Christmas is filled with images of angels atop our trees and lighting our front yards. But very few of us know how amazing and powerful they are. Most people don’t realize that angels are mentioned over 300 times in the Bible. The earliest books: Genesis and Job describe their creation, and the last book, the book of Revelation, is filled with their praises and power to carry out God’s work. The classic Christmas movie on angels is “It’s a wonderful Life” with Jimmy Stewart. George Bailey, a desperate man in dire straits, is transformed by the appearance of Clarence, his guardian angel. Angels are not imaginary. They are real and are deeply involved in God’s work and in our lives. So before you hang a cherub on your Christmas tree, why don’t you explain to your children what the Bible reveals about these heavenly creatures? What do angels look like? Angels are spirit beings (Hebrews 1:14), so they do not have any essential physical form. But angels do have the ability to appear in human form. When angels appeared to humans in the Bible, they resembled normal males. In Genesis 18:1-19, God and two angels appeared as men and ate a meal with Abraham. Joshua prepared to attack the fortified city of Jericho when a “man” with a drawn sword stood before him. In Joshua 5:14, he identified himself as the “commander of the armies of the Lord,” a warrior angel appearing as a man. Other times, angels appeared not as humans, but as something other-worldly, and their appearance was terrifying. Often, the first words from these angels were “do not be afraid,” because extreme fear was such a common reaction. The Roman soldiers stationed at Jesus’ tomb became as dead men when they saw the angel of the Lord (Matthew 28:4). The shepherds in the fields in Luke 2 were “sore afraid” when the angel of the Lord appeared and the glory of the Lord shone around them. Are angels superior to Jesus? No. Hebrews 1:5-14 teaches “God speaks of his angels as messengers swift as the wind and as servants made of flaming fire; 8 but of his Son He says, “Your Kingdom, O God, will last forever and ever; its commands are always just and right. No, for the angels are only spirit-messengers sent out to help and care for those who are to receive his salvation.” LB 3.Are there different kinds of angels? Yes! Cherubim guard God’s glory. They are guardians. They stood at the Garden of Eden with flaming swords so that Adam and Eve would not try to re-enter. The wings of the cherubim covered the Ark of the Covenant, where God’s glory resided in the Old Testament. Cherubim also appear as fearsome four-headed creatures before the throne of God in heaven. They continuously sing “Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord of Hosts.”NIV Seraphim are the praise-leaders in heaven. “Holy, holy, holy,” they chant. Isaiah’s vision of God’s throne room was like this: Seraphim stood over him; each one had six wings. With two wings they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet, and they used the remaining two to fly.” NET Daniel 4:13-17 teaches that angels are protectors of people and of nations. “While I was watching in my mind’s visions on my bed, a holy sentinel came down from heaven. This announcement is by the decree of the sentinels; this decision is by the pronouncement of the holy ones, so that those who are alive may understand that the Most High has authority over human kingdoms, and he bestows them on whomever he wishes.” NIV Some angels are “Divine bouncers.” Visiting angels protected Lot and his family and struck the perverted attackers blind. One angel with a flaming sword scared Balaam’s donkey and prevented the wayward prophet from blessing Israel’s enemy. An angel army trounced the Syrian army to protect Elisha and his servant in 2 Kings 6. A “protector” angel delivered Peter from prison. Do angels have names? Only three angels are named in the Bible: Michael, Gabriel and Lucifer. Michael fought as a warrior angel to deliver God’s message to Daniel about Israel. (Jude 9, Daniel 10 and Revelation 12). Gabriel announced the coming of Jesus to Mary and Lucifer was described as the “son of the morning” or a fallen angel in Isaiah 14. How many angels are there? More than we can possibly imagine! In Deuteronomy when God gives the law, Moses writes, “the Lord came with myriads of angels.” Luke tells us at the birth of Jesus there was a “multitude of heavenly hosts.” Hebrews 12:22 teaches that we worship with an innumerable company of angels. And in Revelation 5, John writes “I heard the voice of many angels-10,000 times 10,000 and thousands of thousands.” What do angels do? They do God’s work! Angels were involved in Jesus’ earthly life many, many times. Gabriel announced Jesus’ birth to the Virgin Mary. (Luke 1:26-32) He also announced to Zechariah the priest that his aging wife was going to bear a son. Gabriel instructed Zechariah to name his son John. Zechariah balked and Gabriel struck him dumb until the baby was born (Luke 1:19). Angels sang in the skies over the manger (Luke 2:9-14). Angels warned the young family to escape to Egypt (Matthew 2:12). Jesus received comfort after his forty-day fast and temptation of Satan. (Matthew 4:11). Jesus agonized in the Garden of Gethsemane, sweating drops of blood. After Jesus prayed, the angels comforted him. At the Resurrection an angel rolled away the stone that covered Christ’s tomb (Matthew 28:3). How do angels help us? They watch you. They are constantly vigilant. They guard you. They rescue you. Daniel described how he saw the angel of the Lord shut the mouths of the lions when he had been thrown in the den to be devoured. When Peter was imprisoned in Acts 12, God dispatched an angel to help him escape. He walked home without even being noticed! My friend was rear-ended by a huge 18-wheeler truck going 60 miles per hour. Her car was tiny in comparison. The car was totaled, but she was unharmed. I know angels were dispatched to save her! My baby crawled near a precipice that would have sent her to her death. My husband and I heard an urgent cry to help her. When we asked who called us, no one was in the house. An angel had preserved her life! My husband was threatened by a man who swore to assassinate him. Mysteriously, his truck veered into a guard rail and stopped him from getting to our home. I believe my husband was protected by angel guards! And…one final thought. This Christmas, remember to be kind to everyone, including strangers: Hebrews 13:2 “Do not forget to show hospitality to strangers, for by so doing some people have shown hospitality to angels without knowing it.” NLB https://calvarynm.church/teachings/#/series/308/sermon/4523/ www.gotquestions.org. https://bible.org/article/angelology-doctrine-angels

“Providence” is a word we use frequently in talking about God, but we may not have thought deeply about what it means. Theologian Timothy George defines it as “God’s faithful and effective care and guidance of everything which He has made toward the end which He has chosen.” God’s providence was a deep comfort to both Nanci and me as we faced her cancer. In her journal, Nanci quoted Joni Eareckson Tada: “God is not a sweep-up boy who follows you with a dustpan and brush, second-guessing how everything will fit into a divine pattern for good. God’s hands stay on the wheel of your life from start to finish so that everything follows His intention for your life.” That quote comes from Joni’s book Pain and Providence, in a section where she writes about God’s providence in Joseph’s life: I draw a lot of inspiration from the story of Joseph. There were plenty of unfortunate mishaps in Joseph’s life, like being tossed by his envious brothers into a pit and left to die. But later on, after more mishaps, Joseph told his brothers, “You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives” (Gen. 50:20-21). I like that word, intended. He is a God of intention—He has a purpose, a target, a goal, and a plan. Joseph’s problems did not catch God off guard. From the beginning, God calculated for Joseph to experience all these things. Why? For the salvation of others. God is not a sweep-up boy who follows you with a