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The Golden Ephod

Stephen Kuntzman | October 26, 2025 | 10am

Text:   Judges 6:34, “But the Spirit of the LORD came upon Gideon, and he blew a trumpet; and Abiezer was gathered after him.”

Judges 8:22-27, “(22) Then the men of Israel said unto Gideon, Rule thou over us, both thou, and thy son, and thy son’s son also: for thou hast delivered us from the hand of Midian.  (23)  And Gideon said unto them, I will not rule over you, neither shall my son rule over you: the LORD shall rule over you.  (24)  And Gideon said unto them, I would desire a request of you, that ye would give me every man the earrings of his prey. (For they had golden earrings, because they were Ishmaelites.)  (25)  And they answered, We will willingly give them. And they spread a garment, and did cast therein every man the earrings of his prey.  (26)  And the weight of the golden earrings that he requested was a thousand and seven hundred shekels of gold; beside ornaments, and collars, and purple raiment that was on the kings of Midian, and beside the chains that were about their camels’ necks.  (27)  And Gideon made an ephod thereof, and put it in his city, even in Ophrah: and all Israel went thither a whoring after it: which thing became a snare unto Gideon, and to his house.”

The Golden Ephod

Judges 6:11-16, “(11) And there came an angel of the LORD, and sat under an oak which was in Ophrah, that pertained unto Joash the Abiezrite: and his son Gideon threshed wheat by the winepress, to hide it from the Midianites.  (12)  And the angel of the LORD appeared unto him, and said unto him, The LORD is with thee, thou mighty man of valour.  (13)  And Gideon said unto him, Oh my Lord, if the LORD be with us, why then is all this befallen us? and where be all his miracles which our fathers told us of, saying, Did not the LORD bring us up from Egypt? but now the LORD hath forsaken us, and delivered us into the hands of the Midianites.  (14)  And the LORD looked upon him, and said, Go in this thy might, and thou shalt save Israel from the hand of the Midianites: have not I sent thee?  (15)  And he said unto him, Oh my Lord, wherewith shall I save Israel? behold, my family is poor in Manasseh, and I am the least in my father’s house.  (16)  And the LORD said unto him, Surely I will be with thee, and thou shalt smite the Midianites as one man.”

Judges 6:24-27, “(24) Then Gideon built an altar there unto the LORD, and called it Jehovahshalom: unto this day it is yet in Ophrah of the Abiezrites.  (25)  And it came to pass the same night, that the LORD said unto him, Take thy father’s young bullock, even the second bullock of seven years old, and throw down the altar of Baal that thy father hath, and cut down the grove that is by it:  (26)  And build an altar unto the LORD thy God upon the top of this rock, in the ordered place, and take the second bullock, and offer a burnt sacrifice with the wood of the grove which thou shalt cut down.  (27)  Then Gideon took ten men of his servants, and did as the LORD had said unto him: and so it was, because he feared his father’s household, and the men of the city, that he could not do it by day, that he did it by night.”

  • Jehovahshalom = “the Lord’s peace; the sign or witness of God’s speaking peace to me, and to his people: or the place where he spake peace to me, when I expected nothing but destruction.[1]

Judges 6:28-35, “(28) And when the men of the city arose early in the morning, behold, the altar of Baal was cast down, and the grove was cut down that was by it, and the second bullock was offered upon the altar that was built.  (29)  And they said one to another, Who hath done this thing? And when they enquired and asked, they said, Gideon the son of Joash hath done this thing.  (30)  Then the men of the city said unto Joash, Bring out thy son, that he may die: because he hath cast down the altar of Baal, and because he hath cut down the grove that was by it.  (31)  And Joash said unto all that stood against him, Will ye plead for Baal? will ye save him? he that will plead for him, let him be put to death whilst it is yet morning: if he be a god, let him plead for himself, because one hath cast down his altar.  (32)  Therefore on that day he called him Jerubbaal, saying, Let Baal plead against him, because he hath thrown down his altar.  (33)  Then all the Midianites and the Amalekites and the children of the east were gathered together, and went over, and pitched in the valley of Jezreel.  (34)  But the Spirit of the LORD came upon Gideon, and he blew a trumpet; and Abiezer was gathered after him.  (35)  And he sent messengers throughout all Manasseh; who also was gathered after him: and he sent messengers unto Asher, and unto Zebulun, and unto Naphtali; and they came up to meet them.”

The temptation of this church age is also its burden.

  • The temptation of the golden ephod
  • The burden of the golden ephod

KJV, Judges 6:34, “But the Spirit of the LORD came upon Gideon, and he blew a trumpet; and Abiezer was gathered after him.”

ESV, Judges 6:34, “But the Spirit of the LORD clothed Gideon, and he sounded the trumpet, and the Abiezrites were called out to follow him.”

The Spirit of God – God’s Glory, God’s Anointing – wrapped around Gideon like a garment.

Came Upon (H3847) = “A primitive root; properly wrap around, that is, (by implication) to put on a garment or clothe (oneself, or another), literally or figuratively: – (in) apparel, arm, array (self), clothe (self), come upon, put (on, upon), wear.”

The golden ephod was Gideon’s attempt to manufacture what only God’s anointing and power can produce (Judges 8:22-28).

The result of this ephod was Israel’s fall into idolatry worshipping man made idols and not God, the created and not the Creator.

Rather than return to what attracted God’s attention to him in the first place, Gideon tried to establish his own system of worship.

There is only One Way to God and any other method leads to idolatry.

“The sword of Lord, and of Gideon” = Gideon taking partial credit for Divine success, and pride beginning to creep in:

Judges 7:16-20, “(16) And he divided the three hundred men into three companies, and he put a trumpet in every man’s hand, with empty pitchers, and lamps within the pitchers.  (17)  And he said unto them, Look on me, and do likewise: and, behold, when I come to the outside of the camp, it shall be that, as I do, so shall ye do.  (18)  When I blow with a trumpet, I and all that are with me, then blow ye the trumpets also on every side of all the camp, and say, The sword of the LORD, and of Gideon.  (19)  So Gideon, and the hundred men that were with him, came unto the outside of the camp in the beginning of the middle watch; and they had but newly set the watch: and they blew the trumpets, and brake the pitchers that were in their hands.  (20)  And the three companies blew the trumpets, and brake the pitchers, and held the lamps in their left hands, and the trumpets in their right hands to blow withal: and they cried, The sword of the LORD, and of Gideon.

Judges 8:27, “And Gideon made an ephod thereof, and put it in his city, even in Ophrah: and all Israel went thither a whoring after it: which thing became a snare unto Gideon, and to his house.”

Israel went a whoring — they committed idolatry by going to Gideon’s golden ephod in Ophrah to inquire the will of God.

This false ephod drew Israel away from the true ephod, instituted by God for this end, which was to be worn by the high-priest only and was in Shiloh where the Tabernacle rested.

