasting. May God grant that He may find us grateful every day for all of His gifts, spiritual and material.

Why is Christian Fellowship so important is the topic that will be discussed today on RIOT Podcast, a Christian Discipleship Podcast. God never intended for His people to be separate. In the very beginning, God said, “It is not good for man to be alone.” That has not changed. It is even more important for the followers of Jesus to come together. Terms such as “family,” “together,” and “fellowship” are all important concepts in the New Testament for us to gather together and encourage one another. Fellowship is the relationship that we have with one another as Christians. It is based on the relationship we have with Jesus Christ. When you and I became Christians, three relationships changed: Jesus became our Savior; God became our Father, and the church became our family. In other words, believers are now my brothers and sisters in Christ and accepted into the family of God. To help us set up why Christian fellowship is so important. Let’s read Acts 2: 41-47. Peter has just finished preaching and here is what happens: “Then those who gladly received his word were baptized, and that day about three thousand souls were added to them. And they continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers. Then fear came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were done through the apostles. Now all who believed were together, and had all things in common, and sold their possessions and goods, and divided them among all, as anyone had need. So, continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they ate their food with gladness and simplicity of heart, praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved” So today we want to help answer the question, “Why is Christian fellowship so important?” The 1st reason why it’s so important is that FELLOWSHIP GIVES US A PICTURE OF GOD Each of us coming together shows all of God’s graces to the world. No one is perfect. We all sin, but each one of us has a purpose here on Earth and that is to show aspects of God to those around us. Each of us has been given specific spiritual gifts. When we come together in fellowship, it’s like us, as a whole, demonstrating God. Think of it like a cake. You need flour, sugar, eggs, oil, and more to make a cake. The eggs will never be the flour. None of them make up the cake alone. Yet together, all those ingredients make a delicious cake. It’s like that with fellowship. All of us together show the glory of God. The 2nd reason is that FELLOWSHIP MAKES US STRONGER No matter where we are in our faith, the fellowship provides us with strength. Being around other believers gives us the chance to learn and grow in our faith. It demonstrates to us why we believe, and sometimes it is an excellent food for our souls. It’s great to be out in the world evangelizing others, but it can easily make us hard and eat away at our strength. When we deal with a hard-hearted world, it can become easy to fall into that hard-heartedness and question our beliefs. It’s always good to spend some time in fellowship so that we remember that God makes us strong. The 3rd reason is that FELLOWSHIP PROVIDES ENCOURAGEMENT We all have bad moments. Whether it’s the loss of a loved one, a failed exam, money problems, or even a crisis of faith, we can find ourselves down. If we go too low, it can lead to anger and a feeling of disillusionment with God. Yet these downtimes are why fellowship is essential. Spending time with other believers can often lift us up a little bit. They help us to keep our eyes on God. God also works through them to provide us with what we need in darker times. Coming together with others can aid in our healing process and give us the encouragement to move forward. The 4th reason is that FELLOWSHIP REMINDS US WE ARE NOT ALONE Coming together with other believers in worship and conversation helps to remind us that we are not alone in this world. There are believers everywhere. It’s amazing that no matter where you are in the world when you meet another believer, it’s like you suddenly feel at home. That’s why God made fellowship so important. He wanted us to come together so that we always know we were not alone. Fellowship enables us to form long-lasting relationships, ensuring that we are never alone in the world. The 5th reason why is that FELLOWSHIP HELPS US GROW CLOSER TO JESUS Coming together is a great way for each of us to grow in our faith. Reading our Bibles and praying are great ways to get closer to God, but each of us has important lessons to impart to one another. When we come together in fellowship, we teach each other things. God gives us a gift of learning and growing when we come together in fellowship and show each other how to live as God wants us to live and walk in His footsteps. Satan does not want us to fellowship together, so we must resist the temptation to remain separated. Let us

Does God send people to hell? is the topic that will be discussed today on RIOT Podcast, a Christian Discipleship Podcast. This week we are finishing up John Chapter 12, we have been in this chapter now for 3 shows. In Episode 101 we unpacked John 12:1-19, we called that show “Worship, Triumph, and Tears”. In verses, 1-8 we saw Jesus visiting with Mary, Martha, and Lazarus, the highlight of those verses was when Mary anointed Jesus with costly perfume as an act of worship. Then in vs 12, we went to the “Triumphal Entry” of Jesus into Jerusalem where the people cried out Hosanna blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord. We cross-referenced a verse and learned in Luke, that Jesus was weeping for His people during this time. He loved them so much and yet, they were still going to reject Him. In episode 102 titled “The Greatest Life investment ever” we read John 12:20-36 in which Jesus was talking about His certain death to come. We uncovered nugget verses like vs 25, He who loves his life will lose it, and he who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. Those were two great shows and are definitely worth the listen if you haven’t already done so yet. This week we will finish up John chapter 12 in verses 37-50. The key word in this section of reading is “believe”. It is used 8 different times in these verses. First, John explained the unbelief of the people. Then in vs 37-38, he said they would “not believe” with a quotation from Isa 53:1; in vs 39, He said they “could not believe” and finally in vs 40-41 he said they “should not believe” with a quotation of Isa 6:9-10 Read John 12:37-49 In spite of all the clear evidence that was presented to the people, the Jews would not believe. The “arm of the Lord” had been revealed to them in great power, yet they closed their eyes to the truth. They had heard the message (report) and seen the miracles and yet still would not believe. Why? There were those who would not believe, and there were those who would not openly confess Christ, even though they had believed. They cared more about the praise of the people than they did with the praise of God. Why?! In John 12:44-50, we have Jesus’s last ever message before He hid himself from the people. A number of basic themes in John’s gospel are: God sent the Son; to see the Son means to see the Father; Jesus is the light of the World; His words are the very words of God; faith in Him brings salvation; to reject Him is to face eternal Judgement. In fact, the very word that He spoke will judge those who have rejected it and Him! Many people reject truth simply because of the fear of people as we discussed earlier. Among those who will be in hell, are the fearful (Rev 21:8) The word “judge” is repeated 4 times in the closing words of this message, and a solemn word it is. Jesus did not come to judge; He came to save! As we have studied these first 12 chapters of the gospel of John, we have seen Jesus in His life, His ministry, His miracles, His message, and His desire to save the lost sinners. John 12:36 While you have the light, believe in the light, that you may become sons of light.

Are Current World Events signs of the End Times? is the topic that will be discussed today on RIOT Podcast, a Christian Discipleship Podcast. Our thought on this show is to talk about world events and give our opinions. The key to the show is to help Christians learn how to view all of this in light of Christ and the Bible. Give them hope and encourage them to be ready for Christ return at any moment. We spoke about some of the global events taking place right now. Some of these are: 1. China Threat to Taiwan 2. China joins forces with Iran and Russia 3. Iran close to having Nuclear bomb, BB Netanyahu says they cannot allow them to have bomb 4. Iranians Christian movement, how they are big in Afghanistan 5. What about USA send money to Ukraine, how does it make sense. With 30 trillion in debt, high inflation can we afford to be the worlds policeman? 6. Biden says were close to Armageddon and Nuclear War 7. Biden administration spends 300 million on radiation pills 8. America election what’s on the ballot 9. North Korea sending missiles over Japan 10. Drought in the west, lake mead, lake Powel at record lows 11. Conservative Leaders in Italy and Sweden is conservative better than liberal politics? The first signs (the beginning of the “birth pains”): 1. Many will come in Jesus’ name claiming to be the Messiah; they’ll deceive many. 2. There will be wars and threats of wars. 3. Famine, earthquakes, and plagues (widespread disease) in many parts of the world. 4. Terrible sights and great signs from heaven. The next stage: 1. Christians will be hated all over the world; they will be arrested, persecuted, and killed. 2. Many will turn away from Jesus; they will betray their own family and hate each other. 3. Many false prophets will appear; they will deceive many people. 4. Sin will be rampant, and people’s love will grow cold. 5. The Good News of the Kingdom will be preached throughout the entire world, so that all nations will hear it; then, the end will come. The final stage: 1. You will see the “abomination of desolation,” prophesied by Daniel, in the holy place. This refers to Daniel 11:31, which is some sort of unholy sacrifice in the temple. 2. Armies will surround Jerusalem. 3. A great tribulation – or persecution – like nothing ever seen in the world’s history, will happen. 4. False messiahs and false prophets will arise. They will perform miracles and even deceive Christians. The end: 1. Immediately after the tribulation, the sun and moon will be darkened, stars will fall from the sky, and heaven’s powers will be shaken. 2. The Son of Man (Jesus) will appear in the heavens. Everyone will see Him coming on the clouds with great power and glory. 3. Most people in the world will mourn when they see Jesus (probably suddenly realizing they were wrong about Him, or knowing they are in sin) (Revelation 14) 4. Jesus will send out His angels with the mighty trumpet blast. They will gather His chosen ones from everywhere. Matthew 24:14 (ESV) “And this gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.” 5. For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive, who remain, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord.” (1 Thessalonians 4:16-17) 6. Matthew 24:44 “So you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him.”