dustpan and brush, second-guessing how everything will fit into a divine pattern for good. God’s hands stay on the wheel of your life from start to finish so that everything follows His intention for your life. This means your trials have more meaning—much more—than you realize. Consider this: If Joseph had not been sold to those caravan traders by his wicked brothers, he would not have been sold as a slave to Pharaoh. And if Joseph had not become Pharaoh’s right-hand man, no one would have built giant grain silos to ward off the famine. And if the famine hadn’t happened, Jacob and his family would never have come to Egypt for food and safety. And if Jacob’s family weren’t in Egypt, there would have been no slave laborers. And if no slaves, no Exodus, and no giving of the law to Moses. And no Promised Land. And, finally, no line of Judah from which the Messiah, Jesus Christ, would come. What an amazing example of the providence of God! It is enthralling to see how the troubles of one young man named Joseph could kick-start a whole chain of earth-shaking events which would ultimately lead to our salvation. Joseph’s story could be yours. Only heaven will reveal the incredibly complex intertwining of events in which you have played a pivotal role. Like Joseph, you may not be able to discern it at the time, but God has it all in hand. He has it all in control. And you, dear friend, are needed in His marvelous plan to spread His kingdom in your corner of the world. As usual, I wholeheartedly agree with Joni. Let’s take another look at this amazing story. Joseph recognized God’s sovereignty when he said to his brothers, who betrayed and sold him into slavery, “It was to save lives that God sent me ahead of you…. God sent me ahead of you to preserve for you a remnant on earth and to save your lives by a great deliverance. So then, it was not you who sent me here, but God” (Genesis 45:5–8). God didn’t only permit Joseph’s journey to Egypt, he sent him there through his brothers’ evil deeds. Later Joseph told his brothers, “As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today” (Genesis 50:20, ESV). “God meant it for good” communicates something far stronger than God being handed lemons and making lemonade. God did not merely make the best of a bad situation; on the contrary, fully aware of what Joseph’s brothers would do, and fully permitting their sin, God intended that the bad situation—which He could have prevented, but didn’t—be used for good. As Joni explains, He did so in accordance with His plan from eternity past. We see two wills at work in Genesis 50:20. The brothers successfully did evil, and God successfully brought about good from their evil—but His good dramatically eclipsed their evil. While God did not force them to do evil, He sovereignly worked so that the moral evil they committed, and the consequential evils that came from it, accomplished His ultimately good purposes. These purposes extended not only to Israel, but to Joseph and even to Joseph’s brothers, the evildoers. Similarly, some of those who crucified Jesus later embraced the redemption accomplished in His crucifixion. Hence, in a sense inexplicable except by God’s sovereign grace, they became beneficiaries of their own evil deed. How great is our infinitely holy God that He can and does use sin—including my sin and yours—to accomplish His purposes. Should this cause us to minimize the seriousness of our sin? No more than it caused Joseph’s brothers to minimize theirs. What it should do is maximize the sovereignty and providential wisdom our almighty God. Our sins are great, but our Savior is infinitely bigger than our sins! Nothing about God’s sovereign work in Joseph’s life suggests that God works differently in the lives of His other children. In fact, Romans 8:28 and Ephesians 1:11 make it emphatically clear that He works the same way with us. Countless millions of choices and actions are contemplated every second across this globe. Our all-knowing and all-powerful God chooses exactly which ones He will cause or not, ordain or not, permit or not. He does not permit evils arbitrarily, but with purpose. Everything He permits matches up with His wisdom and ultimately serves His holiness, justice, love and grace. As Joni puts it, “God permits what he hates to achieve what he loves.” Though events in our lives may have less drama or historical prominence, God didn’t act out of character with Joseph. Rather, He revealed for our benefit how He sovereignly and providentially works in our lives as well. Knowing this can provide great encouragement and perspective as we face our own trials and sufferings today. epm.org .

As we shop, look up, seek out or ask for gifts in this season of the year — let’s do ourselves a favor and REMEMBER the GIFT of the Savior we were given that first Christmas! A gift wrapped like none expected or delivered like any thought, but wrapped in prophecy that delivers a foundational certainty to our faith. Sermon begins at 32 min. Preached at Elements Church, Tucson Arizona. Luke 2:3-7 NIV 3 And everyone went to their own town to register. 4 So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. 5 He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. 6 While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, 7 and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them. (740 years before Jesus’ birth) Isaiah 7:14 "Therefore Jehovah himself will give you a sign. Behold, a virgin will be with child and bear a son, and she will call his name God With Us." The Virgin Birth is the birth of none other than God himself. The Virgin Birth was the fulfillment of Old Testament prophecy. The Virgin Birth is a critical piece of God's plan for salvation. **the Apostle's Creed (341 AD) states, "I believe in God the Father Almighty, maker of heaven and earth, and in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord, born of the Virgin Mary." **the Nicene Creed (325 AD) goes to great length to make the point that Christ's birth was altogether different from anyone else's birth: ==he was begotten of God, not made. The word "begotten" means fathered by God. QUOTE: "When you beget something, you beget it after your own kind." -C.S. Lewis It is absolutely critical for our salvation that Jesus Christ is both fully God and fully man. Jesus alone is the mediator between God and fallen man. He is the Savior of the world, uniquely positioned to stand between God and man—which is what we needed in order for mankind to be reconciled with a holy God. 8 prophecies of Jesus: The time of His birth (see the Daniel 8 & 9). He would be born in Bethlehem. (Micah 5:2) He would be born of a virgin. (Isaiah 7:14) He would be betrayed for 30 pieces of silver. (Zechariah 11:12) He would be mocked. (Psalm 22:7,8) He would be crucified. (Psalm 22, John 3:14) He would be pierced. (Psalms 22:16) He would die with the wicked, but He would be buried with the rich. (Isaiah 53:9) Prophecy calculations: *Peter W. Stoner, Chairman of the Departments of Mathematics and Astronomy and his research regarding biblical prophecy and the probability of Jesus fulfilling them. *conservative probabilities for each one being fulfilled, and then considered the likelihood of Jesus fulfilling all 8 of those prophecies. The conclusion to his research was staggering. The prospect that anyone would satisfy those eight prophecies was just 1 in 10(17). 1 in 10 (to the 17th power) = (100,000,000,000,000,000) if we doubled it to 16 prophecy's - it would be 1 in 10 (to the 45th power) (1,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000) The Scriptures have well over 300+ prophecies that Jesus fulfilled... Professor Peter W. Stoner stated… Quote:“Any man who rejects Christ as the Son of God is rejecting a fact proved perhaps more absolutely than any other fact in the world.” Jesus came wrapped in prophecy that brings foundational certainty to our faith! Friend, have you unwrapped this gift for yourself? This is the gift that can anchor you to the HOPE OF GOD that can hold you in each and every moment and season of life! 2 Corinthians 9:15 "Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift!”

