Key Theme:

The Christian life is lived in a real spiritual war. In Ephesians 6:10–18¹, Paul calls believers to stand their ground in the power of Christ, clothed in the armor of God. We do not fight people but spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places. Our strength is not in ourselves but in the Lord, and our posture is to stand—no retreat—fully armed with truth, righteousness, the gospel of peace, faith, salvation, the Word of God, and persistent prayer.

Summary:

Paul uses three physical postures to describe the believer’s life in Ephesians: we are seated with Christ in the heavenly places (identity), we are to walk worthy of our calling (daily conduct), and we are finally commanded to stand in the power of Christ against the enemy (Ephesians 6:10–18¹). The battle is unseen but real. If we ignore it or pretend it does not exist, we become easy targets.

This warfare is against spiritual hosts of wickedness, not flesh and blood. Satan and his demons tempt, lie, deceive, discourage, confuse, and try to destroy marriages, families, churches, and individual believers. Yet they are created beings—limited and ultimately subject to God. Still, their activity is constant. Scripture describes this conflict in vivid terms: we “walk in the flesh” but “do not war according to the flesh,” because “the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God” (2 Corinthians 10:3–5²).

The origin of these spiritual enemies goes back to Satan’s rebellion. He exalted himself against God, fell from heaven, and drew a third of the angels with him (Revelation 12:4, 7–9³; Isaiah 14:12⁴; Luke 10:18⁵). Those fallen angels are now demons—real, personal spirits who oppose God’s people. They cannot possess a believer, because the Holy Spirit does not share residency (1 John 4:4⁶), but they can oppress from the outside—whispering lies, stirring division, feeding fear, and trying to wear us down.

Spiritual warfare is not a blanket excuse for every sin or bad decision. Sometimes we gossip, lie, or drift simply because of our own flesh. But it is also dangerous to ignore spiritual warfare and try to resolve everything in our own strength. The enemy is relentless; he does not sleep and is constantly scheming. The real enemy is not your spouse, your boss, your kids, or people on the other side of an issue—it is Satan and his forces (Ephesians 6:12¹).

God’s call is to stand—no retreat. Three times Paul repeats this: stand, withstand, stand (Ephesians 6:13–14¹). There are seasons when you feel battle-weary and it seems easier to give up. But when you keep standing in Christ, the enemy eventually recognizes you mean business. As James says, submit to God, resist the devil, and he will flee. We plant our feet and say, in effect: “As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord. We are fighting for our families, our marriages, and our faith—and we will not retreat.”

Our strength must be in the Lord, not in our personalities, intelligence, or willpower. “Be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might” (Ephesians 6:10¹). Even Michael the archangel, when contending with the devil, did not rely on his own authority but said, “The Lord rebuke you!” (Jude 9⁷). We are only as strong as our dependence on Christ.

To stand, we must put on the full armor of God (Ephesians 6:14–18¹):

• The belt of truth – fastening our lives to God’s Word in a culture built on lies.
• The breastplate of righteousness – guarding our hearts by living in practical obedience, not giving the enemy easy footholds.
• Feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace – being ready to go with the good news, bringing the peace of Christ wherever we walk.
• The shield of faith – lifting trust in God to extinguish Satan’s fiery darts of fear, doubt, accusation, and condemnation (“For God has not given us a spirit of fear…” 2 Timothy 1:7⁸).
• The helmet of salvation – protecting our minds with the assurance of who we are in Christ.
• The sword of the Spirit – the Word of God, our offensive weapon to counter lies with truth (as Jesus did in the wilderness).
• And prayer – “praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit,” staying alert and persevering for all the saints.

The picture is of a fully armed believer, rooted in Scripture, confident in Christ, and refusing to give ground. Our posture is not panic—it is steady, informed resistance in the power of God.

Key Points:

1. Know the battle is spiritual. We wrestle “not against flesh and blood” but against spiritual forces of evil (Ephesians 6:12¹). People are not the ultimate enemy; Satan is.
2. Recognize the enemy’s tactics. He tempts, lies, deceives, discourages, confuses, and harms. His aim is to destroy your life, marriage, family, faith, and any church that teaches the Bible.
3. Stand your ground—no retreat. God calls us to stand firm in the evil day, not to surrender ground in our homes, hearts, or churches (Ephesians 6:13–14¹).
4. Be strong in the Lord, not in yourself. Our confidence is in “the power of His might,” not our own ability (Ephesians 6:10¹; Jude 9⁷).
5. Put on the whole armor of God. Truth, righteousness, the gospel of peace, faith, salvation, the Word, and persevering prayer are all necessary; we cannot pick and choose (Ephesians 6:14–18¹).
6. Discern flesh vs. warfare. Not every struggle is “the devil made me do it,” but ignoring spiritual warfare leaves us vulnerable (2 Corinthians 10:3–5²).
7. Fight for others in prayer. Loved ones, prodigals, and fellow believers are under attack; standing your ground includes interceding for them.
8. Live with eternal perspective. The enemy wants to drag people to Hell; we contend for souls, believing Heaven and Hell are real, and urging people to turn to Christ.

Application:

Stand your ground in Christ. Refuse to retreat in your marriage, your family, or your walk with God. Ask the Lord to open your eyes to the reality of spiritual warfare without becoming obsessed or fearful. Examine your life: are you trying to fight in your own strength, or are you anchored in “the power of His might”?

Put on the full armor of God daily. Fasten truth around your life by saturating your mind with Scripture. Guard your heart with righteousness—repent quickly and close doors the enemy could exploit. Walk with the gospel of peace into your home, workplace, and relationships. Lift the shield of faith when lies, accusations, and fears come. Protect your thoughts with the helmet of salvation, remembering who you are in Christ. Wield the sword of the Spirit by speaking and praying Scripture over your situation.

Finally, commit to persistent prayer. Pray for your spouse, your children, your church, and those who are battle-weary. Stand in the gap for those who are under heavy attack. You may feel weak, but the Lord is mighty—and He has called you to stand.

Scripture to Remember:

Ephesians 6:10 (NKJV) — “Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might.”

Watch:

Please watch the sermon on your own and take your own notes for additional detail and context. Enjoy listening to the Word of God!

Disclaimer:

These notes were taken based on the sermon at Cornerstone Chapel in Leesburg, VA. These notes were compiled by ChatGPT using the bulleted notes I personally took during the sermon, combined with the transcript of the YouTube video produced. Since the notes were ultimately compiled using AI, please verify their full validity using your Bible and the Word of God alone.

References

Key Theme:

God’s wrath is not arbitrary or impulsive; it is His righteous response to sin and the willful suppression of His truth. Those who reject Him experience separation from His presence and are given over to their own desires, while those who live by faith experience His power and righteousness.

Summary:

Paul reveals that the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all who suppress the truth in unrighteousness (Romans 1:18–32)¹. The difference between the believer and unbeliever is stark: believers experience the power of God, while unbelievers experience the wrath of God.

This passage explains that God’s wrath is not always expressed through catastrophic events—it is often revealed as His withdrawal, allowing mankind to chase after sin’s destruction. Those who reject God’s truth choose moral decay. In doing so, they exchange the truth of God for a lie and worship creation rather than the Creator.

Even though all men are aware of God—His invisible attributes and divine nature are clearly seen—many deliberately suppress this truth. Scripture declares that every man is aware of God, leaving no room for atheism; the issue is not ignorance but rebellion. By elevating self and worshiping human wisdom or creation, mankind descends further into darkness.

Paul identifies a progression of rebellion: God gave them up to uncleanness, vile passions, and a debased mind. This is not the explosive wrath of destruction, but the dreadful wrath of abandonment—God allowing man to have what he desires. The result is moral and spiritual decay, expressed in pride, immorality, and approval of evil.

As believers, we are called to live differently. To reject truth or to approve of unrighteousness is to align with the rebellion of the world. Our call is to stand firm in truth, share the Gospel in love, and contend for those lost in deception.