Which thing became a snare — Sin and ruin came upon Gideon, his children and Israel because of this golden ephod.

Judges 8:33, “And it came to pass, as soon as Gideon was dead, that the children of Israel turned again, and went a whoring after Baalim, and made Baalberith their god.”

Gideon may have been a decent man who made the golden ephod with the good intention of worshipping God, but any desire to set up a religion on your own terms and not by the Word of God ultimately leads to sin and ruin.

Why was this sin so dangerous and how does it relate to the church today?

  1. Superstition and will worship, worshipping God by a device of his own, which was expressly forbidden:
    • Me and Jesus we got our own thing goingGod knows my heart, He knows I’m a good person
    • Good people don’t go to heaven. Born again people go to heaven.
  2. Presumption, in wearing, or causing other priests to wear this kind of ephod, which was peculiar to the high-priest:
    • Presumption stems from pride, insolence, and arrogance. It is total rebellion against God, His Word and/or His appointed leaders.
  3. Transgression of a plain command, of worshipping God ordinarily but at one place and one altar,
    • Deuteronomy 12:5, 13-14, “(11) But unto the place which the LORD your God shall choose out of all your tribes to put his name there, even unto his habitation shall ye seek, and thither thou shalt come:… (13)  Take heed to thyself that thou offer not thy burnt offerings in every place that thou seest:  (14)  But in the place which the LORD shall choose in one of thy tribes, there thou shalt offer thy burnt offerings, and there thou shalt do all that I command thee.”
  4. Making a division among the people:
  5. Laying a stumbling-block, or an occasion of idolatry, before that people, whom he knew to be too prone to it.[2]

[1] Joseph Benson’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments.

[2] Joseph Benson’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments. Judges 8:27

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Bible Teaching

Look for the Rainbow

Stephen Kuntzman | 9/21/2025 | 10am

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Bible Preaching

NO!

Stephen Kuntzman | 11/16/2025 | 6:30 pm

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Bible Preaching

The Magnetic Power of Praise

Stephen Kuntzman | 9/28/2025 | 6:30 pm

Text: Genesis 49:10

The sceptre shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh come; and unto him shall the gathering of the people be.

The Magnetic Power of Praise[1]

Reuben = firstborn of Jacob and Leah

  • He sinned against his father by sleeping with his concubine.
  • Unstable as water

Simeon & Levi = sons 2 & 3

Judah = Praised[2]

  • Fourth son of Jacob and Leah: “…and she conceived again, and bare a son: and she said, Now will I praise the LORD: therefore she called his name Judah…”[3]
  • Judah always signifies the act of praise.

“Praise” appears 248 times in 216 verses in the KJV:

  • Deuteronomy 10:20-22, “(20) Thou shalt fear the LORD thy God; him shalt thou serve, and to him shalt thou cleave, and swear by his name.  (21)  He is thy praise, and he is thy God, that hath done for thee these great and terrible things, which thine eyes have seen.  (22)  Thy fathers went down into Egypt with threescore and ten persons; and now the LORD thy God hath made thee as the stars of heaven for multitude.”
  • Judges 5:3, “Hear, O ye kings; give ear, O ye princes; I, even I, will sing unto the LORD; I will sing praise to the LORD God of Israel.”
  • 1 Chr. 16:4, 35, “And he appointed certain of the Levites to minister before the ark of the LORD, and to record, and to thank and praise the LORD God of Israel:….And say ye, Save us, O God of our salvation, and gather us together, and deliver us from the heathen, that we may give thanks to thy holy name, and glory in thy praise.”
  • David appointed worshippers and praisers: “Moreover four thousand were porters; and four thousand praised the LORD with the instruments which I made, said David, to praise therewith.”[4]
  • Ps. 7:17, “I will praise the LORD according to his righteousness: and will sing praise to the name of the LORD most high.”
  • Ps. 9:1-2, 14, “I will praise thee, O LORD, with my whole heart; I will shew forth all thy marvellous works. I will be glad and rejoice in thee: I will sing praise to thy name, O thou most High….That I may shew forth all thy praise in the gates of the daughter of Zion: I will rejoice in thy salvation.”

Some try to silence praise.

They will try to silence praise through spiritual death, unthankfulness, sin, shame, fear.

Others are too prideful to praise God. They call it “dignity,” but it’s really pride. Too fearful of what others may think.

You can make a choice to either entertain God’s presence, or pursue man’s acceptance.

God is captivated by Praise!

  • Psalm 22:3, “For thou art holy, O thou that inhabitest the praises of Israel.”
  • Psalm 147:1, “Praise ye the Lord: for it is good to sing praises unto our God; for it is pleasant; and praise is comely.”
    • He is attracted to your praise
    • Ps. 3:1, “Rejoice in the LORD, O ye righteous: for praise is comely for the upright.”
    • Comely = “beautiful, seemly”
      • “It becomes them; it is their duty; they are bound unto it by the mercies and favours they have received; should they not give praise to God, the stones of the wall would cry out, and rebuke them for their ingratitude: it is beautiful, and looks lovely in them…”[5]
  • Psa 34:15, “The eyes of the LORD are upon the righteous, and his ears are open unto their cry.”
    • True praise is righteous.
    • Woman at the well: “(19) The woman saith unto him, Sir, I perceive that thou art a prophet.  (20)  Our fathers worshipped in this mountain; and ye say, that in Jerusalem is the place where men ought to worship.  (21)  Jesus saith unto her, Woman, believe me, the hour cometh, when ye shall neither in this mountain, nor yet at Jerusalem, worship the Father.  (22)  Ye worship ye know not what: we know what we worship: for salvation is of the Jews.  (23)  But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him.  (24)  God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.  (25)  The woman saith unto him, I know that Messias cometh, which is called Christ: when he is come, he will tell us all things.  (26)  Jesus saith unto her, I that speak unto thee am he.”

Hebrews 13:12-15, “(12) Wherefore Jesus also, that he might sanctify the people with his own blood, suffered without the gate.  (13)  Let us go forth therefore unto him without the camp, bearing his reproach.  (14)  For here have we no continuing city, but we seek one to come.  (15)  By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name.”

Judah – praise – scepter not depart – gal pet – to him shall all the people come – magnetic pull of praise – praise draws people to JC –

Gen. 49:10

Ps. 33:1

Gal 3:13-14

[1] SOURCE: Conversation over breakfast with Bishop Jerry W. Dillon (Parkway Church, Madison, MS) at the 2025 UPCI GC in St. Louis, MO.

[2] Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Definitions. H3063.

[3] Gen. 29

[4] 1 Chr. 23:5

[5] John Gill’s Exposition of the Bible.