When we first meet Mary in Luke’s gospel, it is on the occasion when an archangel appeared to her suddenly and without fanfare to disclose to her God’s wonderful plan. Scripture says, simply, “The angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city in Galilee called Nazareth, to a virgin engaged to a man whose name was Joseph, of the descendants of David; and the virgin’s name was Mary” (Luke 1:26–27). The Young Nazarene Woman Mary is the equivalent of the Hebrew “Miriam.” The name may be derived from the Hebrew word for “bitter.” Mary’s young life may well have been filled with bitter hardships. Her hometown was a forlorn community in a poor district of Galilee. Nazareth, you may recall, famously bore the brunt of at least one future disciple’s disdain. When Philip told Nathanael that he had found the Messiah and the Anointed One was a Galilean from Nazareth, Nathanael sneered, “Can any good thing come out of Nazareth?” (John 1:46). Mary had lived there all her life, in a community where, frankly, good things probably were pretty scarce. Other details about Mary’s background can be gleaned here and there in Scripture. She had a sister, according to John 19:25. There’s not enough data in the text to identify accurately who the sister was, but Mary’s sister was herself obviously a close enough disciple of Jesus to be present with the other faithful women at the crucifixion. Mary was also a close relative of Elizabeth, mother of John the Baptist (Luke 1:36). The nature of that relationship isn’t specifically described. They might have been cousins, or Elizabeth might have been Mary’s aunt. Luke’s account describes Elizabeth as already “in her old age.” Mary, on the other hand, seems to have been quite young. In fact, at the time of the Annunciation, Mary was probably still a teenager. It was customary for girls in that culture to be betrothed while they were still as young as thirteen years of age. Marriages were ordinarily arranged by the bridegroom or his parents through the girl’s father. Mary was betrothed to Joseph, about whom we know next to nothing—except that he was a carpenter (Mark 6:3) and a righteous man (Matthew 1:19). Scripture is very clear in teaching that Mary was still a virgin when Jesus was miraculously conceived in her womb. Luke 1:27 twice calls her a virgin, using a Greek term that allows for no subtle nuance of meaning. The clear claim of Scripture, and Mary’s own testimony, is that she had never been physically intimate with any man. Her betrothal to Joseph was a legal engagement known as kiddushin, which in that culture typically lasted a full year. Kiddushin was legally as binding as marriage itself. The couple were deemed husband and wife, and only a legal divorce could dissolve the marriage contract (Matthew 1:19). But during this time, the couple lived separately from one another and had no physical relations whatsoever. One of the main points of kiddushin was to demonstrate the fidelity of both partners. An Angelic Announcement When the angel appeared to Mary, she was already formally bound to Joseph by kiddushin. Luke 1:28–35 describes Mary’s encounter with the angel: And coming in, he said to her, “Greetings, favored one! The Lord is with you.” But she was very perplexed at this statement, and kept pondering what kind of salutation this was. The angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary; for you have found favor with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall name Him Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David; and He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and His kingdom will have no end.” Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, since I am a virgin?” The angel answered and said to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; and for that reason the holy Child shall be called the Son of God.” Pregnancy and Perception Numerous godly women in Mary’s ancestry, going all the way back to Eve, had fostered the hope of being the one through whom the Redeemer would come. But the privilege came at a high cost to Mary personally because it carried the stigma of an unwed pregnancy. Although she had remained totally and completely chaste, the world was bound to think otherwise. Even Joseph assumed the worst. We can only imagine how his heart sank when he learned that Mary was pregnant, and he knew he was not the father. His inclination was to divorce her quietly. He was a righteous man and loved her, so Scripture says he was not willing to make a public example of her, but he was so shaken by the news of her pregnancy that at first he saw no option but divorce. Then an angel appeared to him in a dream and reassured him: Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife; for the Child who has been conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit. She will bear a Son; and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins. (Matthew 1:20-21) Common sense suggests that Mary must have anticipated all these difficulties the moment the angel told her she would conceive a child. Her joy and amazement at learning that she would be the mother of the Redeemer might therefore have been tempered significantly at the horror of the scandal that awaited her. Still, knowing the cost and weighing it against the immense privilege of becoming the mother of the Christ, Mary surrendered herself unconditionally, saying simply, “Behold, the bondslave of the Lord; may it be done to me according to your word.” (Luke 1:38). There’s no evidence that Mary ever brooded over the effects her pregnancy would have on her reputation. She instantly, humbly, and joyfully submitted to God’s will without further doubt or question. She could hardly have had a more godly response to the announcement of Jesus’ birth. It demonstrated that she was a young woman of mature faith and one who was a worshiper of the true God. Her great joy over the Lord’s plan for her would soon be very evident. gty.org

It's Thanksgiving in the United States. And most Americans pause for a moment during Thanksgiving to give thanks. But why wait until a designated day to express your gratitude? You can live a life of gratitude every day of the year, regardless of your circumstances and whether it's a holiday. So make it a point to recognize your blessings and remind yourself that showing gratitude for all you already have only does more to attract further blessings into your life. Did you know that practicing gratitude attracts more blessings to be thankful for? It's true! Here are five ways to get started: 1. Be thankful for the little things. You'll learn to appreciate the little things when you're in a thankful mindset. Many times the sweetest blessings come in the smallest forms. Once you learn to love, recognize, and be thankful for the little things, your quality of life will increase because you'll know how much God has truly blessed you. Your daughter giving you a drawing that says, "Number one, mom!" or your husband picking up your favorite flavor of ice cream are things that you should be thankful for. Your daughter thinks you're a rock star and have a considerate spouse. How awesome! 2. Reflect on the blessings in your life. As you do, you'll develop impeccable radar. If you often reflect on the blessings in your life, you'll be able to spot a good opportunity a mile away. For example, you'll be able to smell a promotion in the works or a chance to bring your family closer. Actively seeking new opportunities to increase your personal quality of life and that of the ones nearest and dearest to your heart will fill your heart with more blessings and joy. 3. Give to the less fortunate. When you're thankful for the bed you sleep in at night, the roof shielding your family from the cold, the family on your couch, and the food on your plates, you're well aware of how fortunate you are. As a result, you're more likely to jump at the opportunity to help someone in a worse position. And there is always someone worse off than you are. The smallest efforts from you could make a world of difference in the life of another. For example, helping your neighbor craft his resume will help him provide for his family. Donating your used clothing will help keep the homeless warm. And taking part in a walk for breast cancer may allow someone else to live another day. It's not complicated! When you help others, you help yourself in many ways. 4. Reach higher to live your God-given potential. By being ungrateful, you are not living up to your potential and falling short of what God has in store for you. Instead, show appreciation through thankfulness and release your potential. When you live a grateful life, it is full of blessings. The more thankful you are, the more joy you will see each day –– making your reality, lifestyle, and future even better. Being grateful for what you have is normal, but it's also natural to want to grow and improve. This is that seed of potential that God has placed deep within your heart. Striving to improve your life is beneficial for not just yourself but also your loved ones. And God is working in you as you serve Him to empower you to be all He created you to be. 5. Consider others. When you live a life of Thanksgiving, you will have a more profound sense of joy. Joy is a fruit of God's Spirit living in you. It is not something you have to contrive but to realize and release through your grateful heart. The more you sense the joy of the Lord, the more you will treat others kindly. You'll be more likely to open the door at the store for a stranger or pick up a fallen cane for an elderly person. Your sense of happiness is magnified when you help bring joy to others. While Thanksgiving is a holiday in the United States, it can be a lifestyle for everyone regardless of where we live. Your life begins to take a turn for the better when you consider how fortunate you are. The smallest details can boost your spirits. The misfortune of others will prompt you to help them seek support, and life begins to look a little brighter. Starting today, take your mindset to new heights, let it reflect more of the "Fruit of The Spirit," and make every day a personal day of Thanksgiving! You will be surprised at how much your life is enhanced. So, don't wait for Thanksgiving to start giving thanks –– make it a part of your daily routine and watch your life be transformed!