Key Points:

1. God’s wrath is revealed against all ungodliness and unrighteousness (Romans 1:18–32)¹.
2. Suppressing truth provokes wrath; accepting truth brings salvation.
3. Every person is aware of God’s existence—His attributes are seen in creation.
4. Atheism and evolution suppress truth by denying the Creator.
5. God’s wrath allows man to pursue sin’s path to destruction.
6. To approve of sin is to share in its guilt.
7. Believers must contend for truth, lovingly pointing others to repentance in Christ.
8. God’s power redeems and restores those who turn to Him by faith.

Application:

Rejecting truth leads to wrath; receiving truth leads to life. Examine whether your choices reflect submission to God or rebellion against Him. Be bold in defending biblical truth with love. Pray for the lost, contend for your children’s hearts, and let your life demonstrate that God is real and His Word is truth.

Scripture to Remember:

Romans 1:18 (NKJV) — “For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness.”

Watch:

Please watch the sermon on YouTube here:

Disclaimer:

These notes were taken from the sermon at Calvary Chapel Jacksonville NC and are intended for personal study and reflection. They combine the speaker’s message, user-supplied bulleted notes, and verified NKJV Scripture from blueletterbible.org. Please test everything against the Word of God.

References

Key Theme:

The Gospel is the power of God for salvation and the ongoing life of the believer. Christ’s finished work—His sinless life, willing death, and victorious resurrection—reveals God’s righteousness and frees us to live unashamed, Spirit-filled, and faithful.

Summary:

Paul declares that he is not ashamed of the gospel because it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes (Romans 1:16–17)¹. Christians should own this truth with holy boldness: we are not better than others, but we are called to a better, holy way of life because the Holy Spirit dwells in us.

The Gospel itself is the good news of Jesus Christ—His perfect life, His willing death for sinners, and His bodily resurrection. Because Jesus is alive, He both saves and sustains. To be ashamed of the Gospel is to doubt the sufficiency of Christ’s work, to fear the evaluation of the world more than the judgment of God, or to act as though opposing powers are stronger than Jesus. Paul refuses this posture because the Gospel carries God’s inherent, dynamic power (dunamis), and that same power fills believers through the Holy Spirit so that we lack nothing.

God’s saving intent is universal—salvation is offered to all, though not all receive it. The phrase “for the Jew first and also for the Greek” reflects divine order, not superiority. Salvation is now a spiritual work of the heart, not a work of the Law, because the legal demands of righteousness were nailed to the cross (Colossians 2:11–15)². In the Gospel, the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith—it saves, heals, and restores, producing a living testimony among believers.

Believers should be ready with a clear Gospel testimony: who you were, how you died with Christ, and how you were raised new in Him. Focus on newness of life, not on glorifying the past. “The just shall live by faith” means we trust not in ourselves, but in the power of God present within us. We run first to Scripture, to prayer, and to the Spirit’s help; other aids can support faith, but they must never replace it.

Key Points:

1. Live unashamed: the Gospel is God’s power to save everyone who believes (Romans 1:16–17)¹.
2. The Gospel = Jesus’ perfect life, willing death, and bodily resurrection — He is alive and able to save.
3. Shame doubts Christ’s sufficiency and fears man’s opinion; faith rests in God’s power (dunamis) at work in us.
4. Salvation is offered to all — “to the Jew first and also to the Greek” shows order, not superiority.
5. Christ ended legalistic boasting — circumcision is of the heart; our debts were nailed to the cross (Colossians 2:11–15)².
6. God’s righteousness is revealed from faith to faith — the Gospel also heals and makes lives whole.
7. Bear a concise Gospel testimony: before Christ → death to self → raised new in Christ; emphasize new life.
8. The just shall live by faith — seek Scripture, prayer, and the Spirit first; other helps support, not replace, faith.

Application:

Refuse shame. Pray for boldness to confess Christ publicly and to lean on Scripture first in counsel and crisis. Prepare a two-minute Gospel testimony that highlights your new life in Christ. Entrust lingering legalism or guilt to the cross, and practice daily reliance on the Holy Spirit’s power rather than human approval.

Scripture to Remember:

Romans 1:16 (NKJV) — “For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek.”

Watch:

Please watch the sermon on YouTube here:

Disclaimer:

These notes were taken from the sermon at Calvary Chapel Jacksonville NC and are intended for personal study and reflection. They combine the speaker’s message, user-supplied bulleted notes, and verified NKJV Scripture from blueletterbible.org. Please test everything against the Word of God.

References

Passage: Ephesians 4:11-16

Key Theme:

True worship flows from Spirit and truth and is expressed in tangible obedience—notably through tithes and offerings given from firstfruits. God completed the once‑for‑all sacrifice in Christ; our giving is not atonement but worship that acknowledges His sovereignty, faithfulness, and worthiness, and it fuels ministry and care for the body.

Summary:

Paul frames Christian maturity in Ephesians 4:11–16: Christ supplies leaders to equip the saints so the whole body grows up into Him, no longer tossed by every new idea but speaking the truth in love. That maturity shows up in worship that is both spiritual and truthful (John 4:19–24). Worship is bigger than music; it is the whole‑life bowing of self before God in reverent devotion.

From Genesis onward, giving has been one of the believer’s core expressions of worship. Cain and Abel knew God desired particular offerings (Genesis 4:2–7) long before the Law specified them. The Law later clarified what God desired for a growing nation: firstfruits, tithes that sustained Levites and temple work, regular care for the poor, and special offerings for God’s dwelling (Leviticus 27:30; Numbers 18:21–28; Deuteronomy 12; 14). Sacrifice itself pointed to Christ—the spotless Lamb whose once‑for‑all offering finished atonement (Exodus 12:5; 1 Peter 1:19; Hebrews 10:9–10). Because Christ’s sacrifice is complete, our giving is not to buy favor but to say, “Thank You,” with the first and best of what He provides.

In the New Testament church, that pattern continues. Believers met needs extravagantly (Acts 4:34–35), and the Lord commanded that those who preach the gospel live from the gospel (1 Corinthians 9:13–14). Paul insists giving be willing and cheerful—never coerced, never grudging (2 Corinthians 8:8; 9:6–7). God rejects empty ritual from hard hearts (Amos 5; Isaiah 1; Hosea 6; Psalm 51). True giving springs from love, gratitude, and trust.

Practically, firstfruits means we honor God from the whole of His provision—before taxes, before benefits, before the budget shuffles us into leftovers. For some, obedience requires first untangling debt and learning contentment. For others, offerings of time and skill are an additional (not replacement) way to worship—brewing the coffee, setting chairs, cleaning, serving the least. When a church family worships this way, pastors are sustained, widows and orphans are cared for, and the church becomes a community that lacks nothing, even in lean times. The question isn’t “Is it required by the Law?” but “Is Christ receiving my first and my best?”

Key Points:

1. Christ gave leaders to equip the saints so every part ‘does its share’ and the body grows (Eph. 4:11–16).
2. Worship is whole‑life devotion in Spirit and truth; music is one expression, not the whole.
3. Giving predates the Law (Genesis 4) and is clarified by it; sacrifice points to Christ’s finished work.
4. Tithes (first tenth) and offerings are worship, not atonement; they acknowledge God’s rule and provision.
5. New Testament continuity: needs met through the church; ministers live from the gospel; giving must be cheerful, not coerced.
6. Firstfruits means the first and best of God’s provision—not leftovers; offerings add to, not replace, the tithe.
7. Healthy worship funds ministry and mercy so the church can care for pastors, widows, orphans, and mission.

Application:

Prayerfully inventory God’s provision and define your true firstfruits. Set a plan to honor God first—and address debts that keep you from obedience. If finances are tight, begin faithfully with proportionate giving, and add offerings of time and skill. Guard your heart: give cheerfully, in gratitude, trusting the Father to provide. Disciple your household in these rhythms so worship in Spirit and truth becomes a family habit.