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Bible Teaching

The Value of One

Stephen Kuntzman | 9/14/2025 | 10 am

Acts 8:26-29, “(26) And the angel of the Lord spake unto Philip, saying, Arise, and go toward the south unto the way that goeth down from Jerusalem unto Gaza, which is desert.  (27)  And he arose and went: and, behold, a man of Ethiopia, an eunuch of great authority under Candace queen of the Ethiopians, who had the charge of all her treasure, and had come to Jerusalem for to worship,  (28)  Was returning, and sitting in his chariot read Esaias the prophet.  (29)  Then the Spirit said unto Philip, Go near, and join thyself to this chariot.”

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Bible Teaching

Covenant

Stephen Kuntzman | September 7, 2025 | 10 am

Text: Genesis 1:26-28

(26)  And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.

(27)  So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.

(28)  And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth.

Genesis chapters 1 and 2 contain for us a great and humbling truth:

God created the world for you and I, and He desires to have a covenantal relationship with us.

Will you fully embrace and accept God’s invitation to covenant?

One God, One Creator[1]

In Moses’ day, Darwin’s theory of evolution did not exist; No one believed the universe “just happened” after a “Big Bang”; and, the prevailing cultural belief of Egypt in that day was that the earth was created by multiples deities.

After all, they would argue, the earth so vast, so full of variety, that surely it was impossible for just one deity to create it all.

These faulty assumptions were upended with one Hebrew phrase written by Moses as he was moved on by the Holy Ghost: “”Bereshit bara Elohim,” or in English, “In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.”[2]

God did it all by Himself.  

No other deity partnered with Him. No triune, co-equal, co-eternal, co-existing deities collaborated on the Creation.

Just One God, Elohim, all by Himself, through the power of His Spoken Word – “And God said, Let there be light: and there was light.”

He said, “Let there be,” and low and behold, there it was.

Malachi 2:10a, “Have we not all one father? hath not one God created us?”

Deuteronomy 4:32-35, “(32)  For ask now of the days that are past, which were before thee, since the day that God created man upon the earth, and ask from the one side of heaven unto the other, whether there hath been any such thing as this great thing is, or hath been heard like it? (33)  Did ever people hear the voice of God speaking out of the midst of the fire, as thou hast heard, and live? (34)  Or hath God assayed to go and take him a nation from the midst of another nation, by temptations, by signs, and by wonders, and by war, and by a mighty hand, and by a stretched out arm, and by great terrors, according to all that the LORD your God did for you in Egypt before your eyes? (35)  Unto thee it was shewed, that thou mightest know that the LORD he is God; there is none else beside him.”

Act 4:24, “And when they heard that, they lifted up their voice to God with one accord, and said, Lord, thou art God, which hast made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and all that in them is.”

Isaiah 43:1, “But now thus saith the LORD that created thee, O Jacob, and he that formed thee, O Israel, Fear not: for I have redeemed thee, I have called thee by thy name; thou art mine.”

Isaiah 44:24, “Thus saith the LORD, thy redeemer, and he that formed thee from the womb, I am the LORD that maketh all things; that stretcheth forth the heavens alone; that spreadeth abroad the earth by myself”

John 1:1-3, 10-13, “(1) In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.  (2)  The same was in the beginning with God.  (3)  All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made….(10) He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not. (11)  He came unto his own, and his own received him not. (12)  But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: (13)  Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.”

Adam and Eve, the Crown of Creation

The surprising twist in the story of Creation is that as God was building His creation layer upon layer, He was preparing it for a covenantal relationship:

  • First came the alternation of light and darkness, called “day” and “night” (the passage of time), then the sky, then the sea and land, and so on.
  • At the end of each stage, God called it good. God was clearly pleased, but He still kept working.
  • Finally on the sixth day, after He had spoken skies and stars and plants and trees into being, God scooped up a handful of His newly formed earth and began to sculpt it into an “image” of Himself:
  • Genesis 2:7, “And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.”
  • In addition, God called him “Adam.”
  • And the Creation account ends with this statement: “And God saw every thing that he had made, and, behold, it was very good” (Genesis 1:31).

God had been working tirelessly for days on end, had achieved something significant.

He reached His goal and then He rested.

What was noteworthy objective?

To make someone in His image and likeness with whom He could have a covenant relationship.

What about This Word “Covenant?”

The word “covenant” does not appear in the Creation account, but clearly, God was establishing His desire to be in covenant with His people.

The only way to live harmoniously with God and His creation is by a covenant relationship marked by acts of separation and acts of naming.

What is a “Covenant?”

The word “covenant” is used 272 times in the King James Version of the Holy Bible.

A covenant it is an agreement between at least two persons or parties and this agreement can cover any number of things, but it is usually contingent on the idea that one side will do thus and so as long as the other side keeps their end of the contract. 

In the Bible, we see that often the Old Testament is a covenant between man and God, while the New Testament is a covenant between God and man:

  • A scriptural example of an Old Testament covenant is found in 2 Chronicles 7:14, “If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.”
  • New Testament example: Hebrews 8:1-13, “(1)  Now of the things which we have spoken this is the sum: We have such an high priest, who is set on the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens; (2)  A minister of the sanctuary, and of the true tabernacle, which the Lord pitched, and not man. (3)  For every high priest is ordained to offer gifts and sacrifices: wherefore it is of necessity that this man have somewhat also to offer. (4)  For if he were on earth, he should not be a priest, seeing that there are priests that offer gifts according to the law: (5)  Who serve unto the example and shadow of heavenly things, as Moses was admonished of God when he was about to make the tabernacle: for, See, saith he, that thou make all things according to the pattern shewed to thee in the mount. (6)  But now hath he obtained a more excellent ministry, by how much also he is the mediator of a better covenant, which was established upon better promises. (7)  For if that first covenant had been faultless, then should no place have been sought for the second. (8)  For finding fault with them, he saith, Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah: (9)  Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day when I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt; because they continued not in my covenant, and I regarded them not, saith the Lord. (10)  For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, saith the Lord; I will put my laws into their mind, and write them in their hearts: and I will be to them a God, and they shall be to me a people: (11)  And they shall not teach every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the Lord: for all shall know me, from the least to the greatest. (12)  For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more. (13)  In that he saith, A new covenant, he hath made the first old. Now that which decayeth and waxeth old is ready to vanish away.”

The Old Covenant involved physical circumcision, but the New Covenant is a circumcision of the heart. 

The New Covenant is a better covenant and is for the entire human family.

“Covenant” as defined in Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible:

  • (Hebrew) H1285, “a compact (because made by passing between pieces of flesh):—confederacy, [con-]feder[-ate], covenant, league.”
  • (Greek) G1242, “properly a disposition, that is, (specifically) a contract (especially a devisory will):—covenant, testament.”

God “made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and all that in them is” out of a desire was a desire for fellowship, communion, companionship —to have someone to love and to be loved in return.[3]

To signify the uniqueness of humanity’s relationship with Him, God granted them dominion, sharing His authority so they could rule with Him, caring for creation in their role as His representatives.