There is something so beautiful about His Promise of Divine Protection… something that settles every fear and chases away every doubt. For as long as I can remember I have made praying Psalm 91 a daily habit. Never leaving my house without the covering of His Promise and the security of His Word… I ask, Have You Appropriated Psalm 91 Today? My friend and I discussed lightly the way the nation seemingly is headed, and Psalm 91 Divine Protection came up. And boldly with great determination in her voice she said, “In the face of all of this darkness… I Will Say of The Lord…  He is my Protector and Defender, and NO EVIL will befall me, my family, my ministry, my property, my vehicle, my home!” As she firmly and fearlessly declared verse 2 of Psalm 91 over all that she is responsible for… all that is in her care… my spirit leapt within and bore witness, as I knew this was the key to our safety and security against danger and dread. And this Divine Promise of Protection, that has been appropriated throughout time by the prayers of God’s children, has proven to be reliable every time… no matter where they are… not matter the presented circumstance at hand… His Promise transcends time, distance and location. David, who had intimately experienced God's Divine Protection throughout his life, so beautifully penned about the safety and security that is readily available NOW to us when we trust in God as our Abiding Defense. HE IS GOD ALMIGHTY… the name by which the patriarchs of faith had personally known... His name means Mighty, Unconquerable, “Mountain” … indicating His Greatness, Strength, His Everlasting Nature  over all enemies and dangerous situations . He is the All-Sufficient God, eternally capable of being ALL that His people need... in time of their need… their PROTECTOR, DEFENDER, SHELTER. What Are You Saying of The Lord? When attacks seem to come like a plague… when danger is all around… the only words we must speak, the only words that truly have power to defend and protect is God’s Word. For His very Life-Source is in His Word and His Word will never return barren, fruitless or void. But it will accomplish that which He designed it to accomplish. But it must be appropriated… spoken… declared… prayed… in order for it to produce His intended Divine results. His Word trumps human words. His Word can instantly change any dangerous situation bringing Divine help your way… for He has given His angels charge over you… they accompany, defend, preserve and keep you in all of your ways of service and obedience to Him. Oh, thank the Lord for His Divine Security Team! Hallelujah! In the midst of uncertain times,  I will say of the Lord…  “He is my refuge and my fortress; my God, in Him I will trust.” When traps, snares, plagues, and epidemics are readily out there,  I will say of the Lord…  “He shall deliver me!” When lies and deception and hidden darkness is hovering over the land,  I will say of the Lord…  “His Truth (His Word) is my shield and buckler and will protect me!” When fear and destruction are in plain view,  I will say of the Lord…  “He is my Defense, and I will not be afraid!” When a thousand fall by my side and ten thousand at my right hand,  I will say of the Lord…  “Because He is my Abiding Defense, it shall not come near me nor my dwelling place!” I Will Say of The Lord… I am saying of Him…  “You are my Refuge and my Fortress… the One I lean on and rely upon… the One I CONFIDENTLY TRUST!” Every morning before we leave the house or start our day, we should activate Psalm 91 Divine Protection by declaring it over our lives, our loved ones, our businesses and ministries, our city, state, and nation. As Kingdom Ladies, when we dwell in the secret place of communion and fellowship with Him through times of prayer and in the Word, we shall remain stable and fixed under the Defense of the Almighty. Unshakable and immovable because He is a Mighty Fortress that surrounds His people. HE is our Defender, Protector and Defense. This week I encourage you to memorize Psalm 91. Get it down deep within you. And make it a daily habit to pray this over your life and loved ones. There is something so peaceful in knowing every day you have covered all your bases… and are being Divinely Protected from on High. Today abide in His Presence! Memorize His Word! Appropriate Psalm 91 Divine Protection by declaring it over your life! Say out loud and often…  I Will Say of The Lord... He PERFECTLY Protects Me! And always remember when calamities try to come, the Lord assures us that He will be present with those who call upon Him and that He will deliver and honor us! I don’t know about you, but that makes this Texas gal want to jump up and do the Texas Two-Step all across my living room floor! You are greatly loved and adored. Have a BLESSED and PROTECTED week! www.bradtuttleministries.