Should Christians Participate in Halloween? is the topic that will be discussed today on RIOT Podcast, a Christian Discipleship Podcast. Should Christians participate in Halloween? We have found that this question can be a very controversial topic. Some Christians celebrate Halloween simply by dressing up in a costume and having fun, seeing it as innocent and harmless. Other Christians are equally convinced that Halloween is a satanic holiday established to worship evil spirits and promote darkness and wickedness. So, who is right? Is it possible for Christians to celebrate Halloween without compromising their faith? Halloween, no matter how commercialized, has almost completely pagan origins. As innocent as it may seem to some, it is not something to be taken lightly. Christians tend to have various ways to celebrate or not celebrate Halloween. For some, it means having an “alternative” Harvest Party. For others, it is staying away from ghosts, witches, goblins, etc., and wearing innocuous costumes, e.g., little princesses, clowns, cowboys, superheroes, etc. Some choose not to do anything, electing to lock themselves in their house with the lights off. With our freedom as Christians, we are at liberty to decide how to act. Scripture does not speak at all about Halloween, but it does give us some principles on which we can make a decision. In Old Testament Israel, witchcraft was a crime punishable by death Exodus 22:18 “You shall not permit a sorceress to live. Leviticus 19:31 “Do not turn to mediums or seek out spiritists, for you will be defiled by them. I am the Lord your God.” Leviticus 20:6 “If a person turns to mediums and necromancers, whoring after them, I will set my face against that person and will cut him off from among his people.” The New Testament teaching about the occult is clear. Acts 8:9-24, the story of Simon, shows that occultism and Christianity don’t mix. The account of Elymas the sorcerer in Acts 13:6-11 reveals that sorcery is violently opposed to Christianity. Paul called Elymas a child of the devil, an enemy of righteousness, and a perverter of the ways of God. In Acts 16, at Philippi, a fortune-telling girl lost her demon powers when the evil spirit was cast out by Paul. The interesting matter here is that Paul refused to allow even good statements to come from a demon-influenced person. Acts 19 shows new converts who have abruptly broken with their former occultism by confessing, showing their evil deeds, bringing their magic paraphernalia, and burning it before everyone (Acts 19:19). Should Christians watch Horror films? Movies are a powerful medium, and they have a profound impact on culture. And the sad truth is that many movies these days, including those outside the scary “horror” genre, are either completely antithetical to Christian values or at the very least are at odds with God’s divine standard of holiness. As for most horror movies, their “entertainment” value often lies in their ability to titillate our youthful desire to be scared witless. The gruesome means by which moviemakers attempt to shock our consciences usually involves an abundance of carnage and bloodshed. The problem is, however, that it takes more and more to shock seared consciences these days, which means the level of depravity is continually on the rise to accommodate our increasing desensitization to hard-core gore and evil. All things considered, true Christians would likely find it difficult to enjoy the majority of today’s horror movies. So, should a Christian celebrate Halloween? Is there anything evil about a Christian dressing up as a princess or cowboy and going around the block asking for candy? No, there is not. Are there things about Halloween that are anti-Christian and should be avoided? Absolutely! If parents are going to allow their children to participate in Halloween, they should make sure to keep them from getting involved in the darker aspects of the day. If Christians are going to take part in Halloween, their attitude, dress, and most importantly, their behavior should still reflect a redeemed life (Philippians 1:27). There are many churches that hold “harvest festivals” and incorporate costumes but in a godly environment. There are many Christians who hand out tracts that share the Gospel along with the Halloween candy. The decision is ultimately ours to make. But as with all things, we are to incorporate the principles of Romans 14. We can’t allow our own convictions about a holiday to cause division in the body of Christ, nor can we use our freedom to cause others to stumble in their faith. We are to do all things as to the Lord.

Greatest Life Investment Ever is the topic that will be discussed today on RIOT Podcast, a Christian Discipleship Podcast. In Episode 101 we unpacked John 12:1-19, we called that show Worship, Triumph, and Tears. In verses, 1-8 we saw Jesus visiting with Mary, Martha, and Lazarus, the highlight of those verses was when Mary anointed Jesus with costly perfume as an act of worship. Then in vs 12, we went to the Triumphal entry of Jesus into Jerusalem where the people cried out Hosanna Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord. We cross-referenced a verse and learned in Luke that Jesus was weeping for His people during this time. He loved them so much and yet they were still going to reject Him. This week we are going to be back in John 12 with our reading of verses 20-36. We will see Jesus talking about His certain death to come. We will uncover some nugget verses like vs 25, He who loves his life will lose it, and he who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. Many people are greatly concerned about success but understand so little of its true nature. We want bigger, better, and longer lasting, but many times end up with what is smaller, worse, and short-lived. It is much like running around doing everything you can do to catch your dream. You grab your piece of the dream and once you grab it you hold on to that dream, but life happens and it crumbles into small pieces of dust in your hands, like sand it runs through your fingers to the ground. The circle of life is hard and you wonder if there is more to this life. Today, we are going to unpack Jesus teaching the people about how to invest in their life properly. He will teach us how to make the greatest investment in our life and why trusting Him with our dreams will always end better than them ending up crumbling in the end. Read John 12:20-36 Let’s give some context to these verses. Before His speech to these certain Greeks about losing their life for His sake, we learn that John leaves out a big event of what Jesus did next after His triumphal entry. In Mark 11 we read that Jesus cleansed the temple for the second time right after. In Mark 11, He quoted Jesus saying in Isaiah 56:7 “Is it not written My house shall be called of nations the house of prayer? But you have made it a den of thieves.” The original text indicates that these Greeks were accustomed to coming and worshiping at the feast. They were not curious visitors or one-time investigators. No doubt they were God-fearers, Gentiles who attended the Jewish synagogue and sought the truth but had not yet become followers of Jesus. These men kept asking Philip for the privilege of an interview with Jesus. Phillip finally told Andrew (who was often bringing people to Jesus) and Andrew gave the request to Jesus. These Gentiles visitors either did not know of the danger surrounding Jesus or didn’t care. We have to commend them for wanting to see Jesus. The Jews would say they want to see a sign but, these men said we would see Jesus. The funny thing is there is no record that Jesus did talk with these men, but the message that He gave in the response contains the truth that all of us need. The central theme of this message is the glory of God 23, 28. We would have expected Jesus to say, the hour has come, that the Son of man should be crucified. But Jesus saw beyond the cross to the glory that would follow. In fact, the glory of God is an important theme in the remaining chapters of John’s gospel. A seed is weak and useless, but when it is planted, it dies and becomes fruitful. God’s children are like seeds. They are small and insignificant, but they have life in them, God’s life. However, that life can never be fulfilled unless we yield ourselves to God and permit Him to plant us. In these words in vs 26 “if anyone serves Me, let him follow me, and where I am there my servant will be also.” Jesus is challenging us to be planted in Him with the surrendering of our lives to go where He goes. If we do this He says My Father will honor you. Jesus knew that He was facing suffering and death, and His humanity responded to this ordeal. No doubt vs 27 says “His soul was troubled, not because He was questioning the Father’s will, but because He was fully conscious of all that the cross involved.” Note after Jesus said His soul is troubled He did not say “What shall I do” but He said, “what shall I say.” The Term Father glorify your name, got an audible reply from God. The Son’s past life and ministry had glorified the Father, and Son’s future suffering and death would glorify the Father. It is significant that the Father spoke to the Son at the beginning of Son’s ministry Matt 3:17 as the Son began his ministry and now as the son entered the last days before the cross. Notice the people heard the sound but did not know the message that had been conveyed. Yet, if the voice was for their sakes and they could not understand it, what good was it? In that the voice assur

