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Don't be a sloth! Romans 12, verse 11 gives us three directives (one "don't" and two "do's"). They have to do with our outer work ethic, our inner state of excitement in the Spirit, and the purpose of it all: to "serve the Lord." A Christian working with diligence will certainly stand out next to someone advocating a 4-day work week and free paid everything, serving only his own comfort. But maybe this message is Too Hot to Handle. That's Jim's sermon title.

"Outdo one another in showing honor." Ah, it's a contest! Most translations render the last part of Romans 12:10 something like, "in honor giving preference to one another." But others read, "Set examples for each other in showing respect." There's an element of eagerness that Paul is asking for: Get to the front of the line in this matter of putting others first!

Do I matter? We all want to know that we have significance, value, worth, even honor. Well, that value was proven at the Cross. We were ransomed with something far more valuable than gold, as Peter writes: with the "precious blood of Christ." But our value isn't of any use hidden under the mattress. This worth is exchanged within the family - by living the faith life with other redeemed ones. Here's Jim to open a sermon called, Living Respectfully.

According to Joseph de Maistre, "Every country has the government it deserves." If the philosopher's point seems a little too sharp, how about the psalmist? "For the scepter of wickedness shall not rest upon the land of the righteous, so that the righteous will not put forth their hands to do wrong." We'll have to conclude that both good and bad rulers are instruments for God's purposes. We're looking at the first 7 verses of Romans 13 as we round out Jim's sermon, Respecting the Higher Powers.

Don't be conformed to the culture, but comply with Congress? What? Romans, chapter 13 gives us the clearest instruction anywhere in Scripture of how Christians should relate to civil government. But let's not tear it out of its context. All that the Apostle has written in chapter 12 about being transformed, and our living sacrifice, is still in play. The key to understanding this is the idea of delegated authority. Here's Jim on Respecting the Higher Powers.

"Communion" celebrates our common union. As we're thinking about the brotherhood and sisterhood of believers, let's not forget that we have a living picture of that in the Lord's Supper! Every time we celebrate this memorial meal, we can see God's love working not just in the vertical dimension - but horizontally, among our siblings in the family of the redeemed. We'll back up for a few minutes into yesterday's program, then Jim will close his thoughts on Romans 12 with Part 2 of, Behaving Like Brethren.

"Be kindly affectionate to one another with brotherly love, in honor giving preference to one another...." In Romans, Paul offers us grand theology, as well as some "Do's and Don'ts" of getting along with others: "...distributing to the needs of the saints, given to hospitality." He writes, "Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep. Agree toward one another." Today Pastor Jim begins a sermon called, Behaving Like Brethren.

Love, and right. When fake Christians parrot the words, "God is love," they mean, "God is love and does not judge." But the Bible explains, "Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth." That's in Paul's famous "love chapter," 1 Corinthians 13. So real love - "true love," as we've been discussing - not only distinguishes good from evil; it aligns itself with righteousness.

We can't love without giving, but we can give without loving. Love gives. It doesn't have to be prodded, it doesn't overthink things, it doesn't care how the gift might look to others - love just gives. God so loved, that He gave. That stands in contrast, a lot of times, to our giving. That's what we noticed yesterday from Romans 12. Today Jim will tell us all 4 obstacles to genuine love. Here's Part 2 of his sermon, True Love

"The Academy award goes to....!" In our study of Romans 12 we've noticed that God distributes gifts to those in His family, to build each other up. But it's possible to employ those gifts in a kind of hollow performance. Are we just acting? Or are we being driven by love? And why is it so hard to take off the mask? What are we afraid will happen if people see the real Me? Jim will share some insights into that. Here's the opening to his sermon, True Love.

What if God were to give you a gift wrapped in brown paper? We're not just adopted into the divine family; we've been given a gift for blessing others. And let's just admit it: we all want the spectacular gifts. The Corinthians wanted the flashy gifts, the Romans were tempted toward envy or pride because of how God had gifted them. But it stands to reason that most of our gifts will be ordinary. Functional, not flashy. Are we OK with that?

