Wave 94

"If you get up and you look around and you're surrounded by ashes... get the broom. Cry while you're sweeping, but start building again."

--Pastor Omar Ellison

Every believer stands at a crossroads: will you be led by your own desires, or will you surrender to the Master? In this teaching, Pastor Omar Ellison breaks down the biblical requirements for living in God's abundance and the psychological traps that lead to spiritual "devouring."

-- Being willing and obedient is the condition for eating the "good of the land." This doesn't mean just doing the right thing, but having the right heart while doing it.

-- Sin is defined as rebellion—choosing your way over God's way. When we rebel, we aren't just breaking a rule; we are rejecting our Owner.

-- The enemy cannot force your hand. Satan is a master of suggestion, but the power to act remains with you.

-- Disobedience is often a symptom of unbelief. If we truly believed God's way was better, we wouldn't struggle to follow it.

-- Repentance means being honest about the "ashes" in your life. If you have built with wood, hay, and stubble, God is faithful to help you sweep up and start building with gold and silver.

Scriptures for Further Study

-- Isaiah 1:2-3, 19-20

-- Romans 1:28

-- Ephesians 2:1-2

-- Ephesians 6:1-3

-- Deuteronomy 9:22-23

-- 1 Peter 2:6-8

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Find more information on our website: https://www.saltandlightcovenant.com/

Finding Clarity in the Light of God

In this teaching, Robert Kornegay explores the profound declaration in 1 John 1:5 that "God is light and in Him is no darkness at all." He challenges the common struggle of trying to balance a life of faith with hidden sin, explaining that true fellowship with God and others is only possible when we align ourselves entirely with His unchanging character. By looking at the example of the four lepers in 2 Kings and the nature of shadows, this message provides a roadmap for returning to a path of holiness and transparency.

-- God’s Nature as Light: Understanding that light represents truth, holiness, and purity, and that God is completely devoid of moral flaws or deceit.

-- The Barrier of Sin: How unrepentant sin acts as a wall that we build between ourselves and God, creating a separation that only repentance can tear down.

-- Repentance in Action: Using the story of the lepers in Samaria to illustrate the move from recognizing wrongdoing to actively sharing the "good news."

-- The Problem of Multiple Lights: Why personal "light" or limited knowledge leads to division, and why we must lay down our own perspectives for God’s constant, unchanging Word.

-- The Constant Nature of God: Exploring James 1:17 to show that unlike shifting shadows, God’s truth does not change with cultural trends or time.

-- Exposure for Healing: Understanding that while the light exposes our sin, its ultimate purpose is to lead us toward the cleansing blood of Jesus and the path of salvation.

Scriptures for Further Study

-- 1 John 1:5-7

-- Isaiah 59:1-2

-- 2 Kings 7:9

-- James 2:10

-- Psalm 27:1

-- James 1:17

-- Hebrews 13:8

-- John 3:16-20

-- Psalm 119:105

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Hear more messages and find out more about Oyster Bay Church of Christ in Crawfordville, FL on our website: https://www.obcoc.org/

And here: https://pearlsofwisdomonline.org/

We live in an age of digital shadows where 5,000 "friends" on a screen can still leave a soul feeling utterly isolated. Pastor Steve Dow argues that the church must move beyond the "four walls" and beyond casual foyer greetings to develop relationships that are "Damascus-blade" strong—tempered by adversity and hardened by the Word of God. True friendship isn't just about common interests; it is about having someone who knows your warts and wrinkles but chooses to believe in your divine potential.

-- To have friends, you must first show yourself friendly; meaningful connection requires putting yourself out there and being present.

-- Authentic friendships are often forged in the fires of adversity and tragedy, creating a bond that casual settings can never replicate.

-- The church should be a "safe place" where relationships are valued above religion, rituals, and dogma.

-- We are called to be salt and light, which requires intentionally building friendships with those who do not yet know Jesus.

-- Jesus has invited us out of "servanthood" and into "friendship," offering us a relationship where we are privy to the Father's heart.

-- Deep community acts as a safety net; when you have real friends in the body of Christ, you are less likely to be shaken by minor offenses or life's storms.

Scriptures for Further Study

-- Proverbs 18:24

-- Proverbs 27:17

-- John 1:45-46

-- John 15:15

-- 1 Samuel 23:15-18

-- James 2:23

-- Luke 11:19

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You can find our service times on our website: https://www.anctally.com/

You can find sermon highlights on Twitter here: https://x.com/allnationstally

"Prayer reconnects us to God, and fasting removes the competition."

— Pastor Ryan Kramer

In this message, Pastor Ryan Kramer explores the gap between knowing God’s power and experiencing it. When we face "this kind" of mountain—the stubborn habits, the long-term obstacles, or the silent heavens—the answer isn't simply more faith, but faith placed in the right Person. By understanding our nature as body, soul, and spirit, we can use the tools of prayer and fasting to bring our lives back into harmony with God's will.

-- The Danger of Familiarity: How past successes can lead us to rely on our own strength and routines rather than a fresh dependence on the Holy Spirit.