Worship, Triumph, and Tears (John 12:1-19) is the topic that will be discussed today on RIOT Podcast, a Christian Discipleship Podcast. It’s been about a month since we last studied the Book of John. We have had a month of celebrating our 100th episode. It’s been a crazy ride! So this is episode 101 and the start of our next 100 episodes. We will be in John 12 vs 1-19 and here we will see John recording the second major crisis in the ministry of Jesus as it was seen by the apostle. If you remember the first one occurred when many of His disciples no longer walked with Jesus in John 6:66. In this chapter, the same thing happens as John tells us that many would not believe in Him. John opens his book by telling us that Jesus came unto his own world and his own people received him not, we read this in vs 11. In the first 12 chapters, John presented one witness after another and one proof after another, to convince us that Jesus is indeed Christ. All of this evidence was seen firsthand by the nation’s leaders, yet they rejected His claims. We will see here in John 12, Jesus as He relates to four different groups of people, and there are lessons that we can learn as we study this section. Read John 12:1-11 and unpack Jesus and His friends Jesus knew that the Jewish leaders were out to arrest Him and kill Him. Remember, we read that in John 11:53 and 57, but He still returned to Bethany, only two miles from the very citadel of His enemies. Why? In vs 3, we see Mary anointing Jesus’ feet in 3 sections of this Bible, this account, plus Mathew 26:6-13 and Mark 14:3-9. When you combine all three accounts, you learn that Mary anointed both His head and His feet. It would have required a year’s worth of wages from a common laborer to purchase that ointment. Like David, Mary would not give to the Lord that which cost her nothing (2 Sam 24:24). Her beautiful act of worship brought a fragrance to the very house in which they were dining, and the blessing of her deed spread around the world. Notice that when Mary came to the feet of Jesus, she was taking the place of a slave. When she undid her hair (something Jewish women did not do in public), she humbled herself and laid her glory at His feet. John 12:4-6 records the disciple Judas Iscariot’s first words found anywhere in the four gospels. His last words are found in Mathew 27:4, where he said, “I have betrayed innocent blood”. We know that Judas was a thief and was in the habit of stealing money from the money box. There is no doubt at this moment in time Judas has decided to abandon Jesus, and he wanted to get what he could out of what he considered a bad situation. As we look at this event we see three different lifestyles represented, all are examples to us. Martha represents “work”, as she served the dinner. Mary represents “worship” and Lazarus represents “witness”. People would travel just to see Lazarus and the miracle that took place. Read John 12:12-19 and unpack Jesus and the Passover Pilgrims We see here John shifting the scene from a quiet dinner in Bethany, to a noisy public parade in Jerusalem. All four gospels record this event, and their accounts should be compared. This was the only public demonstration that Jesus allowed while He was ministering on earth. His purpose was to fulfill the OT prophesy in Zech 9:9.The result was a growing animosity on the part of the religious leaders that eventually lead to His crucifixion on the cross. There were three different groups in the crowd that day. The Passover visitors from outside of Judea, the local people who witnessed the raising of Lazarus, and the religious leaders who were greatly concerned about what Jesus might do at the feast. What did this demonstration mean to the Romans? Note nothing in history is recorded about the Roman viewpoint, but it is certain that they kept a close watch that day. They had to be smiling at Jesus riding on a baby cult with palm branches being laid on the ground; it would have been completely different than their triumphal entries. What did the triumphal entry mean for the people of Israel? The pilgrims welcomed Jesus. They spread their garments before Him and waved palm branches as symbols of peace and victory. They quoted Psalm 118:26, which is a messianic psalm, and they proclaimed Him King of Israel. But, while they were doing this, Jesus was weeping. Read Luke 19:37-44 The nation had wasted its opportunities, its leaders did not know the time of God’s visitation. They were ignorant of their own Scripture. The next time Israel sees the king, the scene will be radically different. Rev 19:11, “Then I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse! The one sitting on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness, he judges and makes war.” He will come in glory, not in humility and the armies of heaven will accompany him. Lastly, how did the Jewish Leaders respond to the triumphal entry? The Pharisees were quite sure that Jesus had won the day. T

100th Episode Celebration!!! Wow, what a journey we have had on the RIOT Podcast. For the show this week we took the show on the road and visited Aruba, Curacao, and Haiti while on the Royal Caribbean Cruise line’s, Allure of the Seas. As we commemorate our 100th episode today, we’ll look back on some of our most popular previous episodes that have had a lasting impact on our listeners. The joy, the laughter, and the conversations have all been an honor to share with you all. We believe this episode will bless you as much as it blessed us to do it. Thank you for your support and for continuing to listen to the RIOT Podcast!!

How to walk in the Spirit while on Vacation is the topic that will be discussed today on RIOT Podcast, a Christian Discipleship Podcast. In the last episode, we addressed the negative habits that drain our energy and the actions needed to change them. Today, we are going to discuss how to be Spirit-Filled while on vacation. 1. You can yield your mind to His control, asking Him to expose the lies of the enemy and replace them with His truth. You can invite Him to be free to place His thoughts in your mind as you fill it up with the truth of His word. 2. You can yield your tongue to His control so that your speech will build up and not tear down. 3. You can yield your emotions to His control so that you will weep over the things He weeps over, and rejoice over the things He rejoices over. 4. You can yield your will to His control so that you will make decisions that would glorify God, trusting that He is at work both to will and do what is pleasing to Him. That means He can and will empower you to make wise choices. 5. You can yield your body to His control, both in the maintenance of your body as the temple of the Holy Spirit and in the ministry of your body, using your energy to serve God. 6. You can yield your personality to His control letting Him use you to be His special agent of love. 7. You can yield your strengths and weaknesses to His control, trusting Him to use your strengths for good and letting His strength be perfected in your weaknesses. 8. You can yield your finances to His control, seeing yourself as a steward of His resources.

Habits that hurt your health and drain your energy is the topic that will be discussed today on RIOT Podcast, a Christian Discipleship Podcast. Habits are the foundation of who we are as a person and as a Christian. We are the product of our everyday habits, and we choose daily whether we want to improve ourselves, maintain excellence or contribute to our own discontent. But first, we must be aware of bad habits that drain our energy, so we can take the necessary steps to change them. It is your daily bad habits that have the most impact on your energy, making you tired and less productive. Energy is the ability to do work. We need a certain level of physical, mental, and emotional energy to work at a high level at any given time. But energy is a finite resource. It reduces in volume as we use it. This explains why we sometimes feel tired, exhausted, and fatigued. Today we want to talk about a few of these bad habits so we can bring Truth to them. 1. Watching excess TV and porn The bad habit of TV, where we watch way too many hours per week, is something many of us don’t even think about anymore. The TV is just something we automatically turn on, or some people apparently never switch off. 2. Not getting enough sleep What happens when you sleep less? The symptoms you might experience are lethargy, hunger attacks, reduced focus, and mood swings. Most importantly, you want to go to bed early the night after. That’s great because it means you noticed your lack of sleep. But what if you don’t notice your lack of sleep? What if you’re consistently sleeping less than 7 hours a night? 3.Excessively scrolling through social media It’s hard to find someone these days that isn’t on some form of social media. Although Instagram and Facebook can definitely be fun, they can also come with a dark side. Some social media habits can be bad for your health, so it’s important to make sure you’re using these websites and apps in a way that is benefitting your life and not harming it. How do we know if we have a bad habit? Using Social Media at Meals – When you can’t get through a meal without checking your social media, and you suddenly realize that the others at your table are doing the same thing; you’ve created a life for your social media to take over. Checking Your Notifications When Driving – Twenty-eight percent of all vehicle accidents are attributed to distracted driving from cell phone usage, according to the National Safety Council. Comparing Yourself to Others – A study from the Journal of Social and Clinical Psychology found a link between social media use and depression, but the mediating factor in this link was the tendency for people to compare themselves to others. Using Social Media When You’re Lonely – if you’re replacing real-life social interaction with browsing through Twitter, it can have some negative consequences. “Chances are that looking through social media when you’re depressed or lonely will only amplify those feelings. Scrolling before Bed Ask ourselves the question Why are we on? What is being on doing for you? Do you have a purpose? 4. Eating unhealthy processed food Buying processed foods can lead to people eating more than the recommended amounts of sugar, salt, and fat as they may not be aware of how much has been added to the food they are buying and eating. These foods can also be higher in calories due to the high amounts of added sugar or fat in them. God wants us healthy that is why he gave Israel dietary laws in lev 11 to keep them healthy. When we bring God into our healthy eating, it changes everything. Striving to honor Him in our food and drink choices will bring not only a heart change, but it will also change our choices. 5. Relying on other people to make you happy The problems we’re facing with ourselves and other people are not new. And one of those problems is that we are needy. We often turn outwardly for important things: Happiness, advice, affection, love, and approval. We ask experts for advice. We use drugs when we’re in pain. We expect others to solve our problems. It is very easy to fall into the trap of looking to people to make you happy. Spouse, kids, friends, parents 6. Holding onto resentment and not forgiveness bitterness Who hasn’t been hurt by the actions or words of another? Perhaps a parent constantly criticized you growing up, a colleague sabotaged a project or your partner had an affair. Or maybe you’ve had a traumatic experience, such as being physically or emotionally abused by someone close to you. These wounds can leave you with lasting feelings of anger and bitterness — even vengeance. But if you don’t practice forgiveness, you might be the one who pays most dearly. By embracing forgiveness, you can also embrace peace, hope, gratitude, and joy. Consider how forgiveness can lead you down the path of physical, emotional, and spiritual well-being. 7. Stressing