Will you embrace the role God has created for you?

Will you pursue the bond with Jesus that He desires to have with you?

Just as it was in the day of Adam and Eve, it is today: We are all created for a relationship with God and He has prepared a unique role for each of us in this world.

Just as Adam and Eve were specifically designed for relationship with God and given specific abilities to fulfill their purpose (“Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth”)[4]

You have skills, abilities and a work to do for God that only you can do.

I come to the garden alone

God built a special home for Adam, His image bearer. It was a garden eastward in Eden and a place of pleasure and delight. 

Despite all the “good” that God had declared beforehand, and regardless of the paradise Adam was presented with two unexpected phrases burst forth from the pages of the Book of Beginnings: “And the LORD God said, It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him.”[5]

Disrupting the “good” God saw something missing from Adam’s life that reminded Him of His own isolated existence:

“And out of the ground the LORD God formed every beast of the field, and every fowl of the air; and brought them unto Adam to see what he would call them: and whatsoever Adam called every living creature, that was the name thereof.  And Adam gave names to all cattle, and to the fowl of the air, and to every beast of the field; but for Adam there was not found an help meet for him.”[6]

Adam was created in God’s image so he could share fellowship with God, but that meant Adam also needed fellowship with another human—one who was like him.

Eve, the Perfect Helper

Genesis 2:21-24, “(21) And the LORD God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam, and he slept: and he took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh instead thereof;  (22)  And the rib, which the LORD God had taken from man, made he a woman, and brought her unto the man.  (23)  And Adam said, This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh: she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man.  (24)  Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh.

Eve was God’s gift to Adam, perfectly matched to meet his needs.

  • Eve was created from Adam (specifically, from his side).
  • Eve was created as Adam’s help, who was meet (matched) to him.

Throughout the Book of Psalms, this term “help” becomes an image of God’s covenantal relationship with humanity:

  • Psalm 54:4, “Behold, God is mine helper.”
  • Psalm 46:1, “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.”

Adam was not the only one created in the image of God; Adam and Eve together (male and female) comprised the totality of God’s divine image.

In fact, God called them together “Adam.”

Genesis 5:2, “Male and female created he them; and blessed them, and called their name Adam, in the day when they were created.”

Adam was incomplete without Eve and they needed to work together to fulfill the massive task allotted to them: keeping God’s gift of the Garden.

Separation and Identity

Creation is a study on separation and identity:

Genesis 1:2-5, “(2) And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.  (3)  And God said, Let there be light: and there was light.  (4)  And God saw the light, that it was good: and God divided the light from the darkness.  (5)  And God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And the evening and the morning were the first day.”

God separated the light from the darkness, and then He identifies the light by giving it the name “Day.” Next, He names the darkness by calling it “Night.”

By separating and naming each specifically God gave them identity, purpose and function.

God then separates the firmament from the waters and identifies that as Heaven, and that is when our atmosphere comes into existence.

Gen 1:9-10, “And God said, Let the waters under the heaven be gathered together unto one place, and let the dry land appear: and it was so. And God called the dry land Earth; and the gathering together of the waters called he Seas: and God saw that it was good.”

Eventually, this whole idea of separation and identity reveals the necessity of order in Creation.

Other examples of separation and identity abound throughout Scripture:

  • In Genesis 12 God called Abram to separate himself from his pagan culture by leaving his “country…kindred, and…father’s house” (Genesis 12:1).
  • Later God gave Abram and Sarai new names in order to mark the couple’s new function as nation-makers even though they would be barren for a long time.
  • In Acts 2, In the upper room either on the southern steps leading to the Temple, or overlooking the Temple courtyard, Peter called his hearers to separation from the world through repenting of their sins and taking on themselves the name of Jesus through water baptism (Acts 2:38).

God’s invitation into covenant is corporate and individual

God’s call to a relational covenant is offered to each individual person. The choice to join God in covenant relationship will always come to the individual; no one else can make that choice for you.

Once you accept God’s individual call you come into fellowship with the body of Christ.

Covenant teaches us that we have more than just a personal relationship with Jesus Christ (as vital as that is); we also have a relationship with His body, the church, a relationship that is also vital to our spiritual health.

When you enter that covenant with Jesus it is simultaneously a call “out of” sin and the depravity of a fallen world and a call “into” a renewed life established on God’s original purpose and design (covenant).

When we enter into covenant with God, we become “in” the world but not “of” the world:

(14)  I have given them thy word; and the world hath hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. (15)  I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil. (16)  They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. (17)  Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth. (18)  As thou hast sent me into the world, even so have I also sent them into the world.[7]

Having been separated from the world you take on a new name in Christ and with that a new identity with a new purpose.

Conclusion

Psalm 101:1 – Integrity Psalm.[8] The Maintenance of the Covenant:

  • “I will sing of mercy and judgment: Unto thee, O LORD, will I sing” (Psalm 101:1, KJV).
  • “I will sing of steadfast love and justice; to you, O Lord, I will make music” (Psalm 101:1, ESV).
  • Mercy, Steadfast love, is “sticky love.”
  • “It is the sort of love you can’t shake off. It sticks to you through every high and low, every success and failure, every malfunction and sin,” every victory and defeat. -Tom Nelson
  • Tom Nelson – “This attachment love” is the basis of the covenant that the wall of love between you and Jesus is built upon.
  • You are attached to Jesus by love and the enemy wants to destroy that attachment by disintegrating the wall of relationship, mutual trust and integrity between you and Him.
  • But the song of stedfast love is the song of God’s mercy: “It is of the LORD’S mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness.”[9]

Marriage is a covenant of companionship:

Malachi 2:14, “Yet ye say, Wherefore? Because the LORD hath been witness between thee and the wife of thy youth, against whom thou hast dealt treacherously: yet is she thy companion, and the wife of thy covenant.”

God remembered his covenant with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. That is why he put up with their murmuring in the wilderness.

And it came to pass in process of time, that the king of Egypt died: and the children of Israel sighed by reason of the bondage, and they cried, and their cry came up unto God by reason of the bondage. And God heard their groaning, and God remembered his covenant with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob. And God looked upon the children of Israel, and God had respect [knew, favorable regard] unto them.[10]

The Bible begins with a Marriage (covenant) and ends with a Marriage (covenant):

  • Genesis 2:18, 21-24, “(18)  And the LORD God said, It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him”….”(21)  And the LORD God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam, and he slept: and he took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh instead thereof; (22)  And the rib, which the LORD God had taken from man, made he a woman, and brought her unto the man. (23)  And Adam said, This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh: she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man. (24)  Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh.”
  • Revelation 19:6-9, “(6)  And I heard as it were the voice of a great multitude, and as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of mighty thunderings, saying, Alleluia: for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth. (7)  Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready. (8)  And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints. (9)  And he saith unto me, Write, Blessed are they which are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb. And he saith unto me, These are the true sayings of God.”
  • Revelation 21:2, 9, “(2)  And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband”….“And there came unto me one of the seven angels which had the seven vials full of the seven last plagues, and talked with me, saying, Come hither, I will shew thee the bride, the Lamb’s wife.”

