Fontana Community Church

09/06/2026

I CONFESS THE SINS...About 2500 years ago, the Jewish patriot Nehemiah took on the task of rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem. He wasn’t even a citizen of the Persian kingdom where he lived. He was a second-generation Jewish refugee, born into forced exile in a foreign land. He could have pointed his finger at a multitude of other people and nations and played the blame-game. Instead, Nehemiah prayed to God Almighty and confessed His sin, his father’s sin and the sins of his entire nation.

“Lord, the God of heaven, the great and awesome God, who keeps his covenant of love with those who love him and keep his commandments, let your ear be attentive and your eyes open to hear the prayer your servant is praying before you day and night for your servants, the people of Israel. I confess the sins we Israelites, including myself and my father’s family, have committed against you.” Nehemiah 1:4-6

Nehemiah continued his prayer by confessing “We have acted very wickedly toward you. We have not obeyed the commands, decrees and laws you gave your servant Moses."

Nehemiah understood why Israel had been decimated as a nation, split in two with the surviving remnant of Judah forced into Babylonian exile, then ruled by the conquering Persian Empire for 150 years. He helped document it all. According to the books of Ezra and Nehemiah, after the 6th century B.C. capture of Jerusalem, there were thousands of skilled craftsmen, warriors, and elite citizens of middle and upper class exiled to Babylon, with more deportations in the ensuing decades.

According to the books of Ezra–Nehemiah, around 538 BC, the Jews in Babylon began their return to the Land of Israel by decree of King Cyrus, who also ordered the rebuilding of the Jerusalem Temple, dedicated in 515 BC. The return of the exiles to Judah during the next 110 years is known as the “return to Zion”, a synonym for the return to Jerusalem as well as to the biblical Land of Israel. The word “aliyah”, the act of “going up” came from the ancient event of “going up to Jerusalem” and has now become the term used for Jews returning to Israel. Right after the decree, around 50,000 Jews made aliyah as described in Ezra, but most remained in Babylon.

Nehemiah, born in Babylon during the exile of Judah, lived in the capital city of Susa in Persia. While serving as cupbearer to King Artaxerxes, Nehemiah was given the unenviable task of guarding the King's cup and tasting it to insure it was not poisoned. On the positive side, the position required that one be regarded as totally trustworthy, which usually carried the reward of a high position in the kingdom. Indeed, Nehemiah was appointed as master of ceremonies in the palace of King Artaxerxes, who ruled Persia from 465-423 B.C.

Historical records also suggest that the position of cupbearer was as influential a position as the Queen was to the King. Ironically, through the influence of the great Queen Esther in the court of King Xerxes in the very same palace, the people of Israel had been saved from annihilation several decades earlier. Some historians even speculate that King Artaxerxes was the stepson of Queen Esther, and son of King Xerxes.

The rest of Nehemiah's prayer is just as powerful as the beginning when he confessed his sins, his father’s sins, and the sins of his entire nation. “Remember the instruction you gave your servant Moses, saying, ‘If you are unfaithful, I will scatter you among the nations, but if you return to me and obey my commands, then even if your exiled people are at the farthest horizon, I will gather them from there and bring them to the place I have chosen as a dwelling for my Name.’ ”

“They are your servants and your people, whom you redeemed by your great strength and your mighty hand. Lord, let your ear be attentive to the prayer of this your servant and to the prayer of your servants who delight in revering your name. Give your servant success today by granting him favor in the presence of this man. I was cupbearer to the King.” Verses 8-11

Not only did Nehemiah receive the King's help, but because he was a close confidant of the King, Nehemiah was also allowed to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem, which could have threatened the Persian kingdom itself. He returned to Jerusalem as its appointed governor for 2 separate terms.

Later, Nehemiah privately gave God all the credit for the plan to rebuild the walls. “I had not told anyone what my God had put in my heart to do for Jerusalem.” Nehemiah 2:12.