How to know God’s pre-determined Plan is the topic that will be discussed today on RIOT Podcast, a Christian Discipleship Podcast. In episode 95 “How do life’s Circumstances increase our faith” we covered John 11:1-27. In that show, we talked about how the emphasis in John 11 was on faith. We saw the word “believe” used at least 8 times throughout the chapter. We also talked about another theme regarding the “glory of God”. We began to learn that in everything that Jesus said and did, He sought to strengthen the faith of His disciples, Mary and Martha, and lastly the Jews. Not to mention we also dove into Jesus’s 7th, but greatest miracle by raising Lazarus from the dead. This miracle was so significant that the religious leaders could not deny who He was. This week we will turn our attention to Jesus focusing on increasing Mary’s Faith and then the Jewish people’s faith. Read John:11:28-40 In the previous reading of our last show, Jesus dealt with Martha’s faith, now He had to help Mary. The first question we should try and unpack is; “Why did Martha call Mary secretly?“ Mary is found three times in the gospel record, and each time she’s mentioned, she is at the feet of Jesus, in Luke 10:39- John 11:32 and 12:3. She sat at His feet and listened to His word, she fell at His feet and poured out her sorrow, and she came to His feet to give Him her praise and worship. Mary’s only recorded words in the Gospels are given here in John 11:32, and they echo what Martha had already said in vs 21. “If you have been here, Lazarus would not have died.” The mystery of Jesus’ incarnation is seen by His question in vs 34, where have you laid him? Why did He ask this? Vs 35 “Jesus Wept” is the shortest and yet the deepest verse in Scripture. He silently wept (the Greek word is used nowhere else in the NT). He was not weeping loudly as mourners do. But another question we have to ask is, “Why did He weep at all?” After all, He knows that He would raise Lazarus from the dead. The spectators saw in His tears evidence of His love. But some of them said, “If Jesus loved Lazarus so much, then why did He not prevent his death?” Perhaps they were thinking, that Jesus is weeping because He was unable to do nothing. In vs 27, Martha declared her faith but, she failed at the last minute. She said when Jesus asked to open the tomb, “that surely by now he smells!” Jesus gently reminded her in vs 40 of the message He had sent at least three days before and He urged her to believe. So now that Jesus has dealt with His disciples’ Faith, as well as Mary and Martha’s, He now turns His attention to the Jews. Read John 11:41-57 Jesus turns His attention off to His friends and now addresses the people who had come to comfort Mary and Martha. Jesus paused to pray vs 41 and thanked the Father that the prayer had already been heard. When had he prayed? It’s probably when He received the message that His friend was sick. A quaint Puritan writer once said that if Jesus had not named Lazarus when He shouted, He would have emptied the whole cemetery! Since Lazarus was bound, he could not walk to the door of the tomb, so God’s power must have carried him along. It was an unquestioned miracle that even the most hostile spectators could not deny. Lazarus was set free from the grave clothes and given new liberty. You find him seated with Christ at the table in John 12:2 and all believers are seated with Christ in heavenly places enjoying spiritual food and fellowship. As with the previous miracles, the people were divided in their response. Some did believe and on Palm Sunday gave witness to the gift that Jesus had performed. But others immediately went to the religious leaders and reported what had happened. Keep in mind these informers were so near to the kingdom, yet there is no evidence that they believed. In vs 49, the name Caiaphas is mentioned. He was a High priest at the time. He was a Sadducee, not a Pharisee. Unknown to himself and to the council, Caiaphas uttered a divine prophecy in vs 50: Jesus would die for the nation so that the nation would not perish. Isa 53:8 says “For the transgression of my people was he stricken”. The official decision that day was that Jesus must die. The Leaders thought that they were in control of the situation, but it was God who was working out His predetermined plan (Acts 2:23) in vs 54, Jesus withdrew to Ephraim, about 15 miles north of Jerusalem, and there He remained in quiet retirement with His disciples. The crowd was gathering in Jerusalem for the Passover feast, and the pilgrims were wondering if Jesus would attend the feast even though He was in danger. He was now on the most wanted list because the council had made it known that anyone who knows where Jesus was, must report it to the officials.

Creating God moments, not conversation killers (Part 2) is the topic that will be discussed today on RIOT Podcast, a Christian Discipleship Podcast. This week we are doing another episode of creating God moments and not conversation killers (part 2). Our last Episode 90 was called Creating God moments and not conversation killers. In that show, we discussed that there is no way to create a God moment with someone if we do not fully believe in God ourselves. When they talked about how to get outside the Christian box so people don’t stereotype us immediately. Next, we talked about how awkward transitions can make it hard for us to create those God moments. Lastly, we talked about how speaking Christianese to people makes no sense to them. We must meet people where they are in order to reach them. Great show, we highly recommend going back and listening to it. This week we are going to continue that discussion on conversation killers part 2. In order for us to meet people where they are so that they can come to know Jesus as we do, we must be willing to lay down our lives for them while honouring them above ourselves. To do this we must love them with the same love Jesus loves us. John 15:12-13 “My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.” Romans 12:9-10 Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. Be devoted to one another in love. Honour one another above yourselves. Our first conversation killer is having an agenda in mind before we actually love them. God-moment conversations cannot take a natural course if we are directing the agenda. 9 out of 10 times if we are leading with an agenda in our minds it will ultimately lead to an awkward moment. Instead, we should ask the person honestly about their kids, find out about their dreams, just find out anything about them and let the spirit lead the conversation. Then the conversation will lead to spiritual things naturally if God is opening up the opportunity. Galatians 6:2 Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way, you will fulfil the law of Christ. Spiritual Conversations should be our ultimate motive, not our ulterior motive. Let me say that again, Spiritual Conversations should be our ultimate motive, not our ulterior motive. If we approach our conversations without any agenda and God is opening up opportunities, naturally people will warmly embrace us. If we approach our conversations with an ulterior motive, we will then create an awkward experience and will most likely kill most future conversations people might have with them. Our ultimate motive is to serve them period, without trying to convert them. James 2:14-17 What good is it, my brothers and sisters if someone claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save them? Suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to them, “Go in peace; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it? In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead. How long does it take a person to seize a conversation and dominate it with their worldview? Many ministries have taught their people to treat questions as smoke screens. Each question is deflected so the Christian worker can get back to his or her agenda. Old school evangelism has not worked and it’s caused many people to say no thank you! Philippians 2:3-4 Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others. In our last conversation killer show, we talked about why we should not just play home games but also go to where the people are. We need to go with no agenda, but to have fun knowing that God could use us to speak into someone’s life at any moment. We have overheard many Pastors say, including ourselves, that if the person we were talking to wanted to talk to us again, they could come to find us at church. What if the Pastor said, “if you want to talk again sometime let’s set up a time and I will come to you anytime, anyplace, just let me know.” In our culture today most Christians are considered to have negative perceptions. Honestly, we have worked hard to earn this label. They know what we’re against and not what we are for. Our body language, tone of voice, and verbal responses are dead giveaways. The truth is we disagree a lot with what is happening in the world today and the world knows it and they don’t care. Essentially, we are sending the culture this message: Not only do we not endorse your point of view, but we also don’t accept you. This lack of acceptance crushes opportunities for spiritual conversations. Many times, not yet Christians will say or do things just to see how we will react. This is often a test to determine whether it’s safe enough for them to engage with us in real conversations. Reacti