[1] SOURCE: God’s Word for Life. Covenant. Fall 2025 Lesson Guide. Lesson 1 – Creation. Pentecostal Publishing House.

[2] Genesis 1:1

[3] Acts 4:24.

[4] Genesis 1:28.

[5] Genesis 2:18.

[6] Genesis 2:19-20.

[7] John 17:14-18

[8] Source: Nelson, Tom. (2021). The Flourishing Pastor. InterVarsity Press.

[9] Lamentations 3:22-23 

[10] Exodus 2:23-25.

Categories
Bible Preaching

The Story in the Wound

Artist: Eva Koleva Timothy Source: https://altusfineart.com/products/eva-koleva-timothy-my-lord-and-my-god-doubting-thomas-jesus?srsltid=AfmBOoqxmznqqpB4jdjvdcmDdMgVUAYCGU87R62SXtdZhAe1o4O6X8jA
Stephen Kuntzman | August 31, 2025 | 7:00 pm

Text: Zechariah 13:6, “And one shall say unto him, What are these wounds in thine hands? Then he shall answer, Those with which I was wounded in the house of my friends.”

 John 20:24-29

(24)  But Thomas, one of the twelve, called Didymus, was not with them when Jesus came.

(25)  The other disciples therefore said unto him, We have seen the Lord. But he said unto them, Except I shall see in his hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and thrust my hand into his side, I will not believe.

(26)  And after eight days again his disciples were within, and Thomas with them: then came Jesus, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst, and said, Peace be unto you.

(27)  Then saith he to Thomas, Reach hither thy finger, and behold my hands; and reach hither thy hand, and thrust it into my side: and be not faithless, but believing.

(28)  And Thomas answered and said unto him, My Lord and my God.

(29)  Jesus saith unto him, Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed.

I love a good story.

My favorite story is when someone tells me what Jesus has done in his life.

Where they were when Jesus found them and how He has been there along the way the whole time.

We all have scars, healed over wounds, which tell a story. Tonight, I am preaching on this topic:

The Story in the Wound

If you live any length of time, you will eventually carry on your body as scar.

That scar carries with it memory and emotion, but always a story.

Some wounds are internal, but they contain a chronicle that are as fresh on your mind as the day the injury first occurred.

Doubting Thomas or Thomas the Seeker

Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed –I find it of great interest that Jesus does not rebuke Thomas for unbelief. Instead, Jesus approves the faith Thomas possessed.

Some will not believe even if they see and hear.

Thomas was not a doubter, he was a seeker.

He saw Jesus die, but now he was looking, seeking, for infallible proof.

Thomas wanted a firsthand experience for himself.

Jesus looked at Thomas and simply says, “Reach hither thy finger, and behold my hands; and reach hither thy hand, and thrust it into my side: and be not faithless, but believing.”

Then Thomas makes the first post-resurrection proclamation of deity concerning Christ when he through faith-filled lips replies, “My Lord and my God.”

With that one statement, John uses Thomas’ declaration of faith to take us all the way back to the beginning of his gospel:

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.”[1]

Jesus then says, “Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed.”

Again, not rebuke of Thomas, just a stunning declaration from Jesus that there would be people who would not see, but believe as Thomas did that Jesus is both Lord and God.

Before he and the other apostles would pass away, they would convince thousands that Jesus Christ was both Lord and Christ, God in flesh, the Messiah, the Almighty.

Jesus is here tonight to deliver you, heal you, help you, if you will simply acknowledge His deity and say the most important three words you will every speak:

“Jesus, Help Me!”

The day may be different but the cry is still the same:

When he heard that Jesus was passing by, Bartimaeus “began to cry out, and say, Jesus, thou son of David, have mercy on me” (Mark 10:47).

Jesus was willing to be vulnerable

People today are searching for someone to show them their true self.

Our society needs someone who will become vulnerable, show them their wounds and tell them their story.

It is the story in the wound that resonates with people.

Yes, we cry out to Jesus, “show me Your glory,” but before He is glorified, He will suffer at Calvary.

Scripture tells us that Jesus was rejected, acquainted with sorrow and grief, made himself of no reputation, became a servant.

He told the people to come to Him, to the little children come, that unto His own and His own received Him not.

He was spat on, smacked, mocked, betrayed, lied on, beaten to the point of death, and nailed to a cross.

Jesus was pierced on His head by a crown of thorns

His hands and feet were pierced to the cross

A spear pierced his side

His back pierced by a whip that slashed across it unmercifully

Jesus was willing to show His egregious wounds if it meant one would believe.

Quit hiding your wounds, hurts, and vulnerabilities.

Elijah on Mt. Carmel v. Elijah at the brook

It’s what Elijah went through that gives greater credibility

What did it cost you to get you here?

Tell that story:

The Story in the Wound – The Story in Your Wound

Your Story, like Jesus’ story may contain bleeding, crying, groaning, crawling, limping walking, running, leaping, dancing,

BUT – The story in the wound is that you made it

When you tell your story, you are sharing through your vulnerability that now only have you been where they are now, but God brought me out.

God brought you out.

God brought you out

God brought you out

[1]John 1:1.

Categories
Bible Teaching

A Heaven to Gain

Stephen Kuntzman | August 24th, 2025 | 10 am

Text: Revelation 21:4-5, “(4)  And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away. (5) And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And he said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful.”

A Heaven to Gain[1]

Because Jesus has prepared heavenly home for His church, let us live with Heaven in mind.

JOHN’S VISION

John was one of Jesus’ twelve apostles and the brother of the apostle James. John referred to himself as “the disciple whom Jesus loved” (John 21:20). Although the other original disciples (except Judas) died as martyrs, John died of natural causes at a good, old age.

However, he was still persecuted, and it was Roman emperor Domitian wo ordered John to be boiled in oil and exiled to a prison island – Patmos – to die.

Without doubt he faced intense persecution, but on that unforgiving, rocky island, separated by a seemingly endless sea from all his friends and family, Jesus gifted John with the greatest vision of his life.

What do you think John struggled with most on the island of Patmos?

How did he get through it?

John’s Vision Came as Hope While He Was Exiled on a Prison Island

John saw Jesus, and John saw Heaven.

He caught a glimpse of Who and what awaited him on the other side of this life.

God instructed John to share this vision with us in the book known as Revelation, or more accurately: The Revelation of Jesus Christ.

When you think of the island of Patmos, don’t think of a vacation; think Alcatraz.