Scripture to Remember:

Ephesians 4:15 (NKJV) — “but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head—Christ—”

Watch:

Please watch the sermon on your own and take your own notes for additional detail and context. Enjoy. Listening to the Word of God!

Disclaimer:

These notes were taken based on the sermon at Calvary Chapel Jacksonville, NC. These notes were compiled by ChatGPT using the bulleted notes I personally took during the sermon, combined with the transcript of the YouTube video produced. Since the notes were ultimately compiled using AI, please verify their full validity using your Bible and the Word of God alone.

Passage: Romans 1:8–15 (NKJV)

Key Theme:

Faith flourishes on the gospel’s basics and matures through the Spirit’s work and sound doctrine; Paul models grateful prayer, mutual encouragement, and readiness to preach.

Summary:

Paul thanks God that the Roman believers’ faith is widely known. He continually prays for them and longs to visit—not as a celebrity, but as a fellow disciple eager to strengthen and be strengthened by their mutual faith. He has often planned to come but was providentially hindered. As a debtor to all peoples, Paul is ready to preach the gospel in Rome, emphasizing that strong churches grow by the Word, the Spirit, and obedience—not by legalism or mere hype.

Key Points:

1. Grateful Intercession: Paul’s ministry begins with thanksgiving and persistent prayer (vv. 8–10).
2. Mutual Encouragement: Gifts strengthen the church so that both leaders and saints are established together (vv. 11–12).
3. Ready to Preach: Hindrances don’t cancel calling; Paul lives as a debtor to all and stands ready to bring the gospel in Rome (vv. 13–15).

Application:

• Pray for your church by name this week—thank God for evidences of faith and ask Him to establish believers in truth.
• Seek mutual encouragement: share one concrete testimony and ask one honest question in your small group.
• Live as a “debtor to all”: identify one person (neighbor, coworker, classmate) and purpose to share the gospel simply and clearly.

Scripture to Remember:

“So, as much as is in me, I am ready to preach the gospel to you who are in Rome also.” (Romans 1:15, NKJV)

Watch:

Please watch the sermon on your own and take your own notes for additional detail and context. Enjoy. Listening to the Word of God!

Disclaimer:

These notes were taken based on the sermon at Calvary Chapel Jacksonville, NC. These notes were compiled by ChatGPT using the bulleted notes I personally took during the sermon, combined with the transcript of the YouTube video produced. Since the notes were ultimately compiled using AI, please verify their full validity using your Bible and the Word of God alone.

Passage: Romans 1:1–7

Key Theme:

Paul introduces himself and the Gospel of Jesus Christ, establishing his divine calling as an apostle and the foundation of salvation by grace through faith. God sets His people apart for the purpose of proclaiming the Gospel and living in obedience to the faith.

Summary:

In this introduction to Romans, Paul opens his letter by identifying himself as a bond-servant and apostle of Jesus Christ—called and set apart for the Gospel. Though once a Pharisee and persecutor of Christians, Paul’s life was radically transformed by his encounter with Christ on the road to Damascus. Writing from his third missionary journey, he addresses believers in Rome with the doctrinal foundation needed for a spiritually mature, unified church built upon righteousness through faith.

Paul emphasizes that the Gospel he preaches is not new but foretold through the prophets, fulfilled in Jesus Christ—the Son of God, confirmed by the resurrection, and witnessed by over 500 people. Through Christ, believers receive both grace and apostleship to bring about obedience of faith among all nations for His name’s sake. Paul reminds us that every believer is called, forgiven, and set apart to live for the purpose of advancing the Kingdom, not for spiritual complacency.

Romans, written under the shadow of Nero’s growing persecution, urges believers to stand firm in truth, to live righteously in a corrupt world, and to be bold in faith despite opposition. True love bears truth, not deception, and peace is found only when we surrender to God’s wisdom and authority.

Key Points:

1. Paul’s Identity and Calling

   • Paul identifies as a bond-servant—a willing slave of Christ who joyfully submits to His authority.
   • He is also an apostle—a messenger sent by God to proclaim the Gospel.
   • His transformation from persecutor to preacher demonstrates the power of grace.

2. Set Apart for the Gospel

   • Believers are not only called to be holy but also set apart for a purpose—to proclaim the Gospel and advance God’s Kingdom.
   • Sanctification is not stagnation; spiritual maturity leads to service and obedience.
   • The Gospel Paul preaches is the fulfillment of God’s eternal promise, not a new doctrine.

3. Grace, Faith, and Obedience

   • Through Christ, we receive grace and the call to obedience of faith among all nations.
   • Salvation comes by faith alone—righteousness is imputed through belief, not works.
   • The believer’s life must reflect submission to Christ and participation in His mission.

Application:

As believers, we are called not just to know the Word but to live it. Paul reminds us that being set apart means living purposefully—serving, proclaiming, and walking in faith. We must evaluate whether our lives bear the mark of a true bond-servant of Christ: humble, obedient, and dedicated to the spread of the Gospel.

In a world that often twists or rejects biblical truth, we must remain steadfast in sound doctrine, walking in the freedom and peace that come from obedience to God’s Word. Let us pray for the boldness to stand for our faith even when the world is hostile toward it.

Scripture to Remember:

“Through Him we have received grace and apostleship to bring about the obedience of faith among all the Gentiles for His name’s sake.”
— Romans 1:5

Watch

Please watch the sermon on your own and take your own notes for additional detail and context. Enjoy listening to the Word of God!

Disclaimer:

These notes were taken based on the Sermon at Calvary Chapel Jacksonville, NC. These notes were compiled by ChatGPT using the bulleted notes I personally took during the sermon, combined with the Transcript of the YouTube video produced. Since the notes were ultimately compiled using AI, please verify their full validity using your Bible and the Word of God alone.

Passage

Exodus 24:1–16

Key Theme

God establishes His covenant with Israel through sacrifice and blood, foreshadowing the perfect covenant fulfilled in Christ. Leadership, humility, obedience, and submission to God’s authority are essential in walking faithfully before Him.

Summary

In Exodus 24, the people of Israel stand before Mount Sinai as God gives Moses His commands and directions. God invites Moses, Aaron, Nadab, and Abihu to come up the mountain, yet only Moses is permitted to approach closely. This distinction underscores Moses’ unique intimacy with God and the importance of humble, submissive leadership. True spiritual leadership walks in the Spirit, not the flesh, remaining under God’s authority rather than seeking personal exaltation.

The people respond to God’s covenant commands with fear and naivety, professing obedience yet continually failing. Moses acts as their mediator, writing down God’s words for the first time in Scripture and constructing an altar for sacrifice. This marks the establishment of the Old Covenant — a covenant sealed with blood to make humanity aware of its desperate need for salvation. Moses sprinkles the blood upon the altar and the people, signifying that the covenant could not be complete without the shedding of blood.

This vivid picture of atonement points forward to Christ, the spotless Lamb of God. As Hebrews 10:1–10 declares, Jesus fulfilled the old system by offering Himself once and for all. The same God who formed the Old Covenant is the God who completed it through Christ; His character and purpose have not changed.

When Moses and the elders go up, they behold God — Elohim — and experience His glory. The language reveals both Elohim and Jehovah interacting, displaying the divine mystery of the Trinity. Here, Christ’s pre-incarnate presence is seen, dwelling among a stiff-necked people and showing the same love and fellowship He would later demonstrate on earth.

Moses and Joshua ascend further into the mountain. The glory of the Lord appears as a consuming fire, and Moses remains there forty days and nights receiving the Ten Commandments. Joshua, learning under Moses’ faithful mentorship, is being prepared for future leadership — gleaning wisdom not only from Moses’ successes but also his failures.