How do life’s circumstances increase our faith? is the topic that will be discussed today on RIOT Podcast, a Christian Discipleship Podcast. This week we will begin to unpack John 11 and the raising of Lazarus from the dead. This incredible miracle was Jesus’s greatest and the one that aroused the most response from both His friends and His enemies. John selected this miracle as the seventh in the series he recorded in his book because it was really the climactic miracle of Jesus’s earthly ministry. He had raised others from the dead, but Lazarus had been in the grave for 4 days. It was a miracle that could not be denied or avoided by the Jewish leaders. If Jesus can do nothing about death, then whatever else He can do amounts to nothing is what John’s point is in this chapter. 1 Cor 15:19 “If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable.” Death is man’s last enemy, but Jesus has defeated this horrible enemy totally and permanently. The emphasis we will see in John 11 is faith. We will see the word “believe” at least 8 times throughout this chapter. Another theme that we will see is the “glory of God”. In everything that Jesus said and did, He sought to strengthen the faith of His disciples, Mary and Martha, and lastly the Jews. Read John 11:1-16 and unpack how He sought to strengthen His disciple’s faith We sometimes think of the disciples as “super saints”, but such was not the case. They often failed Jesus and wandered off. He was constantly seeking to increase their faith. He knew that His time on earth was coming to an end and that they would have the responsibility of carrying on the ministry. If their faith was weak then their work could never be strong. The setting of these verses is that Jesus was in the city of Bethabara when the news about Lazarus was given. This city is about 20 miles from Bethany, so for the messenger to get there, if he was moving quickly, would take him at least a day to do so. If you notice Jesus sent him back the next day with the message in vs 4 “This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God may be glorified through it. Then Jesus waited 2 more days before He left for Bethany and by the time He arrived, Lazarus has been dead for 4 days. This means that Lazarus died the same day the messenger started his journey. Jesus could have prevented all of this but saw the opportunity to glorify the Lord. It is not important that we Christians are comfortable, but it is important that we glorify God in all that we do. Let’s talk about why there was a delay. Jesus was not waiting for Lazarus to die, for he was already dead. We must remember, that Jesus lived on a divine timetable and he was waiting for the Father to tell Him when to go to Bethany. The fact that the man had been dead for 4 days gave greater authenticity to the miracle and greater opportunity for people to believe, including His own disciples. In vs 7, Jesus said ok let’s go to Judea again. His disciples were alarmed because they knew how dangerous it would be for them. Bethany is about 2 miles from Jerusalem, but Jesus was willing to lay down His life for His friends. He knew that His return to Judea and the miracle of raising Lazarus would bring about His own arrest and death. In vs 11, Jesus said that Lazarus was sleeping and His disciples took that as he will get better, but in vs 14 Jesus, after rolling His eyes, said Lazarus is dead. They once again lacked seeing things with spiritual understanding. In vs 15, Jesus did not say He was glad that His friend died, but that He was glad He had not been there, for now, He could reveal to His disciples His mighty power. Vs 16 talks about Thomas who might have been a doubting man, but from this verse, he was a devoted man. He was willing to go with Jesus into danger and risk his own life. We can admire Thomas’s faith, but more importantly, we can applaud His loyalty and courage. This brings us to our next reading of John 11. The two people that were very loyal to Jesus were Mary and Martha. Read John 11:17-27 and unpack their story of How God strengthened their faith Jesus was concerned not only about the faith of His own disciples but also about the faith of Mary and Martha. Each experience of suffering and trial ought to increase our faith, but this kind of spiritual growth is not automatic. Jesus responded to Martha that Lazarus would rise again. He was thinking immediately, but she was thinking future by referencing Daniel 12:2-3. She, like the disciples, lacked spiritual understanding. Jesus responded to her with His fifth “I am” statement by saying “I am the resurrection and the life”. It’s important to note that Jesus did not deny what Martha said about the future resurrection. But Jesus’s “I am” statement completely transformed the doctrine of the resurrection and in so doing brought great comfort to Martha’s heart. He transformed this doctrine in a second way: He took it out of a book and put it into a

Do you see the Miracles around you? is the topic that will be discussed today on RIOT Podcast, a Christian Discipleship Podcast. Last week’s show “Why do we wander?” was a great show, we covered John 10:1-13, and we highly recommend if you haven’t listened to it yet, go back and listen. Today’s show will be a continuation of last week’s show and just as good. We will pick back up in John 10:14-42. If you remember from last week’s show in the first part of John chapter 10 Jesus makes three declarations about Himself. His first declaration was that He was the door. He used a sheep pin illustration as a way to demonstrate that no one can come in unless they belong to the Shepherd. The second declaration that He proclaimed was that He is the Good Shepherd and that His sheep know His voice. We didn’t have time to unpack that proclamation thoroughly last week so we will pick back up where we left off in vs 14- 21. Then we will end with His last proclamation that He is the Son of God in vs 22-42. Read John 10:14-15 The Good Shepherd knows His sheep. In the gospel of John, the word “know” means, much more than intellectual awareness. It speaks of an intimate relationship between God and His people. The shepherd knows his sheep personally and therefore knows best how to minister to them. If we are in a relationship with Jesus, He knows our name and most likely has given us a new name. The second thing the good shepherd knows is our nature. While all sheep are alike in their essential nature, each sheep has its own distinctive characteristics, and the loving shepherd recognizes these traits. One sheep may be afraid of high places, another of dark shadows. A faithful shepherd will consider these special needs as he tends his flock. Thirdly He knows all of our needs. Often, we do not even know our own needs! Psalm 23 is a beautiful poetic description of how the Good shepherd cares for His sheep. In the pastures, by the waters, and even through the valleys, the sheep need not fear, because the shepherd is caring for them and meeting their needs. As we press into Jesus more, we get to know Him better. We come to realize that we never have to worry or fear, for He is always watching out for us. Religion will never get you close to him. We must spend time with Him in prayer and reading His word. Silent listening and meditating on His truth are needed to know Him intimately. The good shepherd will never compete with what the world offers, He operates differently. We are to come to him daily with a broken and contrite heart. In His presence, we will find rest and peace. Read vs 16, the good shepherd brings other sheep into the flock. Read vs 17-21 the good shepherd takes up His life again. Let us now move into Jesus’s final declaration of being the Son of God. The events in this section occurred about 2 ½ months after John 10:1-21. John put them together because in both messages Jesus used the imagery of the shepherd and the sheep. Read John 10:22-24 The festival of dedication is Hanukkah, the Feast of Lights. Takes place in December, near the time of Christmas. The feast commemorates the rededication of the temple by Judas Maccabeus in 164 BC, after it had been desecrated by the Seleucids of Syria. The leaders surrounded Jesus in the temple so that He had to stop and listen to them. They had decided that it was time for a showdown. They did not want Him to evade the issue any longer. Tell us plainly are you the Messiah? Existed during the Hellenistic period from 312 BC to 63 BC The Hellenistic period spans the period of Mediterranean history between the death of Alexander the Great in 323 BC and the emergence of the Roman Empire. The Roman–Jewish Treaty was an agreement made between Judah Maccabee and the Roman Republic in 161 BCE according to 1 Maccabees 8:17–20 and Josephus. It was the first recorded contract between the Jewish people and the Romans. Read vs 25-42 Once again Jesus reminded them of what He had already taught them. He emphasized the witness of His words. But He went much deeper in His explanation this time, for He revealed to the Jewish leaders why they did not understand His words or grasp the significance of His works. They were not His sheep. From the human standpoint, we become His sheep by believing, but from the divine standpoint, we believe because we are His sheep. Notice that Jesus’s teaching reveals his relationship with His sheep. He has a loving relationship because He died for the sheep, as well as a living relationship because He cares for the sheep. It is also a lasting relationship for He keeps His sheep and no one is lost. What about the people that believed in Jesus but no longer walk with Him, aren’t they lost? Jesus made the statement in vs 30 I am the Father are one. He knew this would startle His enemies and give them more reason to oppose Him. It was the plain answer they were looking for. He made it clear to them at that moment that He was a deity. The word one does not suggest that