When he was sentenced, he expected to wither away and die on that island, which meant “my killing.”[2]

He had no idea that in this place of his greatest testing and point of loneliness, God would pull back the curtain and let John see eternity.

Heaven Will Be Heaven for What Will Not Be There

John’s view and description of Heaven contained what he did not see.

In our world, we struggle with pain, death, sorrow, hatred, racism, violence—all poisonous fruit of sin.

Here people are disappointed, discouraged, rejected, abandoned, betrayed, lied to, lied on, deceived, and feel invisible.

They battle cancer and other diseases, financial setbacks, relationship problems, and addictions of all kinds.

On this planet families are torn apart by divorce, mental health issues, promiscuity, domestic violence, and poverty.

Not in Heaven.

In the middle of his own calamity wrote: “And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away” (Revelation 21:4).

John was even impressed that there was no more sea.

We love the sea for what it means to us who like to take our summer vacations to the ocean,

but on Patmos the sea was an undefeated obstacle keeping prisoners from escaping to their families, friends, and freedom.

John was also saying there would be no separation in Heaven.

Nothing to keep us from one another.

Heaven is free of all the struggles this world has to offer.

In John’s vision he heard a loud voice saying:

“And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes.”

Jesus Himself will wipe every tear from our eyes.

It may seem overwhelmingly difficult at times to fight the good fight, finish the race, and keep the faith (II Timothy 4:7), but the reward of Heaven is far better than anything this earth has to offer.

Paul wrote: “Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing” (II Timothy 4:8).

Faith is a fight, but faith is worth the fight.

What would you add to the list of struggles you won’t deal with in Heaven?

I Will Remember My Heavenly Home When I Feel Discouraged

It is sad that we hear less and less singing about Heaven because those hymns and contemporary songs remind us of our hope. These songs are our battle cry and expression of confidence.

You don’t set out to forget Heaven, but it can easily happen without fighting to keep your daily devotion and spiritual disciplines priority.

God offers grace to follow Him, but you must maintain your daily consecration to Jesus Christ and make the firm choice to follow Him wholeheartedly.

Keep your eyes on Heaven. Hear and heed Paul’s admonition:

“Set your affections on things above, not on things on the earth” (Colossians 3:2).

Life is filled with struggles and hardships, which are out of your control.

In the last five years you have seen many people die, fight disease, endure financial setbacks, fought your own personal private struggles, but here you are worshipping Jesus this morning and holding on to the promise of Heaven.

Look around and you will see on the pew beside you people whose faithfulness will inspire you to keep your eyes on Heaven?

How can you inspire others to do the same?

THAT GREAT CITY

Heaven is a topic of conversation and debate for many Christians and non-Christians alike.

What will it be like? Who will be there? How can we make it there?

These are the questions frequently discussed.

What we know about Heaven we find throughout God’s Word with most of the information coming from the Book of Revelation.

It declares we will dwell with God forever in a wonderous place without sin or evil.

We will spend our days worshiping our God with an untold number of other Christians from every nation, tribe, and tongue.

We will rule and reign with Christ.

Heaven will be perfect beyond what we can comprehend.

Heaven Will Be Adorned with Jasper Walls, Golden Streets, Bejeweled Foundations

Nothing is quite as breathtaking as a scenic view in nature, like the snow-covered mountains of West Virginia, a rainbow displayed across the clouds near the lake, the Shenandoah Valley viewed from the top I-64, the dolphins in the ocean or the Blue Ridge Mountains.

In fact, all of God’s creations on this earth are a privilege to witness and experience. They are awe inspiring and exceptional.

However, they are nothing compared to what we will see and encounter in Heaven.

Think of your most beautiful, breathtaking vacation spot. Multiply its beauty, peace, and perfection by thousands, and Heaven begins to come into view.

Heaven will be beautifully adorned with precious stones, metals, and gems overflowing with brilliant colors.

John told us the city was pure gold like transparent glass, he also got a closer view of the construction materials, and he wrote what he saw.

Here we use concrete for foundations, studs, and sheetrock for walls, but there, the foundations are built of precious gems and the walls of jasper.

Even the foundation sparkles in Heaven. Heaven is glorious because it is filled with the glory of God.

The gates are made of pearls, each of the twelve gates cut of one beautiful pearl.

The best way John could describe Heaven, or New Jerusalem as he called it, was “as a bride adorned for her husband” (Revelation 21:2).

It will be beautiful, pure, holy, perfect for God is Heaven’s architect and builder.

Heaven Will Be Heaven Because Jesus Reigns There

If the walls were drywall, the streets were gravel, the gates were wrought iron, and the foundations were concrete, Heaven is still Heaven because of who is there.

There Jesus Christ, God incarnate, reigns as King of kings and Lord of lords.

His perfect will is done in Heaven, which is why we pray for His will to also be done in earth.

You remember this song written by Lanny Wolfe:

“Heaven for Me:”[3]

Verse One:

I’ve heard of a land that is wondrously fair

They say that’s its splendor is far beyond compare!

In that place that’s called Heaven my soul longs to be

For where Jesus is it will be Heaven for me.

Verse Two:

Now, if walls there weren’t jasper

And if streets were not gold

If mansions would crumble and if folks still grew old

Still I’d see ev’rything I’ve been longing to see

For if Jesus is there it will be heaven for me!

Chorus:

Heaven for me

It will be Heaven for me

Jesus will be what makes it Heaven for me

All its beauty and wonder I’m longing to see

But Jesus will be what makes it Heaven for me.

Jesus Christ died for your sins on the cross and defeated death, Hell, and the grave. He rose from the dead on the third day and graciously provided a way through the gospel for you to live in Heaven with Him as your Lord and Savior.

Jesus said, “I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also” (John 14:2–3).

Every neighbor in Heaven will worship Jesus Christ as Almighty God.

You will worship Jesus in a place of purity and innocence. The purpose for our creation will be fulfilled to the fullest as we sing around the throne of the Most High.

John saw “a throne set in heaven, and one sat on the throne. And he that sat was to look upon like a jasper and a sardine stone: and there was a rainbow round about the throne, in sight like unto an emerald” (Revelation 4:2–3).

Jesus, the Lamb of God, will sit on the throne, reigning over all creation.

I Will Praise God on Earth in Preparation to Praise God in Heaven

If you have a tough time worshipping Jesus now, then it is doubtful you will enjoy Heaven.

If you are not thankful here for what Jesus has done for you or haven’t allowed grace to pull out of you a gratitude for Jesus’ work in your life, then Heaven may not be as enjoyable for you as others.

When John finally saw Jesus as He truly is, he fell at His feet as though John were dead. (See Revelation 1:17.)

Although John walked with Jesus for three years, he finally saw Him as He is, and John promised us that one day we would, too:

“Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is” (I John 3:2).