"So the wall was completed on the twenty-fifth of Elul, in fifty-two days. When all our enemies heard about this, all the surrounding nations were afraid and lost their self-confidence, because they realized that this work had been done with the help of our God." Nehemiah 6:15-16.

Nehemiah led the remnant of Judah who had made “aliyah” to Jerusalem, to come together and work toward a common goal. Indeed, it was never about rebuilding a physical wall. God’s plan was for their NATION to be spiritually rebuilt under His watch-care and the authority of His Word. United, they moved forward accomplishing social reforms for the poor, forgiving debts, and bonding together in praise of the Almighty for His mercy and long-suffering love for them, spiritually influencing the world around them.

God continued to work through Nehemiah's governorship in Jerusalem to bring about a spiritual awakening to the people of Judah. Not only did they confess their sins as a nation, but also the sins of their fathers. "...The Israelites gathered together, fasting and wearing sackcloth and putting dust on their heads. Those of Israelite descent had separated themselves from all foreigners. They stood in their places and confessed their sins and the sins of their ancestors. They stood where they were and read from the Book of the Law of the Lord their God for a quarter of the day and spent another quarter in confession and in worshiping the Lord their God." Nehemiah 9:1-3

This appointed lesson of the Almighty is timed perfectly. The 25th of Elul on God’s calendar, the date of Nehemiah’s completion of the wall, begins the evening of September 7, and continues through to sundown September 8 on our 2026 Gregorian calendar.

This is not just a bible story. It DID happen. Biblical Archaeology Review 35:2, March/April 2009 confirms that Nehemiah rebuilt portions of the walls of Jerusalem around 445 BC. Despite resistance from surrounding nations and national turmoil, even their enemies could clearly see that God was behind it all.

Instead of playing the blame-game and pointing fingers at everyone else, Nehemiah led a national confession of sin which freed them to praise God in a magnificent way. May we all stand together as Christians across the entire world, speaking his immortal words: "Stand up and praise the Lord your God, who is from everlasting to everlasting. Blessed be your glorious name, and may it be exalted above all blessing and praise. You alone are the Lord. You made the heavens, even the highest heavens, and all their starry host, the earth and all that is on it, the seas and all that is in them. You give life to everything, and the multitudes of heaven worship you.” Nehemiah 9:5-6

And it all began with the humble words uttered by just one leader in repentant prayer on behalf of himself, his ancestors, and his nation.

“I CONFESS THE SINS…”

08/30/2026

It is with heaviest of hearts that we have to announce the passing Minister Gloria Hardy. Her battle with late stage COPD came to an end on August 22, 2026 a little past 4 pm at Mission Memorial Hospital in Asheville, NC. This is a devastating loss and she will be dearly missed by all those she touched.

A Celebration of her Life will be held on Saturday Sept 12 at 1pm at the Fontana Community Church. We would ask that donations be made to the Fontana Community Church or your favorite charity in lieu of flowers.

Her son Rob will succeed her as minister at the Church. Please pray for him and the Church during this transition.

Below is a link to Gloria's Obituary
https://www.townson-smithfuneralhome.com/obituary/GloriaJeanStiles-Hardy

08/13/2026

The Lord will be king over the whole earth. On that day there will be one Lord, and his name the only name. - Zechariah 14:9

08/13/2026

Don’t you realize that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and was given to you by God? You do not belong to yourself. - 1 Corinthians. 6:19

08/10/2026

https://www.facebook.com/photo?fbid=3355600777794382&set=a.544980730998339

08/08/2026

GIVE CAREFUL THOUGHT TO YOUR WAYS…The Hebrew figure of speech for this phrase is literally “put your heart on your roads.” God has designated the sixth month of Elul, beginning at sunset August 13, continuing to sunset September 12 on our 2026 Gregorian calendar, as the month for "soul searching" and turning back to Him. Indeed, the Hebrew word for this month, "Elul" means to search out deeply, as in the heart.