There are two things that can get us down in life: our own sin and the actions of others. This chapter is going to give us a detailed account of how to find success with both. From Great Failure To Great Faith The throne of Absalom: 2 Samuel 15:1-12, John 10:10 Sin has a way of convincing us that BAD is GOOD. We have to remember that all sin is designed to KILL, STEAL and DESTROY. The throne of David: 2 Samuel 15:13-37, Psalm 3 David understands that God cannot be used for POWER or POSITION. There is a huge difference between USING God and SUBMITTING to God. Submitting to God doesn’t mean checking your BRAIN and TALENTS at the door. There is a third option to bow to: Luke 19:28-44, Luke 22:39-71, Mark 1:14-15 • Another REJECTED RIGHTFUL King • More tears on the MOUNT OF OLIVES • A THRONE that cannot be TAKEN The best way to connect with us is the Connection Card in the bulletin. For the Digital Bulletin, visit myncc.info. Pastor Chris Brown August 20-21, 2022 Message #33 / 2 Samuel 15 northcoastchurch.com/sermons From Great Failure To Great Faith The throne of Absalom: 2 Samuel 15:1-12, John 10:10 Sin has a way of convincing us that _______ is ________. We have to remember that all sin is designed to ________, _________ and ___________. The throne of David: 2 Samuel 15:13-37, Psalm 3 David understands that God cannot be used for _________ or ____________. There is a huge difference between _________ God and ______________ to God. Submitting to God doesn’t mean checking your _________ and ___________ at the door. There is a third option to bow to: Luke 19:28-44, Luke 22:39-71, Mark 1:14-15 • Another ______________________ King • More tears on the _____________________ • A __________ that cannot be __________ The best way to connect with us is the Connection Card in the bulletin. For the Digital Bulletin, visit myncc.info. Food for Thought for the week of August 21, 2022 1. Earlier in 2 Samuel, the prophet Nathan informed David that calamity would come upon his household because of his sin with Bathsheba. This weekend, we saw this reality unfold through Absalom’s conspiracy to usurp David as king of Israel. David writes several psalms that serve as a soundtrack of his heart and mind while on the run from Absalom. Read one of these soundtracks in Psalm 3. Psalm 3 New International Version (NIV) 1 LORD, how many are my foes! How many rise up against me! 2 Many are saying of me, “God will not deliver him.” 3 But you, LORD, are a shield around me, my glory, the One who lifts my head high. 4 I call out to the LORD, and he answers me from his holy mountain. 5 I lie down and sleep; I wake again, because the LORD sustains me. 6 I will not fear though tens of thousands assail me on every side. 7 Arise, LORD! Deliver me, my God! Strike all my enemies on the jaw; break the teeth of the wicked. 8 From the LORD comes deliverance. May your blessing be on your people. Are there any challenges or “foes” you’re facing in your life right now? Like David, what encouragement can you find in Psalm 3:3-5 in the midst of those challenges? 2. In 2 Samuel 15, we see a battle shaking out between Absalom (false king) and David (true king) for the kingship of Israel. As earthly kings rise and fall, it’s important to remember Jesus is the only sovereign King (Psalm 103:19; Daniel 4:3). In his message this weekend, Chris talked about this new kingdom that is both here for us now and for all of eternity. Read Luke 17:20-21 and Colossians 1:27. How do these verses encourage you today no matter what happens around you? Luke 17:20-21 New International Version (NIV) 20 Once, on being asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, Jesus replied, “The coming of the kingdom of God is not something that can be observed, 21 nor will people say, ‘Here it is,’ or ‘There it is,’ because the kingdom of God is in your midst.” Colossians 1:27 New International Version (NIV) 27 To them God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. Read Revelation 21:1-5. How does this description of the future kingdom give you hope or strengthen your walk with Jesus today? Revelation 21:1-5 New International Version (NIV) Then I saw “a new heaven and a new earth,” for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. 2 I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. 3 And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. 4 ‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.” 5 He who was seated on the throne said, “I am making everything new!” Then he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.” What can you thank God for in light of this weekend’s message or what you studied? www.northcoastcurch.com

“If possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.” Romans 12:18 AMP One of my most liked posts on social media is:“You were never hard to love. You were just getting harder to manipulate & control. You were getting better at honoring your boundaries”. Based on the great responses and questions, I decided this is something that needs to be discussed in a podcast! As you start to heal and prioritize your mental health, you may notice people reacting negatively as you change. There are many reasons for this, which I am going to go through, but before I do, I want to emphasize that you were never hard to love. You are phenomenal. And I am not saying that to make you feel all warm inside; I am saying it as a scientist and researcher. Your psychoneurobiology (mind, brain and body) is wired for love, which is amazing! There is something you can do that no one else can do, which is also incredible! Besides the different structures of your brain, you have about 200 specializations across the different parts of your brain that are aligned in a unique and wonderful way, making you you. Just wow! All this means that your brain is inherently specialized. The cerebral cortex has 200 structures, each with specialized circuits. Everything that you process as you go through life is more efficient when done with a specialized circuit, which is how the brain works. Yes, there is a limit to how many areas there are and how many circuits within those areas exist, because the human skull is limited to a certain size. Yet we all have our own unique 200 areas, or what I call our “perfect you”, which gives us a unique way of perceiving and being in the world—I call this the “wise mind” in all of us. When all this specialization between individuals comes together, we can enhance each other’s existence using our “wise minds”, which is essentially what it means to be part of a community! But, of course, life happens, and adverse circumstances can mess with this beautiful specialization, temporarily blocking our wise mind. The brain is always changing in response to the mind, and this can go in both a negative and positive direction, which is known as the plastic paradox. When we go through hard times, we are messy because our minds get messy—this is part of what it means to be human. However, when we are messy, this can impact those around us, upsetting the natural balance that we, as humans, seek out. Consequently, the people around us may try to restore this balance, and this can potentially make things messier. It is important to note that healing can be very messy, and that seeing loved ones in pain is messy. When this happens, our perspectives can become very dominant to help us survive and cope, which, in turn, makes it difficult to see anything except our own point of view. When this happens, it often feels like the person in your life is trying to control or manipulate you, or is getting frustrated with or resentful of you. They just cannot understand why you are not taking their advice, why you are taking so long to heal or why you aren’t doing it their way. As I said, it can become very messy! But there is hope. When this happens, the situation can be repaired, and all parties involved can grow from this, if they can work through it individually and as a community, which involves a lot of mind management! But how? Here are some tips to handle this kind of situation: 1. Remind yourself that they don’t really understand what you are going through, and you are not responsible for how they choose to react. Most of the time, when someone in your life is acting in the “messy” way described above, it is because they don’t know how to deal with how you are changing. They don’t understand your experience because they are not an expert on your experience—only you are. Indeed, even you won’t fully understand what you are struggling with at times as you go through the stages of healing (which often get worse before they get better). This means you will do and say things you don’t really mean to do or say during your journey, especially if you are triggered. In this case, it’s important to identify those triggers so that you can work on them. And, when you are ready, you can let your loved ones know that this is your mess, your healing, and it will look different at different stages, and that you need to do this for you. You may also have to say to this person (or people) that if they are uncomfortable with this, for the sake of your healing and the relationship, that some distance may be required. Remind yourself that these kind of boundaries are more for you than for them, and that you are not responsible for how they choose to react to you and your needs. 