Why do we wander John 10 1-13 is the topic that will be discussed today on RIOT Podcast, a Christian Discipleship Podcast. In last week’s show, we finished our discussion on John 9 and the blind man that Jesus put mud into his eyes. It’s a great show showing the progression of how we were all once blind to Jesus. Then over time as Jesus reveals himself to us we start to see Him more clearly where intimacy with Him begins. This week we will be in John 10( Why do we wander John 10 1-13), which focuses on the image of sheep, sheepfolds, and shepherds. It is a rural and Eastern image, but it is an image that can say a great deal to us today, even in our urban, industrialized world. Paul used this image when admonishing the spiritual leaders in the church at Ephesus (Acts 20:28). The truths that cluster around the image of the shepherd and the sheep are found throughout the Bible, and they are important to us today. The symbols that Jesus used help us to understand who He is and what He wants to do for us. In John 10 we will see three declarations that Jesus made about Himself. First is “He is the door”, the second is “He is the good shepherd”, and lastly that “He is the Son of God”. Read John 10:1-10 A little background to this story is that it grew out of the confrontation Jesus had with the Jewish leaders following the casting out of the once blind man in John 9. After He was done talking to them about light and darkness, he then changes scenes here and now talks to them about shepherds and sheep. Why? Jesus opened His sermon with a familiar illustration, one that every listener would understand. The sheepfold was usually an enclosure made of rocks, with an opening for the door. The shepherd or helper would guard the flock, or flocks at night by lying across the opening. In the morning, the shepherds would come, call their sheep and assemble their own flocks. Each sheep recognized its own master’s voice. The true shepherd comes in through the door, and the helper recognizes him. The thieves and robbers could never enter through the door, so they have to climb over the wall and enter the fold through deception. But even if they did get in, they would never get the sheep to follow them, for the sheep follow only the voice of their own shepherd. The False prophets can never lead the sheep, so they must steal them away. Jesus is making His claim clear that the fold He is talking about is the nation of Israel. The Gentiles are the other sheep, they are not of the fold of Israel. When Jesus came to the nation Israel, He came the appointed way, just as the Scriptures had promised. Every true shepherd must be called by God and sent by God. If he truly speaks God’s word, the sheep will hear his voice, and not be afraid to follow him. Because the Jewish leaders were blind to the truth and still did not understand his symbolic language. He gives them a practical application in Vs 7-10. So Jesus again said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep. 8 All who came before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to them. 9 I am the door. If anyone enters by me, he will be saved and will go in and out and find pasture. 10 The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly. Notice that the shepherd doesn’t stop by just leading the sheep out; He also leads them in. They become a part of the one flock which is His church. He is the door of Salvation John 10:9. Those who trust Him enter into the Lord’s Flock and fold, and they have the wonderful privilege of going in and out and finding pasture. When you go through the Door you receive life and you are saved. As you go in and out, you enjoy abundant life in the rich pastures of the Lord. His sheep enjoy fullness and freedom. Jesus not only gave his life for us, but He gives His life to us right now! Now Jesus moves from the door as His main emphasis, to the shepherd and He makes his second declaration that He is the good shepherd. Read John 10:11-13 The word translated “good” here means intrinsically good, beautiful, and fair. It describes that which is the ideal, the model that others may safely imitate. Jesus’s goodness was inherent in His nature. To call Him good is the same as calling Him God. Mark 10:17-18 “And as he was setting out on his journey, a man ran up and knelt before him and asked him, “Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” 18 And Jesus said to him, “Why do you call me good? No one is good except God alone.” Jesus in this section of the reading describes 4 different ministries that the good shepherd does. In Vs, 11-13 the good shepherd dies for the sheep. Normally, the sheep die for the shepherd, but now the Good shepherd dies for the sheep. Five times in this sermon, Jesus clearly affirmed the sacrificial nature of His death. He did not die a martyr, killed by men; He died as a substitute, willingly laying down his life for us. The fa

How Do You Know If You Are Spiritually Blind? John 9:24-41 is the topic that will be discussed today on RIOT Podcast, a Christian Discipleship Podcast. In last week’s show episode 91, we started John 9 and covered vs 1-23 and talked about the blind man that Jesus healed by putting mud on his eyes. We unpacked the story and revealed the beginning stages of how this man came to know Jesus. We saw that Jesus first called him, out of all the other blind people, Jesus went out of His way to call this blind man. It’s like when we were blind to him and then Jesus called us to serve Him. Then we unpacked that the man recognized that Jesus was more than just a man. In fact, he boldly claimed to the Pharisees that Jesus was a prophet. In our reading today, How do you know if you are spiritually blind John 9:24-41 we will see that the once blind man did not stop with Jesus just for a profit. He will begin to see Him as a man of God and then finally recognize that He is the Son of God. In our walk with Jesus, we do have a progression of faith, we are first “called” by Him, and over time as we get to know Him we begin to see Him more for who He really is. This story is very relevant for us today. Read John 9:24-34 The Pharisees are anxious to settle this case, so they called the once blind man in again for more questioning, but this time they put him under oath. They said that “Give God the praise” is a form of Jewish swearing-in at court. The problem with this court is the judges are prejudiced from the start! They said we know that this man is a sinner. They were warning the man that he better cooperate with them or he might be excommunicated. Notice that the once blind man did not debate the character of Jesus, probably because that was beyond his knowledge and experience. But the one thing he did know, is that now he could see. In vs 26, the Pharisees asked him for the 4th time, “How did Jesus open your eyes?” Can you imagine this once blind man getting frustrated with them at this point? He has been blind all of his life and there is so much now to see. He certainly did not want to spend much longer in a synagogue court, looking at angry faces and answering the same question over and over again. Unable to refute the evidence, the judges began to revile the man, and once again Moses is brought into the picture. Vs 28 “The judges said you are his disciple, but we are the disciple of Moses.” The Pharisees were cautious men who would consider themselves conservatives when in reality they were preservatives. A true conservative takes the best of the past and uses it, but he is also aware of the new things that God is doing. Mathew 13:52 says “The new grows out of the old.” The leaders were sure about Moses but were not sure about Jesus. Vs 29 said we do not know where Jesus comes from. Remember Jesus had already told them in John 6 that he came from heaven sent by the Father. However, the Pharisees were convinced that Jesus was a natural son of Mary and Joseph and that He was from the city of Nazareth. How many people were going around Jerusalem opening the eyes of blind people? Instead of investigating the miracle, these religious leaders should have been investigating the One who did the miracle and learned from Him. Acts 4:11 says “The experts were rejecting the Stone that was sent to them.” In vs 30-33 the man gave the experts a lesson in practical theology. He said, “You call Jesus a sinner and yet it was Jesus that opened my eyes.” In vs 31, He paraphrases Psalms 66:18 where he said “God does not hear sinners, but if anyone is a worshipper of God and does His will, He hears him. He then concludes by giving them a truth bomb. Vs 33 it says “if this man were not from God, He could do nothing!” The Pharisees had excommunicated this man and cast him out. He was not cut off from his family and friends. He was considered now a publican of sinners. But Jesus comes to those that are outcasts and rejected. In vs 35-41, we will see how Jesus never let this man down and how this man came to know Jesus as the son of God. Read John 9:33-41 The good shepherd always cares for His sheep. Jesus knew that the man had been cast out, so He found him and revealed Himself to him. This man knew Jesus’ voice but He had never seen him face to face. Where ever Jesus went, some of the Pharisees tried to be present so they could catch him in something He said or did. In vs 39, Jesus closes out this episode by preaching a brief, but penetrating sermon on spiritual blindness. The reason for Jesus coming was ultimately for salvation, but the result as He put it in vs 39 is with His coming, comes condemnation of those who would not believe. The religious leaders were blind and would not admit it, therefore, the light of truth only made them more blind. The once blind man admitted his need and he received both physical sight and spiritual sight. In vs 41, Jesus responded to the religious leaders by saying, If you were blind, you would be be

Why do we fear the unknown? John 9:1-23 is the topic that will be discussed today on RIOT Podcast, a Christian Discipleship Podcast. Today we will be reading John 9:1-23 the healing of the blind man. Up until this point in our study of John, we know Jesus performed miracles in order to meet human needs. But he also used miracles as a launching pad for a message of conveying spiritual truth. His miracles were His credentials to prove that He was indeed the Messiah. Matthew 11:15 says “the blind receive their sight” and we will see it demonstrated in this chapter. We read that in the United States somebody goes blind every 20 minutes. The man we will meet today was born blind; he had never seen the beauty of God’s creation or the faces of loved ones. When Jesus arrives on the scene, everything changed, and man was made to see. However, that was not the greatest miracle we will read, we will also see the miracle of God opening this man’s heart to the Savior. The easiest way to grasp the message of this chapter is to note the stages in this man’s growing understanding of who Jesus is. Read John 9:1-12 This first stage of growth was that the blind man was “called”. Before we ever believe in Jesus, He will call us unto Himself. The only means of survival was for this blind to beg for money and that is what he was doing when Jesus passed by. No doubt there were many blind people who would have rejoiced to be healed, but Jesus selected this man. It appears from the text that this blind man and his parents were well known in the community. Notice that the healing was done on the Sabbath so that once again Jesus deliberately challenged the religious leaders. Ultimately because of the fall of man and Adam’s disobedience, sin and death are in the world. But to blame a specific disabled person, for a specific sin, committed by specific persons, is certainly beyond any person’s ability or authority. Only God knows why babies are born with disabilities, and only God can turn those disabilities into something that will bring good to the people and glory to His name. Because we all fall short, we know with certainty that both the man and his parents have sinned at some point in their life. But Jesus did not see their sin, nor did He suggest that God deliberately made the man blind, so that years later, Jesus could perform a miracle. Since there is no punctuation in the original manuscripts, we are free to read John 9:3-4 this way: “Neither has this man sinned nor his parents. But that the works of God should be made manifest in him, I must work the works of Him who sent me, while it is the day.” Why did Jesus use clay this time to heal the blind man? We can think of two reasons. First, it was a picture of the incarnation. God made the first man out of the dust, and God sent His son as a real man so the world could see. The second reason was irritation, it encouraged the man to believe and obey! If you have ever had irritation in your eyes, you quickly seek to rinse your eyes and remove the irritation. You might compare the irritation to the convicting work of the Holy Spirit as He uses God’s law to bring the lost sinner under Judgment. The blind man told them about His experience and about the man named Jesus and what he did. The blind man was ignorant of Jesus’s identity and at this point, he was healed, but not saved. In the following verses 13-23, something changed within the man, as he wondered himself what had happened, it dawned on him that this was a miracle. This could only happen if the man was a prophet. Read John 9:13-23 Since the man was born blind, the miracle was even greater, for blindness caused by sickness or injury might suddenly go away. And the miracle performed on the Sabbath gave the Pharisees great concern. In their eyes this was illegal. They should have been praising God for the miracle, but they instead sought evidence to prosecute Jesus. Jesus was the cause of the division and the religious leaders were judging on the basis of one thing. Nobody who breaks the Sabbath could possibly be a true prophet of God. They were one-issue thinkers, not unlike other religious people today. Notice that the beggar was not intimidated by the threats of the Pharisees. When asked who He thought Jesus was, he boldly told them He was a prophet. In the OT some of the prophets did miracles, including Moses, Elijah, and Elisha. The Jewish people would look on their prophets as men of God who could do wonderful things by the power of God. The religious leaders quickly shot this down and said this man is not of God. They knew they were in trouble and they did their best to hide the truth. Proverbs 9:25 says that the fear of man brings a snare. The Pharisees were trying to trap Jesus, and the parents were trying to avoid a trap, but they were only ensnaring themselves. If we cannot accept Jesus as God when something new comes into our lives, we too might be ensnared by fear. We can easily miss what God is doing aroun