Are we mutilating the Body of Christ? Here in the land of "rugged individualism" we live our lives disconnected. We're often separated from kin and community by geography and economics. Now technology can connect us, but often isolates us even more. We were not meant to live our Christian lives this way. We were baptized into something: into the church. In it, we don't lose our individuality; we find ourselves.

Where do we worship God? Everywhere! To present our bodies as a living sacrifice is our "reasonable" act of worship, Paul writes. That Greek word denotes something "pertaining to the mind and soul." More than just physical service: we're offering every part of ourselves - spirit, soul and body. And that happens everywhere! One more word that we need to know for today's study, is "publican." That's a tax collector; a man of low status in the first century.

Now we come to a verse that most Christians disobey. If we've read and understood the first 11 chapters of Romans, then we see our situation clearly: We've been rescued purely by the goodness of the Father, and the merits of Christ. We certainly don't have any reason to boast. And that should create gratitude in our hearts. And that gratitude should grow into love, and a desire to serve and please God. That would be a Worthy Response.

"...and so all Israel shall be saved." Here's the point of Paul's three-chapter argument in Romans 9 through 11: Far from being done with the Jewish people, God will draw them to Himself. And they will come the same way everyone else comes - the only Way - through faith in Messiah Jesus. Even Israel's lack of belief now, is part of the exquisite plan of Heaven. This truth has implications for every person and nation on the Earth. Here's Jim in Romans 11.

We'll be baffled by current events if we don't know history... and we can't understand history without the Bible! God has made promises to the people of Israel. And those promises will be fulfilled - regardless the opinions of the UN, or the media, or the "Palestinians," so-called. Even bad theology by Christians won't hinder the plans of "the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob." Some of those plans had been a secret, Paul says. But not anymore.

What if your "goodness" is really wickedness? When Jesus confronts you and me, He requires that we give up something. If you know you're a sinner, then you know what that something is. But if you think you're a fine, upstanding person - or at least better than most - you're in for a surprise. The Lord will demand that you surrender your self-righteousness. All those fine clothes you've covered yourself with? They're really rags. And they stink. Here's Jim with Part 2 of, 'Whosoever' Includes You.

The religious people missed the door to heaven. The heathen said, "Well, here it is." It's impossible to overstate the paradox that Paul reveals in Romans 10. The Jews had been given knowledge, but they were ignorant of important things. They had "good deeds" that didn't please God. They had a kind of righteousness, but it wasn't right. But when pagans heard about the Savior, they knew that this is what they'd been longing for. Here's Jim with the sermon, 'Whosoever' Includes You.

We will all glorify God, whether we want to or not! Those who respond to the love that God showed for the whole world at the Cross will display His wisdom and kindness forever. Those who demand to be their own gods will bear testimony to His power and justice. And that will be their choice. These aren't matters that can be skimmed over lightly; so we've invested some time to understand them. We're ready for the conclusion of, Responsible Human Choices Within a Sovereign Plan, Part 2.

A lot of people come away from Romans 9 with weird ideas. If an atheist accuses God of wickedness, that's one thing. When a Christian makes the Holy One the author of evil, something has gone very wrong with his or her interpretation of Scripture. So let's think some more about these "vessels of wrath" that Paul mentions in this chapter, and about the purpose of God.

God is big enough to incorporate your choices into His choice. If you've seen the video of AI-generated characters complaining about the situations their creators put them in, you may have gained a little insight into Romans 9. "Shall what is formed say to the one who formed it, ‘Why did you make me like this?’" Well, it has been known to happen. And all within the Maker's will. Jim is helping us see down into the deep implications of this passage. Here's part 2 of his sermon.

Are we all just players in a cosmic puppet show? When Paul began teaching the Roman Christians about God's election of Israel, he opened up a very large can of worms. We have a hard time understanding how these two things can be true at the same time: God chooses, and we choose. Our choices are real, and consequential; God's choices are eternal and unchallengeable. Can Paul show us from the scriptures that this is so?