Ultimately, the message calls believers to humility. Our strength is not found in ourselves but at the altar — in continual submission and gratitude for Christ’s finished work. Our boast is never in what we’ve accomplished but in Jesus, whose blood sealed the eternal covenant.

Key Points

1. Leadership and Submission (vv. 1–2) – God calls Moses, Aaron, Nadab, and Abihu to approach Him, but only Moses may come near. True leadership remains humble and submitted to God’s authority.
2. The Old Covenant Established (vv. 3–8) – Moses records God’s Word, builds an altar, and sacrifices for the people. The sprinkling of blood signifies the covenant’s dependence on atonement — a shadow of Christ’s coming sacrifice.
3. Meeting Their Salvation (vv. 9–12) – Moses and the elders encounter the divine presence. The distinction between “Elohim” and “Jehovah” reflects both the unity and complexity of God’s nature.
4. The Giving of the Law (vv. 13–16) – Moses and Joshua ascend together. The glory of the Lord appears as a consuming fire, and the Ten Commandments are given after forty days.
5. Our Boast in Christ – True strength and purpose come from remaining at the altar, in dependence on Christ’s love and His finished work on the cross.

Application

Believers are reminded that intimacy with God requires humility, obedience, and submission. Leadership is not self-exaltation but servanthood under divine authority. Just as the Israelites needed the blood of the covenant to cover their sin, we depend wholly on Christ’s blood for our salvation. The call is to stay close to the altar — in worship, gratitude, and dependence — recognizing that all we accomplish is only by Christ’s strength in us.

Scripture to Remember

Hebrews 10:10 – “By that will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.”

Watch

Please watch the sermon on your own and take your own notes for additional detail and context. Enjoy listening to the Word of God!

Disclaimer:

These notes were taken based on the Sermon at Calvary Chapel Jacksonville, NC. These notes were compiled by ChatGPT using the bulleted notes I personally took during the sermon, combined with the Transcript of the YouTube video produced. Since the notes were ultimately compiled using AI, please verify their full validity using your Bible and the Word of God alone.

• 8 cups unsalted dry roasted peanuts
• 1 tsp mineral salt (adjust to taste)
• 1/4 tsp pure organic stevia leaf extract powder
• 1/2 tsp molasses
• 2–3 tbsp peanut oil (start with 2, add more if needed)
• 2/3 cup chopped peanuts (for crunch)

Instructions

1. Set aside chopped peanuts for mix-in.
2. In batches, blend the 8 cups of peanuts in your Vitamix. Don’t overload it — use 2–3 batches if needed.
3. Blend each batch until creamy, scraping down sides as needed.
4. Combine all batches into a bowl. Add salt, stevia, molasses, and peanut oil. Stir well or do one last blend for consistency.
5. Fold in chopped peanuts by hand to preserve the crunch.
6. Taste and adjust seasoning: more salt, a little more molasses, or oil if needed.
7. Transfer to jars. This recipe makes about 4 cups (1 quart) of peanut butter.

Notes

• Peanut oil gives the best flavor and texture — don’t substitute with water or olive oil.
• Store in airtight container. Natural oil separation is normal — stir before use.
• Refrigerate for longer shelf life, but it spreads best at room temp.
• Taste improves over a day or two as flavors mellow.

Twas the Night Before Christmas - A Coder’s Dream

Twas the night before Christmas, in a Developer’s place
I had just finished writing, a brand new code base
With VSCode humming I then pulled up Git,
Then I hit up Github with my final commit;

With eyes that were heavy and circles so deep,
I thought to myself, I must have some sleep
With Hactoberfest stickers all over the back,
I closed my laptop, and grabbed a quick snack;

With my head on my pillow, hoping for sleep,
Envisioning my code and rewards I would reap
But my eyes would not shut, I had a slight jitter,
Too much caffeine so I thought I’d check Twitter;

When what to my wondering eyes should appear,
but tweet after tweet, saying my code was inferior,
The recursion is wrong and the code base is sloppy,
No one will use it, it’s not worth a copy;

I thought to myself, I have to debug,
So I jumped out of bed, but slipped on the rug,
Out cold on my floor, but not for too long,
A few moments later, I woke to a song;

As my eyes regained focus, but what did I see,
Good ol’ St. Nick, coming down my chimney,
With a rip on his coat, it was in a slight tatter,
He looked down at me and asked what was the matter

My code was all wrong, I just don’t have the knack
He just laughed a deep laugh as he put down his sack,
Don’t be confused, I may look like a Gramps,
But over the years, I attended code camps;

He opened my laptop, and first installed Node
Who knew that old Santa had learned how to code,
His fingers were flying, his typing was quick,
How will I ever, repay ol’ St. Nick

When he was finished, my code was brand new,
He said I should practice, mistakes were not few,
As he left, I was thinking, I know that he’s right,
So I pulled up a browser and freeCodeCamp’s site

Though I was tired, and incredibly weary
I was soon certified in Front End Libraries,
I looked out the window, and saw a faint light
Merry Christmas to all, I just coded all night!

With that, I decided it was time to do something about it. That’s when I began the Keto way of life. I was Keto for just over a year and as I had blood work done throughout that time, we noticed my numbers started coming down. Well, I’m pleased to report that with my last blood work, all four of the indicators my doctor looks at to determine pre-diabetes were well within range. I think that’s the first time my insulin has been in range in more than 10 years.

However, Keto isn’t my doctor’s favorite way of life. She believes that these numbers can be kept in check through a careful and clean diet of fish, lean meats, nuts, berries, vegetables, etc. Basically, if you can grow it, shoot it, or catch it, you can eat it. It’s sort of a modified mediterranean diet. Another way she put it that hit home for me was, if Jesus ate it, you can eat it. I’m just hoping Jesus occasionally had pizza! So bottom line, eating about 15-30 carbs per meal with two fruits per day is what she suggests. In addition, in order for me to keep my numbers in check and ensure I know what foods may impact my blood glucose levels, my doctor prescribed me the Freestyle Libre 3 continuous blood glucose monitor and it has been amazing.

Now, on to our topic of this post. One of the things I truly missed on the Keto diet was a nice, big bowl of cereal. It’s a comfort food. I have purchased the Keto cereals in the grocery store in the past. Some were ok, but most fell flat for me. They just didn’t satisfy that craving and didn’t have the flavor I was hoping to get from cereal. Many tasted like cardboard. So one day my wife came home from Sam’s Club with a big bag of “NuTrail Keto Granola Crunch” in a Limited Edition Chocolate Cupcake flavor. Now the first thing I did was to add the recommended serving size of 1/3 cup to some of the :ratio brand Keto Yogurt. With the granola and yogurt being only 2 net carbs each, that was a great snack at only 4 net carbs and it tasted delicious.

So, one night around dinner time, I just wasn’t that hungry and couldn’t find anything I really thought I wanted to eat and then it hit me. I wonder if the Keto Granola would work as a cereal? Would it hold up in milk and keep it’s crunch? Would it taste good as a cereal and not in yogurt? So I thought, what the heck, I’ll give it a try. Let me tell you, it exceeded my expectations. It was amazing and I’m so happy to have a keto or low carb cereal option that truly tastes like you would expect a cereal to taste. It checked every box for me. Oh, and do you want to know the best part? No spike or change in my blood sugar, based on my monitor. Here is what I did:

Recipe

Prep Time: 2 Min | Total Time: 2 Min | Serves: 1 | Net Carbs: 8 |

Ingredients

• 1 Cup NuTrail Keto Nut Granola
• 2 Cups Original Unsweetened Almond Milk
• Splenda for sweetness to taste

Instructions

1. Pour Granola, Splenda, and Almond Milk in a Bowl
2. Enjoy!

This movie is excellent and relevant to our times, which I believe are the end times. But don’t let that scare you. There was a time when I heard about the return of Christ or the end of the world and it would scare me. However, once you put your faith and trust in and make Jesus the Lord of your life, you no longer have a reason to be afraid. I believe in a pre-tribulation rapture of the church, just as portrayed in the movie, so I do not believe the church will be here through the seven year tribulation period. The church is referenced in the Bible as the bride of Christ and just in case anyone may have never heard, the church is the body of believers in Christ, not a bunch of brick and mortar buildings. So why would God want His bride to go through His wrath during the tribulation period? Would a man let his future bride get beaten and bruised before their wedding or would he save her from having that happen to her if it were in his power? I believe the same holds true with God and He will deliver us, as believers, from the wrath to come.