Creating God Moments Not Conversation Killers is the topic that will be discussed today on RIOT Podcast, a Christian Discipleship Podcast. We read a story a while back talking about US Lieutenant Colonel Christopher Hughes. He was based in Najaf, Iraq and his team was caught in a standoff with a mob of Shiite (she-ite) Iraqis. He was in command of a heavily armored patrol unit from the American 101st airborne division. The people were resisting his unit from entering their city because they were fearful they would desecrate their holy shrines. Although the patrol’s intentions were peaceful, the standoff would probably have been disastrous if not for the quick thinking of Lt Hughes. Hughes picked up a loudspeaker and barked out three simple commands to his troops. First, he told them to take a knee; second, to point their weapons toward the ground; and finally, to look up and give everyone in the hostile crowd a friendly smile. A few moments later, the hostile defiance melted away, as smiles and friendly pats on the back replaced shaking fists and screaming voices. This story gives us an example of how important it is to understand how to communicate with people in a world that has become increasingly hostile to the traditional kinds of conversations Christians attempt to have. A famous author once said, “We must learn to find the back door to people’s hearts because the front door is heavily guarded.” Much like the Shiites Lt Hughes dealt with; the many people we hope to reach for Jesus react defensively. They anticipate and are amply prepared for any direct attack on the holy places and sacred shrines of their hearts. Today we are going to talk about 5 Conversation Killers and how we can avoid them. Our message rarely gets through because what they hear is that my worldview is better than your worldview. Instead of opening their hearts for Jesus, often times we are creating a standoff, filled with hate and anger. Colossians 4:5-6 “Use your heads as you live and work among outsiders.” Don’t miss a trick. Make the most of every opportunity. Be gracious in your speech. The 1st killer of spiritual conversation is unbelief. Do we really believe that the people in our Mon through Sat world want to talk about spiritual things? If you don’t, then nothing else we talk about today will help you, until your change your mind about this matter. The 2nd greatest conversation killer is pre-conversation history. In his book UnChristian, David Kinnaman quotes one outsider who described Christians this way. “Most people I meet assume that Christian means very conservative, entrenched in their thinking, anti-gay, anti-choice, angry, violent, illogical, empire builders, they want to covert everyone, and they generally cannot live peacefully with anyone who doesn’t believe what they believe”. Like it or not, our Christian jewelry, T-shirts, TV programs, tracts, and bumper stickers all serve to create a pre-conversation history that colors the perception of everyone we meet. The 3rd conversation killer is our awkward transitions. Imagine watching a football game with 2 minutes left in the game and your team was driving the ball down to score for the win. And the doorbell rings, you’re all by yourself at the house and the last thing you want to do is answer it. You’re annoyed, but you go quickly to see who is at the door and it’s 2 Mormon boys. You have 2 choices at the moment, engage them in spiritual talk or brush them off and get back to your game. You chose to stay and they begin to share with you in an awkward way about their faith. You listen and respond back to them awkwardly because you didn’t fully know what to say to them. Awkward transitions create awkward feelings, which leave people feeling pretty uptight. Most people do not regularly sign up for conversations that leave them feeling weirded out. So how do you transition into a spiritual conversation correctly? The 4th conversation killer is our language issues, not theirs. Let’s share a funny story that will make this point quite obvious. The story goes a few years back, there was a guy that had a job that required him to move to Salt Lake City. After the family had settled into their neighborhood, one of the neighbors came over to welcome them to the neighborhood. As the woman began to engage his wife in conversation, she asked. Are you LDS? The wife looked at her husband and replied, “Well neither one of us is ADD (Attention Deficit Disorder. So we are probably not LDS either”. This is a funny story, but it makes an obvious point. When we lead with questions such as “Are you saved? Have you been born again?” People feel like outsiders. When we speak Christianese, we are unwittingly saying, “If you want to have a spiritual conversation with me, you’ll have to do so on my terms.” The 5th conversation killer is our disrespect. Sometimes we think our spiritual gift is to be quick to speak and slow to listen. James 1:19 tells us to do the opposite, slow to

Creating God moments while becoming friends of sinners is the topic that will be discussed today on RIOT Podcast, a Christian Discipleship Podcast. A God moment is where God is felt and encountered in tangible ways that address the longings and cries of the heart. We come to the end of our own finite resources and experience the infinite resources of God. It is where the natural gives way to the supernatural, where seeds of faith are planted, watered, and nurtured. Gentleness and respect are present, judgment is absent, and divine dialogue flows naturally because trust has been established. Today we want to begin an ongoing discussion of how we can create God’s moments in our life. We will do multiple podcast shows over the next year relating to this subject. Our heart’s desire is to help followers of Christ be more and more like Him by reaching those that need Him most. In Mathew 11:19 it says, Jesus was a friend of sinners. In our minds, nothing gets to the heart of why Jesus came to earth more than this one. It corresponds with Luke 19:10 “For the Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost” The bible gives us a lot of verses that talk about us going into all the world to reach them. Mark 16:15-16, Matt 28:19, and others. It says in Mathew 9:37-38 that the harvest Is plentiful, but the laborers are few. In 1 Cor 9:22, Paul said that he became weak to the weak, that he might win the weak. He became all things to all people that by all means, he might save some. Today let’s talk about the many obstacles we face that keep us from engaging the world as Christ desires us to do. The First obstacle we face is that we do not know how to create a low-risk, high-grace space for people to peruse their need to have spiritual conversations. Ecclesiastes 3:11 says “God has given us all an inner drive to know and to be known by him”. St Augustine said in His book Confessions; “Our heart is not quiet until it rests in God. Where does an unquiet heart go to?” What if we were that person they could go to and we in return slowly create trust so that we can point them to Jesus for help? For many people going to church is as scary as going to a hard-core biker bar. It might be the same feeling bikers feel when they go to church. How many of us would go to a hard-core biker bar to just simply love the people and create opportunities for spiritual conversations? Would it be uncomfortable? Would God want us to go? Both Christians and Non-Christians have very real perceptions about one another that keep us from interacting in redeeming ways. It’s been said that the only thing more difficult than getting the church to go to the world, is getting the world to come to us. If showing up to each other’s club is too scary for so many people, is there a way to create space in our daily interactions that might tear down some of the walls that keep us polarized? Rick Warren said “The church that doesn’t want to grow is saying to the world. You can go to hell!” Disturbing isn’t it? Nevertheless, many churches continue to operate essentially as clubs, convinced they be letting God down if they closed up the show and sold their buildings. Don’t get us wrong, we care deeply about the church. However, we also care deeply about creating safe spaces for people to ask their questions, share their doubts, voice their concerns and even vent their anger toward God and the church. If we are going to create God’s moments for others, it has to start inside of us. It takes safe people to create safe places. First Corinthians 6:19 says that when we become Christians, our bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit. Jesus did not send the Holy Spirit to simply reside in our bodies but to preside over them. Are we at peace with God’s grace in our lives so that we can extend that peace to others? If we are going to make God’s invisible kingdom become visible, then Christ’s heart needs to be formed in us! Let’s ponder some questions that reflect the essence of God’s moments. As you listen to us discuss these questions, grade yourself from 1 to 10 with 10 being that you do this all the time. We will do the same as we journey forward. 1. Can you overlook un-Christian attitudes and lifestyles in your efforts to connect with others? 2. Are you able to suspend your judgment for long periods of time around non-Christians? 3. Do you consistently seek to understand the not-yet Christians you know before seeking to be understood by them? 4. Are you patient enough to wait for the not-yet Christians in your life to ask for your opinion? 5. Be honest. Do you like people who are far from God? 6. Do people who are far from God like you? For example: Are you invited to birthday parties? 7. Does your body language communicate an open-hearted acceptance of the not-yet Christians in your life? 8. Are you able to communicate acceptance to not-yet Christians without endorsing their lifestyles? 9. In your relationships with not-yet Christians, do y