Is the Almighty, flighty? The gods of the Greeks and Romans were capricious - they dealt with people according to their whims, as the mood might strike them on a certain day. And we deem that to be un-godlike. But can the charge of arbitrariness be brought against the one true God? We see His sovereign choices all through the Bible. If He's not basing those decisions on human merit, is He being impulsive... or benevolent? We're back in Romans 9 with Jim.

There's Israel... and then there's Israel. Many Christians are confused about something God makes very plain in the New Testament: His plans for the descendants of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. In his letter to the Romans, Paul devotes three chapters to the conundrum created by the gospel: If salvation is a gift to anyone who believes, then the Jews are not special, and God lied! The solution will take us all the way back to the promises made to the Patriarchs.

How to escape from quicksand. Every Christian can identify with the struggle that Paul confesses in Romans 7. We want to do right; we do wrong instead. We're stuck - and condemned by our conscience, and seemingly everyone else. That's no way for a son or daughter of God to live! When we turn the page to Romans chapter 8, we find freedom... and power... and peace. Here's Jim with Part 2 of, Living by Resurrection Power.

We have risen! We know that Jesus rose from the dead - there is no authentic Christianity without that truth - and we know that our physical bodies will rise in the future. But there is another work of resurrection! A "newness of life" that's available to us, now, through the Holy Spirit. Today Jim will walk us through several verses in Paul's letter to the Romans.

I fought the law... and the law won. Some fight against the law - the moral law, the Law of God; some fight their own nature to keep the law. And in the end, they sing the same, sad song: "The law won." On Friday we kicked off a new study in the book of Romans with a look at Chapter 7, and our abject inability to meet God's requirements. The problem is, I need a new me! Paul will show us that we have that, in the New Birth.

The first step toward escape from our problem is to admit we have a problem. And welcome to a new series in the towering, transformative letter of Paul to the Romans. We're going to jump in at Chapter 7 - that very honest admission of our failure that leads the Apostle to cry, "O wretched man that I am!" He'll take us from the Old Testament Law, to another law or principle, before showing us the highest law, "the law of the Spirit of Life in Christ Jesus."

The Great Divide. It's hard for us to understand - and hard for many people to accept - the extreme polarization that's coming. Now, the rain falls on the just and the unjust; the tares grow right alongside the wheat. We experience good and evil as a mixture. But God will unmix them. One day the consequences of sin will fall only on the sinner - or on Jesus. Jim is in Revelation 21 to complete his sermon, All Things New.

What happens after the End? The story of God and Creation (including man) begins in Genesis 1:1, and ends at Revelation 22:21. We're living in the time between "In the beginning..." and the final "Amen." In these chapters the world is damaged and distressed - but it's the only one we know. Something better is coming, and today we'll talk about the strange new world after the End. Jim calls his message, All Things New.

In this court, we hear the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth - about you. Everyone desperately wants to think of himself as a "good person," and many convince themselves that the delusion is real. One day, at the Great White Throne Judgment, those folks will see themselves as God sees them: not as "mostly good, with some minor flaws," but as stained, ruined, sinful. Jim has called that day "Payday," and we've been learning about it in Revelation 20.

What do you mean by, "Hell?" Hell is the place you don't want to go when you die. That definition will work fine for most conversations. It's the place of anguish and torment. But Hades (or the lower compartment of Hades) is not the same place as the Lake of Fire, and it's worth thinking about how and why those are different. We're in the middle of a discussion about the Great White Throne Judgment in Revelation 20. Here's Pastor Jim with Part 2 of his message, Payday.

The Final Judgment. In our system of justice, we officially don't know whether you're guilty or innocent, until after the trial and verdict. And sometimes we don't really know whether you're guilty or innocent, even after that! In God's system, those who are righteous by faith have already been judged in our Representative. There's another trial awaiting those who are trusting in their own merits. It's the last thing that happens before God remakes the world: the Great White Throne judgment.