John also saw “ten thousand times ten thousand and thousands of thousands” of angels, and he heard them cry out, “Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing” (Revelation 5:11–12).

He saw elders, people Jesus had redeemed, fall and worship Him.

John did not have to wait until He made it to Heaven to worship Jesus like the angels and elders are worshiping in Heaven right now, and we don’t either.

We praise God here because God is worthy, and we are practicing for when we get there.

If you love to worship Jesus here, you are going to love Heaven.

CONCLUSION

In 1983 Tom Trimble wrote a song entitled “I’m Just Warming Up.”

When I see those pearly gates and they swing open wide

I’m gonna shout for joy when I’ve reached the other side

All of my pain and sorrow there I will forget

And if you think I shout down here, you ain’t seen nothing yet

I’m just warming up, I’m just warming up

I’m just warming up, for that meeting in the sky

If you think I’m strange, don’t wait for me to change

(‘Cause) I’m just warming up for when I reach the other side

Everyone wants to go to Heaven (at least the wise do), but we need to be reminded that this world is not our home. Even our darkest days here are not worthy to be compared to the glory over there:

This world is not my home

I’m just a-passing through

My treasures are laid up

Somewhere beyond the blue

The angels beckon me

From heaven’s open door

And I can’t feel at home

In this world anymore

Oh Lord, you know

I have no friend like you

If heaven’s not my home

Then Lord, what will I do?

The angels beckon me

From heaven’s open door

And I can’t feel at home

In this world anymore[4]

[1] SOURCE: God’s Word for Life Adult Lesson Guide Summer 2025. Pentecostal Publishing House. Lesson 3.4 – A Heaven to Gain.

[2] Thayer’s Greek Definitions. G3963

[3] Song Title: “Heaven for Me” (sometimes referred to as “Jesus Will Be What Makes It Heaven for Me”). Original Release Artist: The Speers. Original Release Album: God Gave the Song. Original Release Year: 1974. Writer: Lanny Wolfe.

[4] Jim Reeves. This World Is Not My Home.

Categories
Bible Teaching

Bound but Free, Free but Bound

Stephen Kuntzman | 7/29/2025 | 7:00 PM

Text: Genesis 50:15-21 

(15) And when Joseph’s brethren saw that their father was dead, they said, Joseph will peradventure hate us, and will certainly requite us all the evil which we did unto him.  (16)  And they sent a messenger unto Joseph, saying, Thy father did command before he died, saying, (17) So shall ye say unto Joseph, Forgive, I pray thee now, the trespass of thy brethren, and their sin; for they did unto thee evil: and now, we pray thee, forgive the trespass of the servants of the God of thy father. And Joseph wept when they spake unto him.  (18)  And his brethren also went and fell down before his face; and they said, Behold, we be thy servants.  (19)  And Joseph said unto them, Fear not: for am I in the place of God?  (20)  But as for you, ye thought evil against me; but God meant it unto good, to bring to pass, as it is this day, to save much people alive.  (21)  Now therefore fear ye not: I will nourish you, and your little ones. And he comforted them, and spake kindly unto them.

First time “Forgive” is found in the Bible.

<<Tell the story of Joseph and his brethren>>

He wept because his ten elder brothers had forgotten his forgiveness.

He had forgiven them 17 years ago, but they were in bondage to their own sordid past, fearful emotions and unbelief.

Joseph had released them, but they could not enjoy their freedom.

They were physically free, but spiritually bound.

“Joseph was a type of Christ in the Old Testament. The famine was an event designed to bring the brothers to repentance and a saving knowledge, both physically and spiritually. The tragedy of the famine created the circumstances that led to freedom for these men, for they had been in bondage to a wicked crime against their brother for many years. It was forgiveness from Joseph that led to that freedom.”

-Os Hillman

Freedom

-President Franklin D. Roosevelt named Four Freedoms in his State of the Union Address to the Congress on January 6, 1941:

  1. Freedom of speech, and expression—everywhere in the world.
  2. Freedom of every person to worship God in his own way—everywhere in the world.
  3. Freedom from want—which, translated into world terms, means economic understandings which will secure to every nation a healthy peacetime life for its inhabitants—everywhere in the world.
  4. Freedom from fear—which, translated into world terms, means a world-wide reduction of armaments to such a point and in such a thorough fashion that no nation will be in a position to commit an act of physical aggression against any neighbor—anywhere in the world.

It was that last fear that bond those ten brothers.

The fear was, “Now that Dad is dead, what will Joseph do?”

They did not judge Joseph as he was, but as they were.

The reason so many people continue to live in bondage and cannot enjoy the freedom that Jesus offers is because they have never truly received His forgiveness.

When you are truly free your priorities change and you are no longer drowning in a quagmire of past regrets

True freedom means you trust God’s mercy and, grow in His grace, and your relationship with Jesus becomes intimate, close and full of trust.

When you have truly accepted the forgiveness of God the chains fall and you experience true freedom:

1. Freedom from hate, unconditionally. 

2. Freedom from self-pity. 

3. Freedom from fear of possibly doing something that may help someone else more than it would help you.

4. Freedom from the kind of pride that could make a man feel that he is better than his brother.[1]

Gal. 4:21-5:1, “Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage.” 

  • Paul is referring to the bondage of the flesh versus the freedom of the Spirit referring to Ishmael and Isaac: “But he who was of the bondwoman was born after the flesh; but he of the freewoman was by promise…. we are not children of the bondwoman, but of the free.”
  • Then Paul refers to the liberty – freedom – Christ grand us with as He frees, liberates, and releases us from:
    • “…the yoke of bondage”
    • Liberty from the power and guilt of sin, which nothing but the grace of Christ can take away[2]

Romans 8:1-2, “There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.”

When you truly know Jesus – The Truth – you are free from sin:

(31) Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; (31) And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free. (32) They answered him, We be Abraham’s seed, and were never in bondage to any man: how sayest thou, Ye shall be made free? (34) Jesus answered them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin. (35) And the servant abideth not in the house for ever: but the Son abideth ever. (36) If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.[3]

Bondage

Over the last twenty years, I have seen a rising infatuation with inspiration, but an aversion to real anointing.

“Inspiration does not break the yoke of bondage. Only the anointing breaks the yoke of bondage.”[4]

And it shall come to pass in that day, that his burden shall be taken away from off thy shoulder, and his yoke from off thy neck, and the yoke shall be destroyed because of the anointing.[5]

You can tell how bound a person is by the way they speak. In 1956 Evangelist T. L. Osborn wrote Faith’s Testimony: and it is a true today as it was then:

The Importance of Confession

You said that you could not do it, and the moment you said it you were whipped.

You said you did not have faith, and in that moment, doubt arose like a giant and bound you.

Perhaps you never realized that, to a great extent, you are ruled by your words.