Its a Matter of Life or Death: John 8:31-59 is the topic that will be discussed today on RIOT Podcast, a Christian Discipleship Podcast. Last week was such a great show. We talked about two very important nuggets that are in the bible. The first was that Jesus said he was the light of the world and that in Him there is no darkness. We also talked about how he only did everything that pleased His Father. He gave us all a clue as to how to have God’s light in us, we are to do everything that pleases the Father. Those two nuggets open the door for us to live a life that is centered on God’s perfect will. This week we will be continuing that conversation in our reading of John 8:31-59. In verses, 31-47 Jesus talks about the difference between freedom and being in bondage and then in verses 48-59, He talks about the differences between honor and dishonor. Let’s read John 8:31-47 and unpack the differences between freedom and bondage. Read John 8:31-47 In vs 33, we read the pronoun “They” Who are “they”? In vs 30, it ends by after these things, many believed in Him. So Jesus is telling them here, that in order to be my true disciple you must abide in His word like the other believers already have. So the “they” were most likely not the believers, for why would they argue with Jesus if they already believed? What Jesus is saying here is that when we obey His Word, we grow in spiritual knowledge, and as we grow in spiritual knowledge, we grow in freedom from sin. They claim that Abraham’s descendants had never been in bondage was certainly a false one that was refuted by the very record in the OT. The Jews have been enslaved by (seven) mighty nations, as recorded in the book of Judges. The ten northern tribes had been carried away captive by Assyria, and the two southern tribes had gone into seventy years of captivity in Babylon. And at that very hour, the Jews were under the bondage of Rome! Jesus explained that the difference between spiritual freedom and bondage is a matter of whether one is a son or a servant. The servant may live in the house, but he is not a part of the family, and he cannot be guaranteed a future Whoever keeps on practicing sin, is the servant of sin. These religious leaders would not only die in their sins, but they were currently living in bondage to sin. In the rest of this section, we see the debate centered around the word “father.” Jesus identified Himself with the Father in heaven, but He identified them with the father from hell, Satan. Of course, the Jews claimed Abraham as their father, but Jesus made a careful distinction between Abraham’s seed (the physical descendants) and Abraham’s children (the spiritual descendants) because of personal faith. Nature is determined by birth, and birth is determined by paternity. IF God is your Father, then you share God’s nature, but if Satan is your father, then you share in his evil nature. Jesus did not say that every lost sinner is a child of the devil, though every lost sinner is certainly a child of wrath and disobedience. What were the characteristics of these religious leaders who belonged to the Devil? For one thing, they rejected the truth, and they tried to kill Jesus because He spoke the truth. They did not love God, nor could they understand what Jesus taught. Satan’s children may be well versed in their religious traditions, but they have no understanding of the Word of God. Satan is a liar and a murderer. He lied to our first parents and engineered their deaths. Cain was a child of the Devil, it says in 1 John 3:12 “We should not be like Cain, who was of the evil one and murdered his brother”. And why did he murder him? Because his own deeds were evil and his brothers were righteous. The religious leaders could not refute Jesus’ statement, so they attacked Him personally. Their statement in vs 41 that we are not born of fornication was a slur on Jesus’ own birth and character. After all, Mary was with child before she and Joseph were married. But their attack here in vs 48 was more obvious. For a Jew to be called a Samaritan was the worst insult and then to be called a demon-possessed person only added further insult. They were dishonoring him but he was honoring the Father. Remember, He said it was impossible to honor the Father without honoring the son. They were seeking their own glory, but He was seeking the glory that belongs to God alone. Jesus had warned them that they would die in their sins because of their unbelief, and now in vs 51 He invited them to trust His word and never see death. Once again the leaders lacked the spiritual insight to understand what He was saying. Abraham was dead, yet he was a godly man, and the faithful prophets were also dead. This kind of talk only convinced them more, that He had a demon. How did Abraham see Jesus that is, His life and ministry on earth? The same way he saw the future city: by faith. God did not give Abraham some special vision of Jesus’s life and min

Illuminate light in a dark world is the topic that will be discussed today on RIOT Podcast, a Christian Discipleship Podcast. It’s been 2 weeks since we were in the Book of John and that is where we are picking back up. Last week’s show, episode 86 was titled “Are LDS Mormons, Christians?” If you haven’t listened to it yet, that was a very informative show and we highly encourage you to go check it out. The week before that in episode 85, titled “Answered Questions About Heaven”, we realized that there are a lot of unknowns about heaven so we decided to answer a few of those questions, again it’s another great show, so if you have not heard that one, please go back and listen. This week, we will break down John Chapter 8 verses 12-30. In this, we pick up after the story of the woman caught in adultery. We start in verse 12 where there is a crowd around Jesus. We open our reading today with His famous “I am the light of the world” verse. He used this moment to let the crowd know that if they “walk in His light, they will not walk in darkness.” Then in vs 16, he talks about “true and false judgment” and that the only true Judge is God in heaven, who sent Him. Then in verses 21-30, Jesus turns his conversation to “life and death”. He tells them in vs 21 that if they do not believe in Him they will die in their sins. The religious leaders kept asking Jesus, “Who are you and where do you come from?” Jesus has to keep repeating himself over and over again because they cannot hear him nor know Him. Read John 8:12-20 In John, there are ”7 signs” and ”7 I am” statements. There are many seven patterns in the Bible. Seven was symbolic in ancient near eastern and Israelite culture and literature. It communicated a sense of “fullness” or “completeness” To follow Jesus means to believe in Him, to trust Him and the results are life and life for the believer. The unsaved are walking in darkness because they love darkness. One of the major messages in this gospel is that the spiritual light is now shining, but people cannot comprehend it, and they try to put it out. One of the keywords in this section of reading is “witness”. It is used 7 times in this context. Jesus made it clear that their witness was not dependable because their judgment was faulty. They judged on the basis of externals, mere human judgment, but Jesus judged on the basis of spiritual knowledge. If you noticed, Jesus never really answered the Pharisee’s question of “where is your father?” The word “father” is used 21 times in this passage of reading. Jesus did not avoid the issue but faced it honestly. He knew that their father was not God, but the Devil. These men were religious and yet they were the Children of the Devil. In our next show, we will cover more of how the Pharisees are of the Devil. But before we get there let’s Read John 8:21-30 and continue this conversation Jesus is having with the Pharisees. Read John 8:21-30 In John 7:34 where Jesus told his disciples that he is leaving them? So again, He shares it with the people. But again the Jews misunderstand what He was saying. Jesus then warned them that He would be leaving them and they would not be able to follow Him. In reality, the opposite was true. It was the Jews who were going to the place of judgment! Jesus was returning to His Father in heaven, and nobody can go there who has not first trusted in the Savior. The reason Jesus and the Jewish leaders were going to different destinations was that they had different origins. Jesus came from heaven, but they belonged to the earth. It’s incredible that the religious leaders asked Jesus who he is in vs 25. He had just given the evidence that He is the Son of God, and yet they had deliberately rejected the evidence. Jesus’s reply was “I am exactly what I said”. In other words, “Why should I teach you new things, or give you a new proof, when you have not honestly considered the witness I have already given?” In vs 26, Jesus again claims to be a deity when he said “I declare to the world what I have heard from the Father.” Jesus had told them over and over again, I and the Father are one, what I say, is what my Father says. How did the Jews respond to this claim in vs 27? They said, “We do not understand what He is speaking about.” In Vs 28, Jesus said to them, “When you have lifted up the Son of man, then you will know that I am he.” Jesus is predicting His death on the cross here. The word “lifted up” actually has a dual meaning. It could read “lifted up in crucifixion” and lifted up in “exaltation and glorification”. Jesus often combined the two, for He saw His crucifixion in the terms of glory and not just suffering. In vs 29 and 30, Jesus makes two more stupendous claims. Not only was He sent by the Father, but the Father was with Him because He always did what pleased the Father. No doubt, His enemies reacted violently to these words, but some of the listeners put their faith in Him. Salvation is a matter of life or death. People wh