Let's talk about... the kids! Could we think of the Millennial Reign of Christ as a kind of experiment, or demonstration? We begin the test-period with all good subjects. No sinners; none of Satan's breed allowed. And no Satan, either - he's locked up in the Abyss. After a thousand years of peace, prosperity and maximized human potential, how is the devil (now released) going to fool anyone? It's about the kids.

"A new broom sweeps clean." Whether it's a new CEO at the company, or a new political administration, expect a lot of changes. That new broom won't miss a speck. When Jesus takes the throne of the Earth, "change" hardly touches the meaning of what will happen. Disruption, transformation, re-making - the world will be turned rightside-up, finally. There are at least 6 major changes that Christ will make, and Jim will outline them in his sermon, When God Rules the Earth.

This world ain't big enough for the both of us! When Jesus arives, Satan must depart. And depart, he will - suddenly and violently. And then what? That's what Revelation, chapter 19 lays out for us. All of God's promises will be fulfilled, and many of them are fulfilled right here. We're ready for the rest of the sermon, Jesus Returns to Earth. We apologize for some technical issues. We hope they're only a minor distraction to your enjoyment of the message.

The prince of darkness grim, we tremble not for him; his rage we can endure, for lo! his doom is sure; one little word shall fell him. Luther's signature hymn does not exaggerate the humiliating, instant defeat of the devil. We'll talk about that and more, today. Please note: There are some technical issues with the audio for this one; your radio reception is not to blame. We believe the content will amply reward your extra effort to listen.

Tramps get no respect. In the movies, the hooker is rescued from her ways by a Prince Charming-type character, and they live happily ever after. In real life, not so much. In Revelation 17 and 18 we see a woman of questionable virtue. Her name is Babylon. She will be betrayed and destroyed by those she thought were her friends. And this woman of the night will get no pity from us, or anybody. Here's Jim with Part 2 of, Queen of the Earth.

Do fish know they're wet? We don't think about Babylon very often. We don't see it or feel it all around us. Like a fish in water, this just feels normal to us. But the religious, political and economic system known in the Bible as Babylon is headed for a fall - two falls, actually. We need to become aware of this anti-God system, and extricate ourselves from it. We're in Revelation, chapters 17 and 18 for Jim's sermon, Queen of the Earth.

The Beast - his Wound; his Words; his Worship. It's been something of a parlor game among Christians in my lifetime to guess who the Antichrist might be. Is he alive now? Is his name already known among the political elite of the world? Fortunately, Revelation 13 gives us some unmistakable signs as to the identity of the Man of Sin. When he appears, his actions will leave no doubt for anyone who can find a Bible.

Globalism: One more thing we read about first, in the Bible. In the past there were some monarchs who believed themselves to be king of kings, ruler of the world - but they weren't really. As vast as their empire may have been, it was only the civilized world, or the known world. But there's a man coming who will really subjugate the entire planet. He's a globalist dream-come-true, and a nightmare for everyone else. Here's Jim with the message, Superman Rules the Earth.

What happens when a dragon loses his wings? From an exalted position in Heaven, down to the Earth, down to the Abyss, and finally into the Lake of Fire. That's a precipitous fall - and that's the future of our adversary, the devil. Not "one possible future," not the worst-case scenario for him, but his certain doom. Let's join Jim in Revelation 12.

There's a three-part drama in Revelation 12! Today and Monday we'll watch 3 acts, starring 3 main actors, in a theatrical-style performance in the heavens. John calls it a "sign," a symbolic portrayal of supernatural forces in conflict. If we watch closely, we'll learn something about the persistence of the devil, and the ultimate victory of God.

"Son of man...eat this scroll." Ezekiel was told to eat a scroll that had been written on, front and back, with "lamentations, sighing and woe." In Revelation 10 John re-enacts that scene, with a little scroll that was sweet in his mouth, but bitter in his stomach. And then, these men of God were told to prophesy. Jim will tell us what John said after that meal.