There have been thousands of Eluls on God’s calendar, adding up to thousands of chances to get it right. 2600 years ago, on the first day of God's 6th month, He sent Haggai to people, just like us, who were really good at saying God should be first, but poor in actually making Him a true priority in their lives.

“In the second year of King Darius, on the first day of the sixth month, the word of the Lord came through the prophet Haggai to Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and to Joshua son of Jozadak, the high priest: This is what the Lord Almighty says: ‘These people say, ‘The time has not yet come to rebuild the Lord’s house.’” Haggai 1:1-2

We should already have a handle on the very first problem we have run into for thousands of years. Notice that God's chosen people didn’t say they weren’t going to rebuild the Jerusalem temple; they just seem to be saying “Not yet.” They placed their personal economic needs and concern for their safety and security as their first priority.

“Then the word of the Lord came through the prophet Haggai, ‘Is it time for you yourselves to be living in your paneled houses, while this house remains a ruin?’” Haggai 1:3

We should carefully consider this scripture. Life is always in God's timing, like it or not. He appoints it impeccably and knows exactly what needs to happen and when. He has His priorities straight. We, on the other hand, need a hard lesson about putting Him first, and ourselves last.

"Now this is what the Lord Almighty says: ‘Give careful thought to your ways. You have planted much, but harvested little. You eat, but never have enough. You drink, but never have your fill. You put on clothes, but are not warm. You earn wages, only to put them in a purse with holes in it.’” Haggai 1: 5-6

The word-picture created by the Lord Almighty in these verses is NOT a pretty one. We can do a whole lot of work as Christians, but never accomplish one single eternal thing. And we can consume a lot of knowledge along our well-traveled roads of seminars and causes. But the truth is Christian works and ministries, as well as our pride, can become a bottomless pit of excuses to serve and glorify ourselves.

"This is what the Lord Almighty says: ‘Give careful thought to your ways. Go up into the mountains and bring down timber and build my house, so that I may take pleasure in it and be honored,’ says the Lord. ‘You expected much, but see, it turned out to be little. What you brought home, I blew away. Why?’ declares the Lord Almighty. ‘Because of my house, which remains a ruin, while each of you is busy with your own house. Therefore, because of you the heavens have withheld their dew and the earth its crops. I called for a drought on the fields and the mountains, on the grain, the new wine, the olive oil and everything else the ground produces, on people and livestock, and on all the labor of your hands.’” Haggai 1:7-11

“Then Haggai, the Lord’s messenger, gave this message of the Lord to the people: ‘I am with you,’ declares the Lord. So the Lord stirred up the spirit of Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and the spirit of Joshua son of Jozadak, the high priest, and the spirit of the whole remnant of the people. They came and began to work on the house of the Lord Almighty, their God, 15 on the twenty-fourth day of the sixth month.” Haggai 1:13-15

The recently returned exiles of Judah faced hardship in their rebuilding efforts in Jerusalem and struggled to remain faithful through many challenges and so much loss. In the next verses, Haggai assured the people that their faithful efforts would be blessed. Not only would the Lord Almighty return, He would fill His house with glory greater than anything they had ever known. And He would bring lasting peace.

“‘Be strong, Joshua son of Jozadak, the high priest. Be strong, all you people of the land,’ declares the Lord, ‘and work. For I am with you,’ declares the Lord Almighty. ‘This is what I covenanted with you when you came out of Egypt. And my Spirit remains among you. Do not fear. “This is what the Lord Almighty says: ‘In a little while I will once more shake the heavens and the earth, the sea and the dry land. I will shake all nations, and what is desired by all nations will come, and I will fill this house with glory,’ says the Lord Almighty. ‘The silver is mine and the gold is mine,’ declares the Lord Almighty. ‘The glory of this present house will be greater than the glory of the former house,’ says the Lord Almighty. ‘And in this place I will grant peace,’ declares the Lord Almighty.” Haggai 2:4-9

Indeed, God’s Word is crossing the chasm of time right this minute to remind us that He has a perfect plan in place for ALL His chosen people. The piercing sound of the Shofar horn, or trumpet, is heard every day in His sixth month of Elul, reminding us Christians to wake up! Now is the time to seriously dig down-deep into our heart and repent of sin that has gained a foothold.