2. Remember that you are entitled to your own space. Sometimes someone may feel they are losing their power over you when you start to heal, which can also lead to a very messy situation. Certain people with narcissistic tendencies may not like losing control over you because of their own traumas, toxic experiences and pain. Some people may be angry that you are changing because of certain cultural or religious mindsets. People like this tend to flip things around and blame you in an obscure and confusing way—they try make you feel bad about what you need to do to heal. When this happens, the key is to recognize this and, as mentioned above, put some major boundaries in place to protect yourself. You can start doing this by visualizing yourself in a suit of armor when you are around them, and creating space and distance between you and them till you feel strong enough to deflect their “darts”. If they try to make you feel guilty for doing this, or “love bomb” you to manipulate you, just see this as more evidence that you need to maintain your boundaries; you are entitled to your own space and have the right to seek out your own healing and peace. 3. Remind yourself, and them, that you are not helpless. Some people may react negatively to your healing journey because they see you as helpless. They feel that their plan, not yours, is the thing that is going to carry you through this challenge/issue/time. They don’t believe that you have it in you to heal yourself. But you should never be treated as helpless, regardless of what may or may not have happened in your past or in your relationships. We all need help and support at times, but you should be supported in way that empowers you to find your own healing—you should be allowed to walk your own journey. In fact, your wise mind becomes activated when people support you with unconditional love, not when people tell you what they think you should be doing. If you find yourself being boxed in by other people’s expectations, it’s important to show and say that even though you are battling, you aren’t helpless, and with your 200 unique brain specializations and circuitry, what works for them will not necessarily work for you. At the end of the day, you need to work out what boundaries you need to heal. As I mentioned above, this is not to keep people out; rather, boundaries are about protecting yourself while you work through your own stuff. This may look like asking the person in question to just listen to you when you need support, or it may mean creating some distance from them as you learn how to embrace, process and reconceptualize your pain. Or you could choose to keep things neutral and light, just seeing this person when you need a mental and emotional break. There is no one way to “do” boundaries. 4. Be careful of “fixers”. There are also people that are always trying to fix things for others, which is often a sign that their own trauma response needs healing; they are trying to fix you to avoid facing their own pain. In this case, blind compliance with no boundaries will only make things worse. If you can see this happening, tell the person directly, but as kindly as possible, that they can’t fix themselves by trying to fix you. It may end the relationship or put it on pause for a time, but it’s important you are not being used as an avoidance technique by someone else—this will only cause more mental pain for everyone involved. Trying to fix someone can also come from a sense of helplessness. When a person sees someone they love in so much pain, it can be heartbreaking. They may want to try to absorb the pain and make it go away, and can end up saying and/or doing too much, until they reach a tipping point and make things worse. In this case, it’s important to calmly tell this person that you understand what they are trying to do, and that you appreciate their concern, but a better way to help you is to wait until you ask them for support instead of offering advice or help so freely all the time. This often happens in a parent-child relationship, especially as the child grows up and enters adulthood. Yet allowing our children, no matter what age they are, to be free to make a mess and accept mental “messiness” as a part of life is incredibly important, as it helps them learn how to manage their mental health and grow as a person. If you find yourself in this kind of situation, just let your parent or guardian know this: “What has happened is a mess, but it is my mess. I need to experience this without judgement. I need to embrace, process and reconceptualize what has happened. I am thankful for your love and support, and I appreciate the fact that I know you will be there for me no matter what, like I am there for you, because we are on the same side. But you cannot fix this for me.” If things are really challenging, I highly recommend family therapy as well, which creates a safe environment, which allows everyone involved to discuss how they feel and what their intentions are. 5. Change the narrative! We need to change the narrative surrounding mental health. We need to accept the fact that it’s okay to be a mess, and we need to level the playing field; no-one is exempt from battling with their mind! At the same time, we need to empower people and let them know that there is hope. As I discuss in detail in my book Cleaning Up Your Mental Mess, through developing self-regulation, we can tune in to our wise minds and find a way forward—we can gain a sense of peace amidst the chaos. Indeed, you can start doing this today! Just take some time out of your day (even if this is just a few minutes!) and tune into yourself…tap into your wise mind. Embrace your worth, and acknowledge your own desire to heal. Say to yourself, “I see you”.

Who are you? Have you really thought about that singular question? And I don’t mean in any particularly existential way. I just mean, have you thought about what truly makes up all that you are—experiences, beliefs, attitudes, life choices—and then put those ideas together in a neat little bundle and said, “Oh, that’s who I am”? I would have said that I had done that over the course of my life, but it wasn’t until recently that I really looked at the answer to that question. And do you know what I found? The answer wasn’t especially mind-boggling in its complexity. As a matter of fact, it was relatively simple. I’ve always thought that I was the sum of all the things I’ve done and all the things that have been done to me. I believed that every decision I had made, every step I’d taken in thecourse of my life was the result of other things I had done or other things that had been done to me. Now, please don’t misunderstand. I am certainly not relinquishing any responsibility for my decisions or for my sins. Those choices were all mine, and the repercussions of those choices were all mine. However, I have come to realize that there is an important issue at stake here, an issue that if left unaddressed results in a life that is fully governed by one’s attitudes, beliefs, experiences, and life choices. If we don’t uncover the real issue, then each and every one of uswill live this life based either on the things we have done or the things that have been done to us. As Christians we know that our identity lays somewhere else, and therefore our lives have the ability to reflect something far greater than just the things of this world. Consequently, it’s all about identity. So I ask again, who do you believe yourself to be? The answer to this simple question will prove to be one of the most important conclusions you will ever come to. It will be the determinant as to how you live and whether that life is one characterized by joy and peace or by pain and misery. And do you know who else knows this is the case? Satan. Satan knows how important it is that we know who we are, and he has made it his business ever since man breathed to confuse us and lie to us about who we are. Convincing us that our identities are in the things that happen to us or in the things that we do is the Devil’s favorite deception when it comes to toying with the bride of Christ. Unfortunately what often happens is that we become bound by the Devil’s lies, lies about who we are and who God is and lies about what that means in our lives. The lies aren’t about our choices or even about the things that are done to us. Those are real. The lies are used to tie who we are to those things. The lies say that those things make us who we are, and they don’t. Jesus makes us who we are. In my latest book, The Lies that Bind: And the Truth that Sets You Free, I’ve exposed the top five lies the devil doesn’t want you to see, lies that he uses to keep you in bondage so that you don’t see who you really are—the adored and treasured bride of Jesus Christ. I pray you find freedom that is only possible when we expose these kinds of lies and replace them with the truth available in our Savior. Lie #1: You are Worthless As with all of Satan’s identity lies, they begin in our youth. It might be something that happens to you or something someone says, but somewhere something will take place that is interpreted in your young mind as, “You don’t matter. You have no value. You aren’t loved. They don’t care. You are worthless.” This is the number one lie used by the Enemy and it is the most insidious because we can build our entire lives on it without even knowing it, and it is in direct contradiction to what our Father proclaims about His children the moment we become His: “In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him. In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.” (1 John 4:9-10) What a horrible lie to tell the royal bride of the Savior of the world! And yet, Satan most often begins with this one, and he will generally begin with this one in our youth when we don’t even see it coming. Lie #2: Image is Everything! Following closely on the heels of worthlessness is the lie of image. Once we believe that we have no worth, we are ripe to believe the lie that we need to find out how to get that elusive value that everyone else seems to find without effort. The next lie tells us that we need to figure out how to feel love or acceptance or belonging