Jesus' ministry lasted about 3-and-a-half years, we think. The Two Witnesses of Revelation will preach for just that long. Three-and-a-half years also just happens to be the duration of the drought in Israel during the ministry of Elijah. There are a lot of things coming together in the passage we're about to read. Revelation has been called the "Grand Central Station of Scripture" for good reason. We'll start in Chapter 11. Jim's ready with a message called, Two for Forty-Two.

If people will still be saved after the Rapture, why not just wait? - says the devil. During at least part of the Great Tribulation the world will have the 2 great prophets proclaiming God's message; 144,000 Jewish believers; an innumerable host of martyrs; and two flying angels. God seems to be pulling out all the stops to "by all means save some." Does that mean we can take His grace for granted? Here's Jim in Revelation 7.

When the church goes up, God is not out! The Spirit of Jesus dwells in His people, His "body" - but it's also true that He is not confined by that. He is everywhere. So when all believers are snatched off the Earth in the Rapture, that's not the end of God's presence on the planet, nor of His outreach to humanity. Salvation During the Tribulation is the title of Jim's message, and we begin today with the congregation reading the entire 7th chapter of Revelation.

Would you take marching orders from a frog? "Three unclean spirits like frogs" persuade kings to assemble their armies at Armageddon - you can read it for yourself in Revelation 16. These are not high-status demons; they're contemptible. But apparently they tell world leaders what they want to hear. We're in the middle of the Seven Bowls of God's Wrath, with Jim.

Demo before reno! All of us who have survived a major home renovation know that the demolition phase of the project is almost unbearable. The noise, the dust, the inconvenience. We wonder if any improvement could be worth this! Well, the divine renewal of the Earth will be that process writ large. And God's "spirit level" is a moral one. We're back in Revelation with Pastor Jim to learn about the Seven Bowls of Wrath.

What's in your storehouse? The heavens are called, "the storehouse of His bounty." And the Old Testament prophets waxed poetic about the treasures that God has stockpiled there: things like rain, wind, snow, and other blessings. But we know from the New Testament that some people are "storing up wrath for themselves," and today we'll look at the time when those treasuries will be opened. As we try to come to grips with these judgments, let's keep in mind that all of them have been well-earned.

It turns out there is something worse than the judgments recorded in Revelation: it's the people being judged. If we had not read John's Gospel, or his letters, we might believe that he saw mankind as irredeemable. These people continue to murder each other, and worship demons, and commit unimaginable wickedness - while the judgment of God is falling on them! We're in Revelation, chapter 8 for the second part of Pastor Jim's sermon, The Seven Trumpets of Judgment.

Our "blue marble" will become a smoldering, black ball. There will be an assault from the sky - we'll read about it in Revelation, chapter 8. Then Jim will continue reading as the text warns of attacks from beneath the surface of the Earth... and across the surface... from the atmosphere... from the formerly-solid ground... and the Woes keep coming. One thing we won't see in Revelation 8 through 11 is the Church. Maybe there's a reason for that.

We've come a long way from the Babe in the Manger! From the Stable, to the Cross, and then to the Empty Tomb, the gospel demands that we keep opening our minds to try to understand who Jesus is. If we can also see Him as the Lamb on the throne of Heaven, executing judgment, then we have something like a full picture. It's a Christ that few recognize. But after all, Heaven - not Bethlehem - is His "hometown." We're in Revelation 6.

The book of Revelation is a love letter? When we open the last book of the Bible we see divine wrath. We see wave after wave of judgment. But we need to see a little deeper. If this is "The Revelation of Jesus Christ," then we should be looking for Him. And we find Him, as the Lamb. The Creator. The Bridegroom. Is it love for His creation, and especially for His Bride, that's motivating His anger toward those who destroy?

God has accepted the rebels' challenge. And woe to them! "If there is a God, and if He is good, why does He allow evil and suffering?" It must seem like a powerful attack on the character of the Almighty, even though the question was answered a very long time ago. Things will not always be as they are now. Judgment will fall on this wicked world. And it will look like the pages of Revelation.