The sound of the Elul shofar is one-of-a kind, designed to prepare us for the coronation of our coming King! On the last day of Elul, September 12 on our 2026 calendar, the sun will set and as soon as this happens, the Day of Trumpets begins God’s anointed seventh month with the sounds of 100 trumpet blasts in a specific sequence. There is one long blast, representative of the King’s coronation. Then three or more medium blasts are delivered sounding repentance. Nine staccato blasts awaken the slumbering from complacency. The final sound is one, great big, long, loud last blast.
Hear the shofar blowing sequence for the Day of Trumpets: https://youtu.be/M9jjOg7Hs1U?si=usppxjk2i04-gu81

Unique among all God’s Holy Days appointed in Leviticus, the Day of Trumpets begins as God's people watch for the first light of the new moon, signaling the beginning of the seventh month, heralding the possible second return of Jesus Christ, the Son of God! The new moon will be revealed in the dusk sky over most of North America on September 12 on our 2026 Gregorian calendar.

"Then the seventh angel blew his trumpet, and there were loud voices in heaven, saying, 'The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ, and he shall reign forever and ever!'" Revelation 11:15

GIVE CAREFUL THOUGHT TO YOUR WAYS… (PUT YOUR HEART ON YOUR ROADS)

08/01/2026

08/01/2026

THIS IS WHAT THE LORD SAYS: About 2600 years ago, the “weeping prophet” Jeremiah urged God's chosen people and their leadership to look to Him for their strength, not other people or governments. Thousands of years later, God’s Word continues to reverberate this same truth to ALL His people.

The focus verses of this lesson represent a succinct synopsis of the entire book of Jeremiah. “This is what the LORD says: ‘Cursed are those who trust in mortals, who depend on flesh for their strength and whose hearts turn away from the LORD… But blessed are those who trust in the LORD, whose confidence is in him.’" Jeremiah 17:5,7

In Jeremiah’s day, religious folks had come to believe that God would always preserve and protect their nation, no matter what. They were dead-wrong.

“’The people of Israel and the people of Judah have been utterly unfaithful to me,’ declares the Lord. They have lied about the Lord; they said, ‘He will do nothing! No harm will come to us; we will never see sword or famine. The prophets are but wind and the word is not in them; so let what they say be done to them.’ Therefore this is what the Lord God Almighty says: ‘Because the people have spoken these words, I will make my words in your mouth a fire and these people the wood it consumes.’ Jeremiah 5:11-14

When we read that God's word will be the fire in Jeremiah’s mouth that will consume those who have been unfaithful to Him, we should sit up and take notice. No one has ever used words as precisely as God does in the Bible. Through 200 varieties of figures of speech, The Almighty imparts the depth of His wisdom to His people. Jeremiah repeated these creative words, designed to get people to think and respond to God's message of deliverance.

In verse 5 of the very first chapter Jeremiah painted a beautiful and stirring word-picture of how he was called by the LORD. “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations.”

Jeremiah uses a figure of speech called hyperbole, which intentionally uses exaggeration or overstatement for emphasis and effect. Hyperbole occurs often in the Bible, but since we are thousands of years removed from the culture and language, we are apt to miss this nuance and prone to take it literally.

The setting of the hyperbole and its intention are revealed in the context of the verses before and after it. Here the Almighty was making the point to Jeremiah that there was no way he could fail as a prophet, because God Himself was fully vested in him and had prepared the way. Indeed, the first verse of the book of Jeremiah provides context for this understanding when Jeremiah stated that his father was a priest in a Levite city, which meant that his family came from a long line of Levite priests. Jeremiah most certainly had been immersed in God’s Word from the very beginning of his life, and through his parentage, even before his birth.