or whatever else we may label it as. The tabloids and news media offer an immediate solution to our problem—image. Build an image. Maintain an image. Find an image. But one image seldom suffices. We will find that we need many images, and the exhaustion of being everything to everyone is the life-long merry- go-round that results from the second lie in Satan’s bag of tricks. Lie #3: Be Strong! The third lie, being strong, is a favorite simply because it looks so positive from a worldly perspective. After all, who doesn’t love a strong woman? However, do you know what is true of every woman who has built a tower of strength and resolve that protects her heart, her mind, and everything around her? That’s right; she’s the only one behind that wall. There she is, all alone, lauded as a paragon of strength and dignity by a world that stands about twenty thousand miles away, pointing from a safe, yet respectful distance. The problem is that these identity lies have a natural cascading effect. Worthlessness naturally gives way to image-building, which naturally gives way to strength-wielding, all of which yield bitter, lonely people. And that’s exactly the way Satan wants us in the first place. Lie #4: You Deserve This Once we’ve faced the mistakes we’ve made and come face to face with the mess we’ve made of our lives, wouldn’t it be nice if the Devil would just leave us alone? It would, but he doesn’t, and there’s a reason for that. The reason is because that’s the point at which we are about to become really useful in God’s Kingdom. That’s the point at which our story becomes a testimony and we are about to become our Father’s instruments unto righteousness. Satan’s next best tool, then, is to convince us of his fourth favorite lie, and this one is one of condemnation. You see, Satan loves to use half-truths, because a half truth when used a certain way becomes a devastating whole lie. He likes to use Romans 6:23: “For the wages of sin is death,” because that’s a truth. Satan likes to stop there, because when he stops there, he can add condemnation. You deserve every awful, horrible thing that comes your way, he likes to whisper, Because you are awful, and God says you deserve death. That’s a truth, but we have to know all of the truth. All of Romans 6:23 says: “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” We have to know all of Romans 8:1: “There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” That’s how we do battle with the half-truths of the Liar who tells us we deserve that which Jesus already paid on our behalf. Lie #5: It’s Too Late The final of the top five lies Satan likes to use to confuse God’s children about their identities is that it’s simply too late for them to receive forgiveness, that they’ve simply sinned too much or too often or too grievously. It’s truly a horrible place to be in life when you feel that you’ve just gone too far for too long. I’ve counseled so many women in this place. I’ve been in this place, and this lie can be the most devastating of the five because it can seem the most insurmountable. Where do we go when we see God’s Word, and the truth is that we’ve feel we have simply broken it too many times? The bondage of these lies is so heartbreaking, but it is also unnecessary. I lived captive to them for many years, but once the truth of who I had been all along finally broke through, the light of Jesus shown in me a light that is far brighter and far stronger than the darkness of Satan and his feeble lies. This is the light that is available for all of God’s children, and this is the truth that the devil doesn’t want you to see. But we can see. We just have to look. We just have to expose the lies, and we do that by replacing the lies with Truth. www.theansweraz.com .

What does the Bible say about men and women? There is no quick or easy response to that question. God’s Word blows up our narrowly defined cultural constructs and categories. So long as we go hunting in scripture for proof of our expectations about masculinity and femininity, we are likely to create two-dimensional cut-outs in place of God’s three-dimensional realities. Contemporary western culture would like to erase or psychologize gender, and some religious hold-outs want to revert to a mid-twentieth-century conception of gender. The Bible leads us in a different direction if we have ears to hear. The book of Judges ambushes a diminished view of women throughout the Deborah narrative. While other biblical anchor points provide a fuller understanding of God’s purposes for male and female leadership,[i] there is no doubt that the Deborah narrative mocks any culture that diminishes women’s gifting and strength. The narrative opens with the people of Israel coming to Deborah, the prophetess, asking her to render judgments between them (Jdgs 4:4-5). She speaks on behalf of God calling Barak to go to war against Sisera, the commander of the Canaanite armies. She promises that God will give Sisera into Barak’s hands. Barak wisely insists that Deborah come with him into battle and God does give Barak victory over Sisera’s troops. Sisera manages to save himself, though. He flees from the battleground and, when he comes upon Jael’s remote tent, believes he’s found refuge in the hands of a woman. Unwilling to believe that a woman could be a threat, Sisera tells Jael to stand guard at the tent’s entry and divert any men who might be on his tail. Sisera falls sound asleep and is ruthlessly murdered by the hands of the woman he thought was protecting him. Jael finds a hammer, sneaks up on Sisera, then drives a tent peg through his temple. The narrator tells us that “on that day God subdued Jabin the king of Canaan before the people of Israel” (Jdgs 4:23). The reader has now been doubly surprised by our expectations of the roles of men and women in the text. Deborah’s appearance as a prophetess and female judge come with no note of critique from the author. God has anointed Deborah for such roles and blesses her ministry. Unlike so many other judges, the text doesn’t note any character defect in Deborah. The second surprise in the text is how God mocks Sisera’s patronizing words to Jael, “’Stand at the opening of the tent, and if any man comes and asks you, ‘Is anyone here?’ say, ‘No’” (Jdgs 4:20). “Would you watch out for a real threat?” Sisera asks. “After all, you, a woman couldn’t possibly be a threat to me.” Jael then drives a tent spike through his forehead, heroically taking the life of this oppressor of Israel. The greatest threat to Sisera was the woman right in front of him. A final surprise awaits. The book of Judges’ rhythm would shift to the next cycle of disobedience and God’s deliverance. But in this case, we have something unusual. After the conclusion of the narrative of Deborah, Barak, and Jael’s victory over Sisera, Deborah and Barak sing a song of praise. Near the end of the song (which lasts an entire chapter), Deborah and Barak envision Sisera’s mom awaiting the return of her son. She looks out her window, awaiting his return: “Out of the window she peered, the mother of Sisera wailed through the lattice: ‘Why is his chariot so long in coming? Why tarry the hoofbeats of his chariots?’ Her wisest princesses answer, indeed, she answers herself, ‘Have they not found and divided the spoil?— A womb or two for every man; spoil of dyed materials for Sisera, spoil of dyed materials embroidered, two pieces of dyed work embroidered for the neck as spoil?’” (Jdgs 5:28-30) “Why is Sisera taking so long to return?” his mom asks. She turns to her advisors and they say, “Don’t worry! He’s taking a long time because he defeated the Israelites and is now pillaging them and raping their women.” The soldiers are taking “a womb or two” apiece. Pause and consider the tacit acquiescence of this sexual crime of violence by Sisera’s mother and the court princesses. They imagine Sisera is lingering in the foreign land because he is raping the women of the defeated armies. And that, unbelievably, is a happy thought to them. God shows us this raw and horrific objectification of Jewish women with the expectation that our stomachs will turn. God values women and has rich purposes for them. Women are not to be objectified. They are not to be diminished. Scripture enumerates differences in how God has intended men and women to reflect his glory in the marriage relationship (see Genesis 2, 3, and Ephesians 5, for instance). God has likewise intended for that reflection to be played out in the context of the church. But far too often those in the complementarian camp have overstated what women cannot do. In a desire to push back against the cultural tide of erasing God’s design of male and female, complementarians have sometimes had their understanding of gender more informed by Ward and June Cleaver than by the Word of God. God delights in undoing our tiny cultural assumptions and the false dichotomies our ideologies offer. Texts like Judges 4 and 5 reflect God’s high value of women several millennia before such a thought would have received any such cultural credence. May we have the eyes to see as God sees and may our sisters in Christ be Deborahs and Jaels among us: living wholeheartedly in God’s calling in their lives. [i] The purpose of this post isn’t to flatten all biblical teaching on the roles of men and women by this one text. Unfortunately, many who are egalitarian tend to elevate this text along with a handful of other texts and ignore texts which speak to the some of the way that God differentiates leadership roles for men and women. On the other hand, many complementarians tend to misread this text because they are so protective of their go-to texts. The Bible’s perspective on these matters is more complicated than either caricatured interpretation.