There's no "stairway to Heaven," but there is a door.... As we move forward in our study of the book of Revelation we move up, with John, to God's residence! And we'll note that this visit is by invitation only. The Apostle got there by no effort on his part. He didn't even have to knock; a Friend had already opened the door. But he needed one more thing to survive in this ethereal environment. Jim will talk about that and more today, in his sermon, The Heart of it All.

A cold church, a compromised church, a crushed church, and a complacent church. On Friday we began Looking for a Great Church. Of course the way people look for anything these days is by reading the reviews! Jesus reviewed seven churches in the early chapters of Revelation. And His ratings ranged from Outstanding, to Disgusting. Let's drop back into the sermon as Jim is examining the words dictated to the church in Ephesus, in Revelation 2.

What does Jesus want your church to be? And do? First let's remember that it's the Lord's church, not ours; He is the Head of His Body - He calls the shots. So our grand visions and well-meaning objectives aren't actually relevant. We know what churches today are. Is that what they're supposed to be? To find the answer, we'll need to open the Scriptures. Christ left some guidelines for churches in the hands of His disciple, John.

"I know your works," Jesus wrote. Each of the seven churches in Revelation 2 and 3 got a personalized letter. The Lord of heaven was intimately acquainted with the situation "on the ground," as we say. But there were some commonalities to these letters, too. And those parallels are what we began to study yesterday, in the sermon called, Who Runs My Church? Here's Jim with the rest of that message.

If you want to find out about Jesus, you should talk to His Wife! "For better or for worse," when your unbelieving friend thinks about Christ, he very likely reflects on the Christians he has known. He isn't wrong to do that; it's our job and our joy to radiate the character of God to the world. Together we are the church, the Assembly, the Body, the Bride - the ragtag collection of sinners saved by grace...with a glorious destiny. Here's Jim.

Has God taken you out of the game? The Apostle John had been discarded on the "Alcatraz" of his day, cut off from his spiritual community in Ephesus, all his closest friends martyred. It would have been easy for John to imagine that he'd been sidelined from his apostolic mission. But we know something he didn't: God had chosen him to see - and record - a special vision. We call it the book of Revelation. Here's Pastor Jim with Part 2 of his sermon, An Amazing Secret.

"All Scripture is inspired by God, and profitable..." but one book of the Bible makes a unique promise. "Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear, and who keep what is written in it, for the time is near." You recognize that as Revelation 1, verse 3. Well, let's grab some blessing! On this day after Resurrection Sunday we launch into a new series with a message called, An Amazing Secret.

They had pierced Jesus' hands and feet... but His Spirit pierced them to the heart. Besides the witness of the miracles that the Lord performed, corroborating the testimony of John the Baptist and the voice of the Father Himself, there was Another. He came a bit later. But when the third Person of the Trinity spoke, He spoke with power, and He spoke in every language. Let's listen to the conclusion of Jim's sermon, Beyond the Resurrection

"If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead." It isn't the cold cynicism or the scientism of our age that leaves people unpersuaded by the Resurrection of Christ. Jesus Himself, speaking to religious folks 2,000 years ago, exposed the hardness of the human heart. Something else would be required to break through the barrier of man's stubbornness. That "something" is a Someone: the Holy Spirit.

Jesus' appearance to Mary Magdalene on Easter Morning was a side trip.The King of Life had died, descended, and on the third day rose from the dead - as all Christians confess. But He had farther to rise! He couldn't stay long in the Garden to comfort Mary, but He had instructions for her: Something to stop doing, and something to do. We're looking at John 20, verse 17, as today Jim brings us Part 2 of his sermon, The Real Triumphal Entry.

Jesus was a busy man... while He was dead! If we were to think about the phases of the Lord's preaching ministry, we might overlook one of the most important: His proclamation to the dead, while dead. The Apostles didn't give us abundant information on what Christ was doing during those 3 days His body was in the grave, but they did give us some. And when we put those fragments together, we get a fascinating picture. Here's Jim to tell us about, The Real Triumphal Entry.