The time of the seven year tribulation will be a time like no other on this earth. There will be judgments poured out and by the time it’s over and Christ returns, half of the world’s population will be dead. There will be some who come to know the Lord during the tribulation period, but it will be a very difficult time for any Christian and many will die as a martyr for their faith during that time. Pay close attention to the events of the world today as many are starting to talk of a Global Government and fully digital global currency. During the tribulation period, the Anti-Christ will sign a seven year peace treaty with Israel. He will break this peace treaty half way through the tribulation period and will sit in the temple he has built and declare himself God and require the world to worship him or his image. He will require of everyone a mark on their forehead or right hand (the mark of the beast) and no one will be able to buy or sell goods without it. Many who refuse the mark will die of hunger or lack of medical care. However, anyone who accepts it will do so knowingly and willingly and will bow down and worship the beast and anyone who knowingly does take the mark will seal their fate and no longer be able to be saved.

Again, Jesus stands a the door of your heart and knocks because He doesn’t want anyone to perish but for all to come to the saving faith in Him. If you have never asked Jesus into your heart to be the Lord of your life, you can do that today. If you will seek Him and pray to Him truly believing in Him and acknowledging that you are a sinner in need of salvation and you know that Jesus is the only one who can save you from your sins and ask him to forgive you for your sins and come into your heart and be the Lord of your life, then you too will be saved. Thank Jesus for saving you, seek him, and get plugged into a church or bible study. Read Revelation and ask Jesus to reveal to you its meaning as you start your journey as a Christian and then start to share the good news of the Gospel with your friends and family. We want as many as possible to be saved and join us in heaven and be saved from the wrath to come.

Check out the official trailer for “Left Behind: The rise of the Anti-Christ” and go see it or stream it as soon as you can. You won’t be disappointed…

So, I found a clip online from one of our local CBS Affiliate news programs where someone from Jiggy Ray’s had made the Hillbilly Pit Pie live on the air. This inspired me to attempt making my own version at home and it turned out much better than I had ever anticipated. Of course, they have their secret, signature barbecue sauce and I had to use store bought. They smoke their own pork for hours and I bought mine at Sam’s Club. However, it all turned out just fine in the end! If you love barbecue and you love pizza, you definitely need to make this pizza at home. I think this will be one I make pretty frequently going forward. One note, I really recommend you make the Pizza Crust recipe that I posted previously on my Blog to use for this pizza. Now to the recipe!

Recipe

Prep Time: 10 Min | Total Time: 30 Min | Serves: 4 |

Ingredients

• Pizza Crust (Store Bought or Homemade)
• Barbecue Sauce
• Pulled Pork
• Mozzarella or White Cheddar Cheese
• Parmesan Cheese
• Bacon

Instructions

First you will want to lay out your pizza crust. If you used store bought, then just open the package and you’re ready to roll. If you made pizza crust from scratch, you’ll want to grease a pizza pan and spread the dough out to form the crust.

Next you will want to spread your desired amount of Barbecue Sauce onto the dough. I used G Hughes Sugar Free in order to cut down on the sugar and carbs.

Now it’s time to load it down with Smoked Pulled Pork. I used Member’s Mark Hardwood Smoked Pulled Pork from Sam’s Club and it was excellent.

Next we will cover the pizza in both Mozzarella (or White Cheddar) and Parmesan cheese.

Finally we’re going to add bacon to the top of the cheese to really solidify that pork flavor! Who doesn’t love bacon anyway?

Lastly, you’re going to want to preheat your oven and bake this bad boy on 500 degrees for 15 minutes or until your desired level of crispiness is reached and the cheese is just starting to brown.

And… Voila! The Hillbilly Pit Pie Ladies and Gentlemen! Enjoy!!!

Recipe

Prep Time: 10 Min | Total Time: 30 Min | Serves: 4 |

Ingredients

• 4 Chicken Breasts or 8 – 9 Chicken Tenders
• 4 Tbsp Olive Oil
• 1 tsp Paprika
• 1 tsp Black Pepper
• 2 tsp Salt
• 2 tsp Oregano
• Mozzarella or White Cheddar Cheese Cubes (Sliced Thin, 1 x 1 in square)
• Cherry Tomatoes (Sliced in half)

Instructions

1. Grease a baking dish with Pam or oil
2. Prepare Chicken by making a few slices that go about halfway down into the chicken breast, about 1 inch apart
3. Prepare glaze by combining Olive Oil, Paprika, Black Pepper, Salt, and Oregano in a bowl
4. Brush glaze all over chicken and down into the slices you made previously
5. Take cheese cubes and stand up one cheese cube into each slice you made in the chicken
6. Take cherry tomato halves and lay them between each piece of cheese and one on each end of the chicken to hold the cheese cubes upright and in place
7. Preheat oven to 390 and bake for 40 Minutes or until your chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit

If you’re having trouble placing The Cranberries, you may remember some of their hits such as Zombie, Ode to My Family, Dreams, Analyse, When You’re Gone, and of course, Linger. If you watched MTV in the 90’s, you surely remember the video for Zombie where Dolores was painted gold:

Dolores penned a lot of songs that dealt with war and civil unrest in Europe and that was the original intent of the song Zombie. She wrote it about two children who were killed by bombs, one of which was placed in a rubbish bin in London. Probably my favorite album from The Cranberries was “To the Faithful Departed”. One of Dolores’ heroes when growing up with John Lennon. On this album she wrote an amazing song called “I just shot John Lennon” about his murder in 1980. Another song that I always have loved and one that has intrigued me is “Salvation”, also from this same album. This song deals with, and speaks out against, kids doing drugs and states that “Salvation is Free”. I’ve read that Dolores had been brought up in and always kept her Catholic Faith and others have said that some of her lyrics have often leaned toward having a Christian slant to them. It has always made me wonder if maybe she was speaking to the free gift of Salvation that God offers in His son, Jesus Christ. It would seem to me that Dolores was telling kids to turn to Jesus instead of drugs for their problems in life. We may never know for sure, but I like to think that’s exactly what she was saying.

Dolores was never comfortable with rising to fame at such a young age. She was only 19 years old when The Cranberries began touring the world and playing sold-out venues. She had made the statement that achieving so much, so young was difficult, in addition to the fact that she was uncomfortable being watched and suddenly she was on the world stage for everyone to see and hear. In 2014, Dolores opened up with the Belfast Telegraph about her painful childhood where she was abused by someone who was in a position of authority in Limerick between the ages of 8 and 12 years old. Both this and her rise to fame led to mental health problems and suicidal thoughts. In fact, in 2012, she attempted suicide by overdose, but when it failed thought that she must still be here for a reason. Unfortunately, the difficulties in her life also led to alcohol abuse stating that binge drinking had been a problem for her and was where she turned to deal with pain. It seemed like her past traumas combined with the difficulties of fame really got to her as she often dealt with depression and was clear that she preferred quiet times in the country with her family over touring and performing in front of the world.

Sadly, it was ultimately alcohol that led to her accidental drowning at only 46 years of age in her London Hotel on January 15th, 2018. Dolores was found face-up submerged in her hotel room bathtub wearing her pajamas. The coroner reported that there were no drugs in Dolores’ system, other than her normal prescription medication; however, her blood alcohol level was four times the legal driving limit and five empty miniature bottles of alcohol and an empty miniature bottle of champagne were found at the scene. Her death was ruled accidental drowning due to alcohol intoxication. There was no note, nor indication that her death was anything except an accident.