You talked failure, and failure held you in bondage.

You talked fear, and fear increased its grip on you.

Solomon said, “Thou art snared with the words of thy mouth. Thou art taken (captive) with the words of thy mouth” (Pr. 6:2).

Testifying – Witnessing – Confessing

Few Christians have recognized the importance of confession and the place it holds in their lives. Whenever the word “confession” is used, they automatically think of confessing sin, weakness, and failure. But this is only the negative side of the subject.[6]

Positive Confessions:

  • “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me” (Philippians 4:13).
  • “God has not given me a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind” (2 Timothy 1:7).
  • “I am fearfully and wonderfully made” (Psalm 139:14).
  • “My God shall supply all my needs according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:19).
  • “I am more than a conqueror through Him who loves me” (Romans 8:37).

Forgiveness 

Scars (mentally, emotionally, physically) are reminders of

past hurts that have healed.

You carry the reminder as a lesson in life, but that reminder need not paralyze you.

Forgiveness releases you from the feelings and bondage associated with the pain. 

Forgiveness is not saying that what happened was/is ok, but it’s releasing you from the pain associated with the hurt so

that you can move on.

The scar then becomes a gentle reminder that you are a survivor and you can overcome anything.

It ain’t easy forgiving God, people, or yourself sometimes, but it’s a decision that you make and then keep.

So, when that old pain flares up you remind yourself, “Wait, I choose to forgive and I refuse to fall back into that trap of turmoil, pain, and hurt.”

You do that enough times and eventually all that remains is a scar, and as time passes the scar fades.

“One of my wise teachers, Dr. Orr, told me, ‘There is only one thing evil cannot stand, and that is forgiveness.’” 

-Fred Rogers

Forgiveness Doesn’t Allow Abuse

Joseph’s own brothers had attacked him, thrown him into a cistern and sold him into slavery (see Genesis 37:12 – 28) — causing him to be separated from his loving father for over 20 years.

And though Joseph had much to forgive, he did not dwell on the offenses. He gained grace from God and let go of what others had done to him.

His response is a healthy model for us when we’ve been hurt or sinned against: we need to let it go and then get what we need from God and people who can give.

That is a better life.

Unforgiveness destroys a good life. Forgiveness creates it.

Forgiveness is not denial. We need to name the sin against us to forgive it, as Joseph did (see Genesis 45:4 – 5; 50:20). He worked through it. He named it. He expressed his feelings about it. And then he let it go.

We need to watch out for the resistance that will want us to stay in the past, trying to collect a debt that will never be paid.[7]

Forgiving People have been put in positions where they had to learn forgiveness. Have you been betrayed? Hurt? Offended? 

“Wherefore I say unto thee, Her sins, which are many, are forgiven; for she loved much: but to whom little is forgiven, the same loveth little” (Luke 7:47).

Forgiving is Releasing, you must learn to forgive and be free (Luke 6:27-38):

(27)  But I say unto you which hear, Love your enemies, do good to them which hate you,

(28)  Bless them that curse you, and pray for them which despitefully use you.

(29)  And unto him that smiteth thee on the one cheek offer also the other; and him that taketh away thy cloke forbid not to take thy coat also.

(30)  Give to every man that asketh of thee; and of him that taketh away thy goods ask them not again.

(31)  And as ye would that men should do to you, do ye also to them likewise.

(32)  For if ye love them which love you, what thank have ye? for sinners also love those that love them.

(33)  And if ye do good to them which do good to you, what thank have ye? for sinners also do even the same.

(34)  And if ye lend to them of whom ye hope to receive, what thank have ye? for sinners also lend to sinners, to receive as much again.

(35)  But love ye your enemies, and do good, and lend, hoping for nothing again; and your reward shall be great, and ye shall be the children of the Highest: for he is kind unto the unthankful and to the evil.

(36)  Be ye therefore merciful, as your Father also is merciful.

(37)  Judge not, and ye shall not be judged: condemn not, and ye shall not be condemned: forgive, and ye shall be forgiven:

(38)  Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again.

[1] Source: Duke Ellington. (4/29/1969). Four Major Freedoms to Live By and Enjoy.

[2] Adam Clarke’s Commentary on the Bible. Galatians 4:21-5:1.

[3] John 8:31-36

[4] Lee Stoneking

[5] Isaiah 10:27

[6] T. L. Osborn. (1956). Faith’s Testimony : the Important Secret of Confession Unveiled and How to Keep Your Healing. https://archives.northwestu.edu/handle/nu/56853.

[7] Source: Forgive, Grow and Find God’s Path for You (21-Day Plan).  @YouVersion plan http://bible.com/r/Xv

Categories
Bible Preaching

Go In Power

Stephen Kuntzman | July 27, 2025 | 7:00 PM

1 Corinthians 2:1-5, “(1) And I, brethren, when I came to you, came not with excellency of speech or of wisdom, declaring unto you the testimony of God.  (2)  For I determined not to know any thing among you, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified.  (3)  And I was with you in weakness, and in fear, and in much trembling.  (4)  And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man’s wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power:  (5)  That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God.”

The Lord is seeking people who will press into Him: (12)  Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus. (13)  Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, (14)  I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.[1]

Daniel 11:32, “…but the people that do know their God shall be strong, and do exploits.”

Albert Barnes says, “The word exploits…is supplied by the translators, but not improperly. The meaning is, that they would show great prowess, and perform illustrious deeds in battle.”

<you have held back and been held back long enough>

When you visit Jerusalem they will take you to:

  • The site of the Last Supper in the Upper Room
  • The Mount of Olives
  • Gethsemane
  • You’ll see the Eastern Gate
  • They’ll take you to Caiaphas’ Palace ans you’ll see the prison and pit they Jesus in there.
  • You’ll pass by Pilate’s Hall
  • You’ll see Golgotha and the probable area where our Lord was crucified
  • Just a little over a 100 yards you’ll see the empty tomb
  • They’ll take you to the Pool of Siloam
  • You’ll walk up the pilgrimage road from Siloam in the City of David up to the Temple walls
  • They’ll take you through a tunnel and when you exit you’ll be at the western wall of the temple
  • Just around the corner of the temple you’ll walk along the southern wall of the temple, you’ll see mikvah pools in front of the steps southern wall.
  • As you walk up the steps to the southern gate – the gate beautiful – you find an elevated area many call “the upper room,” and this is where the Holy Ghost was poured out on the Day of Pentecost in Acts 2.
  • It’s where they waited…

Acts 1:8 – they had to wait, we don’t. We have the power, it’s already been poured out: “But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.”[2]

Hab 1:5, “Behold ye among the heathen, and regard, and wonder marvellously: for I will work a work in your days, which ye will not believe, though it be told you.”

So easy to look outside yourself, but the power or God is in you.

[1] Philippians 3:12-14

[2] Acts 1:8