The battle for our salvation was decided not on Mount Calvary, but on the Mount of Olives. It was in the Garden of Gethsemane that the Lord wrestled with His own humanity to bring His will into alignment with the Father's. "Wrestled" is the right word. And without the victory He won on -that- hill, the events of the next day might have been different. We'll visit that Garden and even the Empty Tomb today - but we open in Matthew 26, in the Upper Room.

The scene is: "Everywhere." In just a few chapters, Matthew takes us from a comfortable home in Bethany, to the borrowed Upper Room in Jerusalem; from still Gethsemane, to the clamor inside the High Priest's house, to the coldness of the courtyard. It's a whirlwind of motion that's hard to keep up with. The impression is one of frenzy - with one calm Figure in the center. We're ready for Part 2 of The Women's Wonderful Witness from Matthew's Gospel.

The best man for the job may indeed be a woman! In the hours leading up to Jesus' crucifixion, some ladies showed extraordinary insight. Believing and pagan; mature and young; powerful and powerless - these women seem to have little in common except for the sisterhood of the double X chromosomes. Our friend Matthew highlights the contributions of these women in his Gospel.Today Jim will talk about The Women's Wonderful Witness, after a word of prayer.

The Lead Actor is about to appear. The drama was being performed exactly as written, with Judas, Caiaphas, Pilate, and even Pilate's wife playing their parts perfectly. If you're familiar with Matthew's Gospel, you know that he's driven to tie the events of Jesus' life back to the Scriptures. The text of this play was written by the Prophets. But at the climax of the drama, in Matthew 27, the Main Character has a non-speaking role.

Would you like to hear some testimony about Jesus from hostile witnesses? We know what John believed about Christ; what about Judas? Peter waffled and wavered in his testimony, and that's never good; was Pilate's confession more steady? How about the "other side," the Prosecution, the men who wanted this Nazarene blasphemer dead - what was their sworn testimony? Could it be that even hardened enemies like Caiaphas were forced to admit the truth?

We can't touch the print of the nails in Jesus' hands, as Thomas could. Is there evidence for the Resurrection that we can examine, today? We won't be blessed to hear the Lord's audible voice; we can't even watch Him eat a fish, like the Disciples could. But that doesn't mean we have to rely on their impressions alone. God left evidence for us, as well. On today's episode Jim will give us 4 proofs to consider. We join him in John, chapter 20 as the Lord speaks to Mary Magdalene.

The Resurrection is hard to believe - at least, the Disciples thought so! If the Apostles made up the story about Jesus rising from the dead, why did they make themselves look so bad in that story? Faithless, prideful and a bit dumb is how they're portrayed in their own Gospels. And why did they invent a story that was totally implausible to everyone, including themselves? Reality can be rough on our assumptions, sometimes. Here's Jim with Part 1 of, What Do You Suppose?

Pilate may have been unfamiliar with truth, but he knew what was false. Maybe it was just a matter of experience. The Roman governor of Judea had met plenty of liars in his time, but few if any honest men. He could size up the envious Sanhedrin instantly; he understood the chief priests and Barabbas alike - and they were much alike. But the Man before Pilate now was a mystery. We're in the Gospel of John, chapters 18 and 19 with Jim.

Truth, or tyranny. When Pontius Pilate asked the infamous question, "What is truth?" he could have been teaching at an American university today. The war on reality has wrought such destruction in our lives that we forget it's been going on for a long time. If truth is indefinable, then "right" and "justice" are illusions... and all that remains is raw power. We'll see that clearly in the interviews we'll study today.

What's the appropriate greeting for April Fool's Day? "Happy" April Fool's Day doesn't seem quite right. "Blessed?" No. Well, how about if we devote the next half hour to understanding the depth of human folly, and its end? Remember, "The fool has said in his heart, 'There is no God.'" Or if there is a God, He doesn't mind... or if He does mind, we'll just.... Foolishness. Here's Jim to conclude our "Angels" series with, The Tale of Two Destinies.