What an unfortunate story. Dolores was survived by her ex-husband, their three children, and one step-son. Her funeral was held at Saint Ailbe’s Catholic Church in Limerick, Ireland where the service opened with a recording of Dolores singing Ave Maria with Luciano Pavarotti. At the end of the service The Cranberries, “When You’re Gone” was played and Dolores was laid to rest next to her father in a private cemetery. Below I’m including some images of Dolores being laid to rest and her grave as well as a YouTube video of Dolores performing an acoustic version of “Linger”.

So my wife was doing a lot of research trying to find the right church for us to attend online. A friend had introduced her to the teachings of Amir Tsarfati, who is a messianic Jew that lives in Israel, but often travels to America to preach the Word of God. It was through watching Amir’s sermons that we found Jack Hibbs and Calvary Chapel Chino Hills. Amir and Jack have been friends for a long time and often do conferences together. My wife decided to listen to one of Jack’s sermons one day while I was working and after work she said, “I’ve found our church! You have to hear Jack Hibbs teach” and it was at that point that we found what we had been looking for in a church home. The only bad part is that they are in California, over 2,000 miles away! However, there is good news and that is that we have been able to stream Jack’s sermons every Sunday and Wednesday and the church has a YouTube page where you can find countless past sermons. These sermons are also available on the church website and now Jack has started a brand new Podcast that can be found on all of the most popular Podcast platforms. I invite you to go to your favorite Podcast App and search for Jack Hibbs Podcast and subscribe today. God is using Jack in powerful ways to spread the Gospel of Jesus Christ and this is the latest platform through which this will be accomplished. The main reason we like Jack is that he teaches the Bible chapter by chapter and verse by verse, unapologetically. He’s not afraid to speak the Truth or spend as much time as he needs to teach the Bible in great detail. Please pray for Pastor Jack as he sets out on this new Podcast journey. I know God will bless his efforts and will speak through him to all those who are willing to listen and seek Him.

With all of that being said, I still can’t resist sometimes indulging in some of these amazing homemade French Fries! I came across this recipe on YouTube. The recipe comes from the YouTube Channel by “Fabulessly Frugal”. I will embed the video at the bottom of the post for those would would prefer to watch the recipe being made. All I can tell you is that I followed her recipe, making mine in my Ninja Foodi on the Air Crisp setting, and they have turned out perfect every time! Crispy on the outside and soft, tasty potato on the inside. They have become a favorite in our household and are often requested by my family. Now for the recipe!

Recipe

Prep Time: 15 Min | Total Time: 35 Min | Serves: 3-4 |

Ingredients

• 2 or 3 Large Baking Potatoes
• 2 Tbsp Avocado or Olive Oil
• Seasoning Salt to Taste

Instructions

1. Rinse and dry the potatoes.
2. On a cutting board, slice the potatoes lengthwise about a finger-width between each slice.
3. Lay each slice flat and slice again, lengthwise about a finger-width between each slice. You should now have French Fry shaped slices. Note: You can slice any size you would like, but it’s important for the slices to be similar in size so they all cook evenly.
4. Place all the fries into a large bowl and fill until the fries are covered with cold water to start rinsing the starch from the potatoes. Pour out the water.
5. Repeat step 4 two more times or until the water is clear and not cloudy.
6. Fill the bowl one last time with warm water until the fries are covered and leave soaking for 10 minutes. Pour out the water.
7. This step is important. Dry each fry with a clean towel or paper towels. This will help them to cook if they are dry and not wet.
8. Dry out the bowl used to soak the fries in water and add the fries back to the bowl.
9. Add 1 Tbsp of oil to the fries and toss to cover.
10. Place the fries in your Air Fryer and cook for 5-10 min on 350 or until the fries start to turn from white to a glossy yellow color.
11. Take the fries out of the Air Fryer and place them back into the bowl and add another 1 Tbsp of oil as well as your Seasoning Salt (or your favorite French Fry seasoning) to taste and toss to coat.
12. Place the fries back into the Air Fryer and cook on 400 for 20 min, turning fries with a pair of tongs every 5 min until done.

Now the dough itself probably wouldn’t be considered low carb, but sometimes it’s about taking something delicious and focusing on portion control. We went on Amazon.com and purchased, small, personal sized pizza pans that work perfect for portion control. Now, the carb count for this recipe as a whole is approximately 384. However, when you start breaking it down, it can become very carb friendly. If you make a personal pizza with 1/8 of the dough, you’re only consuming 48 carbs in the pizza crust alone. That was still a little high for us, so I eventually cut the dough into 16th’s and used 1/16 of the dough for a personal pizza. This did spread the dough a little thin, similiar to the old Chef Boyardee pizza kits if you remember those. However, this was pretty low carb at ~24 carbs for the pizza crust at that point. Eventually I split the difference and cut the dough into 12th’s and used 1/12 of the dough for each pizza crust, which equates to ~32 carbs for the pizza crust of a personal sized pizza. This was perfect as it wasn’t too high in carbs and it baked up nicely.

One other thing about this dough is, not only is it delicious, it’s extremely versatile. My wife and I started experimenting with other uses for the dough. We took mozzarella cheese sticks and wrapped them in the dough and baked them and made cheese bread. It was perfectly baked on the outside and gooey and stringy with cheese in the middle. This started us thinking about what else we might do with this dough and, of course, we thought of dessert! We took the dough and shaped it into twists and baked it and as soon as it came out of the oven, we brushed it with butter and tossed it in Cinnamon and Splenda. Amazing! They tasted like Churros. So, whether you are looking to bake an appetizer, main course, or dessert, this is a dough I would recommend without question.

This recipe was created by Joanna Cismaru (https://www.jocooks.com/wprm_print/15411). I’ve made it several times now and there is only one slight change that I make to the recipe so that’s how I will write it below. The change is in the amount of olive oil used in the dough. I found 1/3 cup was slightly too much. I also tried 1/4 cup, but landed on just slightly more than 1/4 and slightly less than 1/3 and it came out perfect.

Recipe

Prep Time: 10 Min Total Time: 10 Min Serves: 8

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 Cups Warm Water
• 1 tsp Sugar
• 2 1/4 tsp Active Dry Yeast (1 package)
• 4 Cups All Purpose Flour
• 1 tsp Salt
• Between 1/4 & 1/3 Cups Olive Oil

Instructions

1. Add warm water, sugar, and yeast to a bowl and whisk it together. Set a timer for 10 min.
2. Attach your dough hook to your stand mixer and add the flour, salt, olive oil, and the yeast mixture.
3. Turn mixer on speed 2 and let it mix the dough for 5 minutes
4. When finished, take the dough out and shape it on parchment or wax paper into a block or ball or some shape you can cut it evenly.
5. Cut into the number of servings you prefer (make two large pizzas, make 8 individual pizzas, make 16 individual pizzas, etc.)
6. Grease your pizza pan(s) with cooking spray and spread the dough out to form a pizza crust and add your sauce and preferred toppings.
7. Preheat oven to 500 degrees (or the highest temperature your oven has) and bake the pizza(s) for at least 8 minutes, but we like ours crispy and well done so we let ours go for probably 15 – 20 min.

Nutrition

(per serving for 8 servings)

Calories: 312kcal | Carbohydrates: 48g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 295mg | Potassium: 77mg | Fiber: 1g | Calcium: 11mg | Iron: 3mg

Corrie Ten Boom was born on April 15th, 1892 in the Netherlands to Casper and Cornelia Ten Boom. Corrie was the youngest of her three siblings. Her father was a devout Christian man and held an occupation as a watchmaker / jeweler. In 1921 her mother passed away at the age of 61. After apprenticing for a time, in 1922, Corrie became the first female licensed watchmaker in Holland.