“It’s too late to apologize,” Timbaland sang to his girlfriend who he couldn’t trust any longer. The 2007 song struck a chord. How many of us have people in our lives that we can’t imagine forgiving? How many of us have people in our lives we can’t imagine apologizing to? We can’t imagine apologizing to them, because of that, or right now. Better to just try to make it up, or smooth it over, we tell ourselves. “It’s too late to apologize.” We live in an apology-averse culture. We are allergic to repentance and equally allergic to forgiveness. Think about it. When was the last time someone repented to you? I mean, truly repented? Not long ago a congregant apologized to me. The email began this way (I’ve tweaked it only to protect the one who sent it), “I might have been a little harsh in my email.. I had a very bad week…” In further communication, the individual referenced their apology. Internally I scratched my head. “When did they apologize?” I dug back through the email thread and saw those phrases. That is what they were referencing. “I might have…” followed by an excuse is no apology. I don’t say that to attack the individual I am referencing. In fact, I completely understand why, given the slipperiness of our hearts, and in our culture, they would think that they had apologized. In our culture, we learn to apologize with phrases that look like this: · “Sorry.” · “I’m sorry if I hurt you.” · “I know I shouldn’t have done that, but you shouldn’t have…” · “I wouldn’t have done that if…” · “That wasn’t my best.” None of those are apologies. By not learning how to apologize, we miss out on God’s purposes for our hearts and for the possibility of true reconciliation. Apologizing is a matter of aligning ourselves with God’s truth. In 1 John 1:8-10, the apostle tells the church, “If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.” In other words, forgiveness is available, but it does require asking for forgiveness. We know this when it comes to others. “Why don’t they just ask for forgiveness?” we ask ourselves. “They’re making it so much worse.” We see the child turn the molehill of a small lie into the Catalina Mountains in their refusal to repent. We see a marriage crumble because of the unwillingness of one spouse to confess their sin. And yet, when it comes to us… God reminds us of what we know in our hearts in Proverbs 28:13. He says, “Whoever conceals his transgressions will not prosper, but he who confesses and forsakes them will obtain mercy.” Let’s run to mercy. Let’s run to true repentance. To do so, we need to scrub our cultural understanding of apologies and understand what a true confession is. In Ken Sande’s excellent book, The Peacemaker, he explains that a true confession includes seven components. He calls them the seven A’s of confession.[1] They are: Address everyone involved (everyone that your sin impacted) Avoid if, but, and maybe (don’t minimize or excuse your sin) Admit specifically (both attitudes and actions) Acknowledge the hurt (understand the pain you cause and express sorrow for causing it) Accept the consequences (make restitution for the wrong you caused) Alter your behavior (change your attitudes and actions) Ask for forgiveness (state explicitly, “I sinned against you by doing X, I understand that hurt you in this way. Would you please forgive me?”) Allow me to briefly walk you through what this looks like. 1. By addressing everyone involved, consider who far the shrapnel of your sin flew. If you gossiped, you need to apologize both to the party you gossiped to and the party you gossiped about. If you and your spouse had a fight and your kids witnessed the fight, you need to apologize not only to your spouse, but also to your kids. 2. We can all smell out the “if, buts, and maybes” of someone else’s confession… but it’s so hard to eliminate them from our own. But an apology with an “if, but, or maybe” is no confession at all. 3. Don’t generalize, but speak in concrete details about how you sinned in your actions and in your heart. 4. Give space for the grieved party to express to you the way in which your sin hurt them. Don’t assume you know how much you hurt them. Ask how it hurt them and then listen well. 5. There may well be consequences for your sin. If you are confessing looking at porn, you ought to be taking measures to protect yourself from looking at porn again. If you stole something, then you need to give back what was stolen. 6. True repentance comes with changed behavior. This will only be demonstrated over time, but make a commitment that you will never commit this offense again. 7. Make sure that the grieved party is ready to have you ask for forgiveness. Don’t just rush to this step as I often did when I was younger. Then ask directly for forgiveness. This is a question, not a statement. In other words, it is asking “will you forgive me?” not stating, “I hope you will forgive me,” or worse, “I’m sorry.” Repentance is freedom! It is not your responsibility to coerce the other individual to forgive you. They may never forgive you. But when you have followed the seven A’s of confession, you have done your part in navigating what true repentance looks like. And in doing that, you have followed the way of God.

Right In My Own Eyes: Gideon The Danger of Success Judges 8 G: The greatest danger: success. Success pulls us away from God and the gospel. The lie that we earned it and deserved it. Parenting. J: Parenting success. Compare to when kids were small. All the mistakes I made. 24 when Camille was born. Afraid of DCS coming. Gideon: unique slide. Usually after judge comes time of peace. Not with Gideon. It begins with success that he claims for himself: Jdgs 7:18, 20: “and for Gideon!” G: 8:1: Ephraim; 8:5: follow me. I deserve respect and honor. 8:7/9: Right: difficult trust in the Lord. Wrong: did you doubt me? Disrespect me? J: 7:15: He worshiped! Posture of trust. When do we lose our faith? In success. Faith: only by grace. God called. Equipped. Overseeing. Forgotten. Vengeance. Pride.Yeah, but… 8:16-17: Punished! Taught them a lesson. What do you do when God doesn’t bring justice. I deserve your respect. G: 8:18-21: vengeance. Forgiven. Gospel. Compassion. Rightness. Critical. Tear down. Danger. Success. Mark Driscoll. J: Me monster pastor. Me too. 8:22-23: Won’t rule. Head/heart. Last glimmer of hope. Collects spoil. 50 pounds of gold +++. 8:27: Ephod: priest. G: Unimm/Thummim. Greatest danger in ministry: People need you. Feels good. J: Healthy churches multiply. Church planting. John the Baptist: “he must increase, I must decrease.” 2/6/21 We learn the danger of pride in the story of Gideon. Preached by Pastors Greg Lavine and John Beeson. www.newlifefellowshiptucson.com