The end of the world, as we know it. There will be a last President, a final Prime Minister, a Secretary-General who turns out the lights and doesn't bother to lock the door. God will drain the swamp - not the little one you may be thinking about, but the whole giant cesspool of the world's power, arrogance and wickedness. And where will you be when the music stops? Our study of angels has brought us back to Revelation for Jim's sermon, The Tale of Two Destinies.

Are angels guilty of election interference? We know - from Daniel for example - that angelic beings are involved in geopolitical matters. That's all behind the scenes, or "above" the scenes. And many of us believe that angels operate in our lives on a personal level. How much influence do they have in "our" world? And if they're guiding people and nations toward certain outcomes, what do angels know about the divine Plan, and the Timetable of that Plan?

The mystery will become history! Did you know that God has a secret plan? In your Bible Revelation 10:7 may include a phrase about "the mystery of God" being "accomplished." But we shouldn't think of this mystery as a religious ritual, or a "mystery of Nature." It's more like a secret wartime operation, bursting into the light just as it's being carried out! And this Plan has been hidden in plain sight.

We don't pray to angels - but they are involved in our prayers! Our series on angels continues with a peek at the scene in Heaven that John saw. Along with the Elders and the Elect, that beloved Apostle took note of many angels. Some were apparently different than others; and they had various responsibilities. The angel with the golden censer in Revelation 8 is just one of the beings we'll meet today. Here's Jim with Part 2 of, From the Angels' Point of View.

A birds-eye view is good... but what if we could get an angels-eye view? From day to day, we can get caught up in the day-to-day. We work through our schedule task by task, meeting by meeting. Sometimes our projects seem to multiply faster than we can check them off. Our perspective is as wide as our smartphone screen. We're very much in need of a "zoom-out," to get the big picture. That's how the holy angels see it, and it's a heavenly view!

One thing about messengers: They usually have something to say! There are so many angels in the book of Revelation (including all the evil angels as well as the messengers of God) that we almost need a scorecard to keep track of them! If you want to know what angels do and what they say, you've come to the right place: John's Apocalypse. In an unprecedented time of judgment, God's heralds carry the unchangeable gospel. Pastor Jim is in Revelation 9.

The battle between Good and Evil will come to an end; the Bible tells us how. Saint, sinner and skeptic alike have asked, "How long will this go on?" All our lives, all we have known is a world of injustice and pain. It seems like an eternal battle, this war of darkness against light. But it had a beginning, in Satan's rebellion, and it will have an end. We've been studying angels, and today Jim will look at their role here as the clock winds down.

We know about Satan's confrontation with Jesus in the wilderness, but he also attacked the Disciples later. The Lord won His personal battle with the devil, but the record of His followers' encounters with the Evil One was more "mixed," shall we say. Satan didn't go easy on them on account of the fact that they were "just learning." We'll go from the desert, to the Upper Room today as we study the spiritual warfare that was going on with Christ, and all around Him. Here's Jim with Part 2 of the sermon, It is Written - Read It!

The time when King Satan caught an invader. From the devil's point of view he had won the world - we can't say "fair and square" - but he was the legal owner of this property called Earth. Now, Someone had broken into his estate. He recognized this Intruder, even though He was much different now. The devil couldn't fathom God's strategy, but he knew that this posed a dire threat to his kingdom. So he challenged Jesus in what we call the Wilderness Temptation.

Civil war... in Heaven? When a country tears itself apart, we gather that something has gone horribly wrong. "Brother against brother" is a phrase that still echoes from our "War Between the States," a century-and-a-half ago. But civil war in Heaven? In Paradise? How could such a thing happen? Well, our instincts are correct: Something (rather, someone) went horribly wrong. We're studying angels! And one in particular, today.

Does Satan know your name? Many of us can look back to a specific hour when we realized: God knows my name. He loves me. Jesus died for me. I can have a unique relationship with Him. Well, the devil has our personal data, too, and he's spitting my name in the presence of God, maybe at this very moment. We're privileged to look at this scene in the book of Job, where the topic of conversation was Job's integrity.