When Corrie was young, two of her Aunts came to live with their family. The home where they lived in Haarlem, Holland was no longer large enough to house the entire Ten Boom family so her father decided to purchase the adjacent house across the alley and connect the two homes by closing in the alley and adding a winding staircase between the homes. The reason the staircase had to wind was because the floors of each of the two homes were at different levels so the stairs had to wind around and allow access to each level of the newly combined home. Just to note, this home is now a Museum and can be visited in Holland. Corrie and her sister Betsie took good care of their Aunts until they ultimately both passed away. Eventually this left Corrie, Betsie, and their father as the residents of the Ten Boom home.

During World War II, Germany invaded Holland in 1940 and their operation lasted for five years. During this time, Corrie, her father, and her sister began taking in Jews who were seeking asylum from the Nazi’s. The Ten Boom home became known as an underground safe house. Corrie and her family had a big heart and were willing to put their own lives on the line to rescue the Jewish people from persecution and death.

There were a couple of codes that were used to know when someone needed to be taken in and also when it was safe to bring them into the home. A telephone “code” was created for fear the lines were tapped by the Nazi’s. The telephone code was for someone to call and say that they “needed a watch repaired”. Once it was determined someone needed to seek shelter in the Ten Boom home, there was a wooden sign in the front of their shop that was used as a coded message. The code with the sign was determined by which way the sign faced. If the colorful design of the sign faced out to the street, it was safe to bring people into the home. If the back of the sign faced the road, it meant it wasn’t safe and to stay away.

Eventually the Ten Boom home was full of Jewish refuges hiding from the Nazi’s. The Ten Booms assigned chores and other activities to keep them busy and they all became like one big family. A buzzer system was also installed throughout the house so that should a Nazi office come knocking at the door, everyone would be alerted. There was a very small space behind Corrie’s closet with a trap door entrance inside the closet in front of which Corrie kept a large suitcase to hide the entrance. Nazi officers also frequently would knock on the wall to see if it was hollow to indicate a hiding space. However, Mr. Ten Boom considered this when building the hiding place and built the wall that was in front of it into the floor and the ceiling so it would sound solid if knocked upon.

The Ten Boom’s became well known in the underground for taking in and rescuing Jews. Once someone asked them to take in a Jewish baby that was going to be killed and they quickly agreed. Then on February 28, 1944, another man came knocking at the door stating that he understood they took in Jewish people and he said his wife was in prison, but the guard had agreed to release her if the man would pay him. Corrie agreed to help pay off the guard; however, it turned out that this man was a deceiver and he turned the Ten Boom’s in to the Nazis. Shortly there after the Nazis came to the Ten Boom home and when Corrie’s sister opened the door, they pushed their way in. Thankfully there was a buzzer near the door and her sister was able to press the buzzer to alert the household of the invasion. This is where the design of the new home comes into play. You see, the Ten Booms had implemented an emergency preparedness plan and practiced it time and time again. Any time the buzzer was pressed, they had to clear their plates at the table, leaving only three place settings and gather their belongings and make it to their hiding place behind Corrie’s closet, which was on the top floor of the home and the farthest room from the front door of the home, all within 60 seconds. It was likely because of the practice drills that they were able to make it to the hiding place and those six people were not found by the Nazis that day. However, Corrie and her family were immediately arrested and taken to prison.

Corrie’s father was 84 years old when he was taken to prison and he died just 10 days after his arrest. Corrie’s brother, Willem, and his sister, Nollie, were soon released. However, over the next several months, Corrie and Betsie were taken from camp to camp, finally ending up at the largest concentration camp for women controlled by Nazi forces. This camp was called Ravensbruck and was located in Berlin.

Corrie and her sister lived in deplorable conditions with malnutrition, fleas, and other pestilence. It was so bad, in fact, that the Nazi guards wouldn’t enter the living quarters. They would only set the food inside the door. This led to Corrie putting together Bible Studies and preaching the Gospel of Jesus Christ to others in the camp. Corrie had a tiny, smuggled Dutch Bible that was missed by the guards upon entry. Corrie had prayed to the Lord that he had opened the eyes of the blind and she prayed that God would now close the eyes of the Nazi’s so she could keep her Bible. The Lord answered Corrie’s prayer. As she was moving through the line, when it was her time to be searched, the guard got distracted with another prisoner and she was ushered in without a search allowing her to keep her Bible hidden. She and her sister used that Bible to, very likely, lead many to Christ right there in the concentration camp. Thousands of women died at this camp, including Corrie’s sister Betsie. On December 16, 1944, Betsie died of starvation and lack of medical care. However, many of the other woman were put to death through the horror of live cremation. The women would be sent into a room being told they would be able to take a shower an instead it was a crematory where they were burned alive.

The women were all assigned numbers to identify themselves and Corrie said that one never knew when their number was called if it was to go to the crematory, to truly have a shower, or to be released. Two weeks after Betsie’s death, Corrie’s number was called. To her surprise, she was taken to an office and provided clothing and her release papers. Corrie called this a clerical error of man and a miracle of God because shortly after her release, all of the other women of her age were executed.

After her release, Corrie started a post-war ministry that spanned decades. Corrie leased a home in Bloemendaal that she made into a home for concentration camp survivors, fellow wartime resistance collaborators, and the disabled. She set up a non-profit organization in the Netherlands to support her home and ministry. Corrie traveled to 64 countries speaking and preaching the Gospel of Jesus Christ. She wrote a book in 1971 and had a movie made about her in 1975. As she began to age, Corrie settled in Palcentia California in 1977. In 1978 she had the first of several strokes which took away her ability to talk. Corrie died on her 91st Birthday on April 15, 1983 after spreading the Gospel to millions of people all over the world.

Sources

Corrie Ten Boom: A Faith Undefeated (2013) – https://www.amazon.com/Corrie-ten-Boom-Faith-Undefeated/dp/B00L416LQ6 http://www.inspirationalchristians.org/biography/corrie-ten-boom/attachment/ten-boom-family/ https://www.learnreligions.com/biography-of-corrie-ten-boom-4164625 http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-t0yS-qYsizY/VYG-6jLdbxI/AAAAAAAADj8/AK1zXWw-DVQ/s1600/59b7880e7c.jpg http://jontrott.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/hiding-place.jpg

The Ancient Art of Writing

Critics of the Bible used to claim that the age and time of Moses (1500 BC) was a time of illiteracy. Some even claimed that writing wasn’t even invented until 500 years after Moses’ day. Therefore, many concluded that Moses could not have written the first 5 books of the Bible and that the Bible could not be true. However, libraries of written tablets have been discovered dating back to before the birth of Abraham (2165 BC).

The Flood

The first time God destroyed the world for its wickedness was with a great flood that covered the entire Earth. Many have scoffed at the idea that the entire world could be flooded and that Noah and his family were the only ones to escape the devastation. However, archaeologists and geologists all over the world have unearthed billions of dead creatures buried and fossilized inside sedimentary rock made up of sand, mud, and rock that were rapidly deposited by… water. These creatures are being found fully intact with little evidence of decay, which would point to a single catastrophic event. There have even been fossils of fish discovered high on the tops of mountains. There are also ancient accounts across many civilizations of a great and devastating flood and many tablets have been found to prove this. It clearly speaks to one event as described in Genesis in the Old Testament of the Bible.

The Ancient City of Jericho

In Joshua 6 the Bible tells of the Israelites marching around the city of Jericho for seven days before God caused the walls to collapse. Back in the 1950’s a British archaeologist named Kathleen Kenyon found those same collapsed walls at Jericho. The problem was that Kenyon claimed the walls had fallen around 1550 BC while the Bible says this happened closer to 1400 BC. Many critics of the Bible used this to claim the Bible was untrue. However, in 1990 a closer examination of Canaanite pottery proves that Jericho was, in fact, conquered around 1400 BC when the Old Testament dates the crossing of the Hebrew people into Canaan.