-- Little Faith vs. Mustard Seed Faith: Why Jesus rebuked the disciples for "little faith" but praised the "mustard seed." It isn't about the size of your faith, but where you place it.

-- The Triune Being: Understanding how our body (fleshly appetites) and soul (mind and emotions) often compete with our spirit for control.

-- Prayer and Fasting: The two-fold process of reconnecting with the Creator while intentionally silencing the distractions and cravings that hinder our spiritual growth.

-- The Purpose of Difficulty: Recognizing that God allows "uncomfortable" seasons to move us from casual faith to a deeper, more transformative reliance on Him.

Scriptures for Further Study

-- Matthew 17:1-21

-- Deuteronomy 32:5

-- Matthew 10:1

-- Genesis 1:26-27

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Join us for church this Sunday.

For service times and meeting location please visit https://transformtlh.com/

References:

(1) The bibliographic test seeks to determine if we can RECONSTRUCT the original writings from the extant copies of the documents we have at hand. It examines the QUANTITY, the QUALITY, and the PROXIMITY of the MSS relative to the ORIGINAL TEXTS. More MSS and earlier copies generally indicate a higher level of reliability.

(2) The Internal Test checks for INCONSISTENCIES within the text itself. It evaluates the accuracy of the internal content of the MSS. If the text contains internal contradictions, it will not be considered as reliable.

(3) The External Test involves examining historical documents and archaeological findings OUTSIDE the MSS that support the Bible’s claims.

(4) According to Norman Geisler’s book Christian Apologetics pp. 306-307 there is more abundant and accurate manuscript evidence for the NT THAN FOR ANY OTHER BOOK from the ancient world.

(5) In contrast, the typical number of existing MSS copies for any works of ancient authors, such as the well known classical authors Caesar, Livy, Tacitus, Thucydides, Herodotus, Demosthenes, Homer, NT, given in a table of Christian Apoletics that range from the 9 century BC for Homer to the first century AD for the NT. The earliest copies of these ancient non-Christian authors range from 643 for Homer, 200 for Demosthenes but the other BC writers the number of copies range from 8 to 20 and this is typical for many other ancient writers as well. The average gap between when the original manuscript was first penned to the discovery of the earliest copy is over 1000 years. The average secular work from antiquity survives on only a handful of MSS; but the NT boasts thousands. The degree of ACCURACY is greater for the NT than for other books that can be compared.

(6) Bruce M. Metzker (1914-2007) was an American biblical scholar and historian who taught NT languages and literature at Princeton University.

(7) The NT has about 20,000 lines. Of these only about 40 are in doubt (i.e., about 400 words). The Iliad has about 15,600 lines with 764 lines in question. This would mean that Homer’s text is only 95% pure compared to what Metzker says that the NT can be regarded as approximately 99.5% accurate.

(8) We need only compare such SLIM EVIDENCE for classical authors to the MASS of NT DOCUMENTATION involving over 24,000 MSS portions and versions dating within 70 years after they were originally written.

(9) The small percentage of minor mistakes are due to scribal error (like spelling, word order, etc.). Only a fraction of these have any real consequences. Furthermore, NO VARIANT READINGS are significant enough to call into question any doctrines of the NT.

(10) Josh McDowell says in his book God Breathed that Dr. Peter Flint, the director of the Dead Sea Scrolls Institute at Trinity Western University in British Columbia and author of the book The Dead Sea Scrolls, affirms that the scrolls confirm the Hebrew text.

(11) The proximity of the NT MSS Is EXCEPTIONAL. For most of the NT is less than 70 years from the date of authorship to the date of our earliest NT MSS. This can be contrasted with the average gap of over 1000 years between the composition and the earliest copy of other ancient authors. The early dates of the MSS, copied close to the time of the events of the Bible, do not allow enough time for MYTH and EMBELLISHMENT to have ALTERED the text.

(12) To summarize the bibliographic test, the OT and NT enjoy far greater MSS attestations in terms of quantity, quality, and proximity span than any other ancient documents. In other words, the Bible passes the biographical test and must be graded with the HIGHEST MARK of any ancient literature we possess.

This is episode 260.

It is a good thing to give thanks unto the Lord! But what if life isn't going that great?

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By the way, if you haven't bought a copy of my new book yet, check it out here: https://www.amazon.com/Dreams-Visions-Stories-Faith-Pastor/dp/161493536X

Psalm 92 has so many powerful statements!

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By the way, if you haven't bought a copy of my new book yet, check it out here: https://www.amazon.com/Dreams-Visions-Stories-Faith-Pastor/dp/161493536X

We are looking deeply into Psalm 92 this week.

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By the way, if you haven't bought a copy of my new book yet, check it out here: https://www.amazon.com/Dreams-Visions-Stories-Faith-Pastor/dp/161493536X

We are to let it be known what God has done in our life.

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By the way, if you haven't bought a copy of my new book yet, check it out here: https://www.amazon.com/Dreams-Visions-Stories-Faith-Pastor/dp/161493536X

It is a good thing to give thinks to the Lord.

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By the way, if you haven't bought a copy of my new book yet, check it out here: https://www.amazon.com/Dreams-Visions-Stories-Faith-Pastor/dp/161493536X