David (The Second King of Israel)

Until 1993, there was no documented evidence that David actually existed outside of the Bible. It was for that reason that skeptics discounted the Bible as mythology, saying that if David never existed, then the Bible could not be true. However, in 1993 an inscription that was over 3,000 years old was discovered in the ruins in the city of Dan that mentioned David, the King of Israel.

Nineveh

In the Old Testament, God directs Jonah to go to a city called Ninevah to deliver a message of coming judgement as they were wicked people. With no record of the existence of this city, many believed it was just part of stories told in the Bible that were just that, stories. However, a British archaeologist named Austen Layard put those worries to rest when he discovered a city that had been lost for centuries, buried in the sand. This city was found to be the lost city of Nineveh, which happens to be in Iraq today.

King Hezekiah’s Life Saving Tunnel

During King Hezekiah’s reign, he ordered a tunnel to be built to secretly route water from outside Jerusalem’s main wall into Jerusalem so that people could safely collect water during an enemy attack. In 2015 archaelogists uncovered a 2700 year old clay seal that had imprinted in it an impression of King Hezekiah’s signet ring. The very same ring the King would have worn during his reign. This proved that King Hezekiah did exist, was King, and was the son of Ahaz as the Bible tells us. In addition, before the signet ring impression was found, Hezekiah’s tunnel was unearthed. It stretches approximately 1750 feet and was dug out from each end and an inscription was found at the point where the tunnelers met in the middle to complete the project.

King Nebuchadnezzar & Babylon

It says in the Bible that Nebuchadnezzar and the Babylonians came against the southern Kingdom of Judah and besieged the city of Jerusalem and took many of the Jews captive, including Daniel, taking them back to Babylon (which is in modern day Iraq). Today the excavated ruins of the city of Babylon can be seen about 55 miles south of Baghdad, including the ruins of Nebuchadnezzar’s palace and many, many more items that are inscribed to show that they are from the time and place of the reign of Nebuchadnezzar. Archaeologists have also unearthed what’s known as the Babylon Chronicle Tablets that record the siege against Jerusalem, which was also recorded in the bible.

Belshazzar

Belshazzar, who is mentioned in Daniel 5:1, was a King of Babylon. Belshazzar was throwing a big party and during the party saw a human hand writing a message on the wall that no one was able to read. So Daniel was called in to interpret the message and the message was given that Belshazzar’s Kingdom would come to an end and it was that very night that Belshazzar was killed. Many critics of the Bible have said that Daniel’s account of King Belshazzar was false and that he never existed. This was mainly because documentation outside of the Bible showed that the King at the time for that area was Nabonidus. However, it was later discovered in an unearthed Babylonian tablet that not only did Belshazzar exist, he was the son of Nabonidus and was put in charge of the Kingdom while his father was away on a multi-year trip to Tema.

Dead Sea Scrolls

In 1947 a young shepherd boy who was tending to his father’s sheep in Qumran went after a lost goat that had wandered into a cave. Inside the cave, the boy uncovered large, clay jars that had not been touched for approximately two thousand years and inside those jars were found leather manuscripts that turned out to be the Dead Sea Scrolls or handwritten manuscripts of the Old Testament dating back as far as the third century before Christ. With the exception of the book of Esther, copies of every book of the Old Testament has been found.

King Herod

King Herod was the King of Israel at the time of Jesus’ birth and was the King who tried to have Jesus killed shortly after He was born. Many items have been uncovered that confirm the existence of King Herod including his wine jug with an inscription, coins with his name on them, and discovery of his various palaces.

John the Baptist

The New Testament tells us that John the Baptist was cast into prison and then later beheaded for calling out an adulterous relationship between Herod Antipas (Herod the Great’s son) and his brother’s wife. This story was corroborated outside the Bible in a book written by Flavius Josephus called “Antiquities of the Jews” where he tells of the same account of these things taking place. In addition, archaeologists have unearthed the very palace where John the Baptist was killed.

Caiaphas

Caiaphas was the Jewish High Priest at the time of Jesus’ life. He presided over the trial where Jesus declared Himself to be the Messiah, which ultimately led to His death on the cross. In 1990 a water park was being constructed near Jerusalem and a team of construction workers accidentally came across a first-century Jewish burial cave containing the remains of Joseph Caiaphas with his full name inscribed on the side of the ossuary.

Pontius Pilate

Pontius Pilate was the Roman Governor over Judea who oversaw the trial of Jesus and sentenced Him to death by crucifixion. While archaeologist were clearing away the ruins of The Roman Theater at Caessarea, they found a limestone block mentioning in Latin that Pontius Pilate was, in fact, the Governor of Judea.

Jesus

Many have questioned who Jesus was. Many often ask if He just a great man? Was He just a prophet? How was He viewed long ago around the time of His life and death? There is plenty of evidence pointing to the existence of Jesus that mention Him within 150 years of His lifetime. But did the people in those days also know the He was the Messiah? Well, in 2005, an inmate in Israel at a maximum-security prison uncovered the remains of one of the oldest Christian churches ever known, which also contained a large mosaic floor with the inscription below that showed the building had been built in memory of The God Jesus Christ. This also proved that the earliest Christians did believe that Jesus Christ was God in the flesh.

First Century Crucifixion

According to the New Testament, when Jesus was crucified, this hands / wrists and feet were nailed to the cross. Bible skeptics at one time believed that this could never have happened because nails could not hold a body up onto a cross. However, it was found later that a construction crew in Jerusalam came across an ancient Jewish cemetary that contained the remains of several men killed in approximately 70 AD. One of the bone ossuaries found contained the skeleton of a man whose name was Yohanan Ben Ha’galgol who still had an iron spike driven through his heel bone. Normally these were removed due to the value of the iron, but this one had bent and could not be removed so it was left in place inside of his bone.

Persons and Places Mentioned by Luke

In the Gospel of Luke and the Book of Acts, Luke tells of the spread of Christianity from Jerusalem to Rome and mentioned several details about how this happened. Many scoffers, including Hans Conzelmann who wrote a book on the subject, have said that the Book of Acts could not be verified and was simply made up beginning to end. One of the things Luke accounts was a man by the name of Lysanias who was tetrarch of Abilene. For many years, scholars pointed to the fact that history told us that Lysanias was not a tetrarch, but instead the ruler of Chalcis half a century earlier than the time Luke is describing and hundreds of miles away. However, it was later discovered that there were two men named Lysanias. Archaeologist John McRay uncovered an inscription from the time of Tiberius from AD 14 to 37 which does name Lysanias as tetrarch of Abila near Damascus, so Luke was proven to be exactly correct. In addition, to date, more than eighty details have been confirmed from the Book of Acts through Archaeological research.

So, as you can see, there is a wealth of evidence still here on this Earth that points to and proves what’s written in the Bible, the unerring Word of God, to be true. I can only imagine what else is still buried that will eventually be brought to light and revealed by God to man as archaeologists and construction workers continue to dig in Israel.

I’ve tried to highlight some of the major items that Charlie taught about in this sermon. It’s undeniable that God speaks to us through discovery and it’s amazing that no matter how many times people set out to disprove the Bible as the Truth, there always ends up being a discovery or something that changes their mind, whether they like it or not. Not only that, but many whom have set out to disprove the Bible have eventually come to discover their Faith in Jesus Christ throughout the process. The Bible, the Word of God, the Truth as we know it doesn’t need to be defended. It stands on its own, now and forever.

I invite you to take a deeper dive and a more detailed look at Charlie’s message in the YouTube video I’ve embedded below. May God bless you on your journey of discovery.

Note: All screenshots and data presented in this blog post were taken from The Stones Cry Out sermon by Charlie Campbell as presented at Calvary Chapel Chino Hills on March 9th, 2022.