Verses 6-8 reveal that the Lord’s intention through the hyperbole was solely to encourage Jeremiah in the face of his predictable youthful hesitation. “’Alas, Sovereign Lord,’ I said, ‘I do not know how to speak; I am too young.’ But the Lord said to me, ‘Do not say, “I am too young.” You must go to everyone I send you to and say whatever I command you. Do not be afraid of them, for I am with you and will rescue you,’ declares the Lord.”

Jeremiah uses other figures of speech in verses 9-10 of the same chapter. “Then the Lord reached out his hand and touched my mouth and said to me,” I have put my words in your mouth. See, today I appoint you over nations and kingdoms to uproot and tear down, to destroy and overthrow, to build and to plant.’”

The apostle Peter helps us understand the word-pictures painted in the first sentences in the above passage. “For prophecy never had its origin in the human will, but prophets, though human, spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.” 2 Peter 1:21

Jeremiah was not only creative with his words, he also dramatized his actions to make a point, crediting the LORD with the idea. In chapter 27, he put a yoke on his own neck and went about urging all the people, priests, and even King Zedekiah, to submit to the yoke of Babylon so they could live and be restored to peace in the future by the Lord Himself.

What followed is a cautionary tale about the prophet Hananiah who removed the yoke from Jeremiah’s neck, announcing that God was going to remove the yoke of Babylon from the people of Judah in the same way. God’s fifth month begins the evening of July 15 and ends the evening of August 13 on our 2026 Gregorian calendar, so this accounting is positioned perfectly for our consideration today.

“In the fifth month of that same year…After the prophet Hananiah had broken the yoke off the neck of the prophet Jeremiah, the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah: “Go and tell Hananiah, ‘This is what the Lord says: You have broken a wooden yoke, but in its place you will get a yoke of iron. This is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says: I will put an iron yoke on the necks of all these nations to make them serve Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, and they will serve him. I will even give him control over the wild animals.’” Then the prophet Jeremiah said to Hananiah the prophet, “Listen, Hananiah! The Lord has not sent you, yet you have persuaded this nation to trust in lies. Therefore this is what the Lord says: ‘I am about to remove you from the face of the earth. This very year you are going to die, because you have preached rebellion against the Lord.’” In the seventh month of that same year, Hananiah the prophet died.” Jeremiah 28:1,13-17

Long-story-short, Jeremiah spent 40 years telling the people exactly what would happen, but they didn't listen. Even his own family turned against him, hostile because he was also holding the priestly religious leaders, as well as the monarchy, accountable for the moral decline and rebellious attitude of the people.

“Among my people are the wicked who lie in wait like men who snare birds and like those who set traps to catch people. Like cages full of birds, their houses are full of deceit; they have become rich and powerful and have grown fat and sleek. Their evil deeds have no limit; they do not seek justice. They do not promote the case of the fatherless; they do not defend the just cause of the poor. Should I not punish them for this?” declares the Lord. “Should I not avenge myself, on such a nation as this?“ A horrible and shocking thing has happened in the land: The prophets prophesy lies, the priests rule by their own authority, and my people love it this way. But what will you do in the end?” Jeremiah 5:26-31

Ignoring Jeremiah’s prophesy warning to wear the yoke Babylon would lay on them, and rely solely on God to deliver them, King Zedekiah chose to align Judah with the nation of Egypt to gain the strategic advantage over their nemesis, Babylon. Enraged, the King of Babylon not only continued to attack Jerusalem, he broke down the walls, burned the temple, killed many of the leadership and assigned most of the population to Babylonian exile.

Even when the army of the king of Babylon was attacking Jerusalem in a series of assaults, Jeremiah bought land in the city to make the point that one day God’s chosen people would return. Jeremiah 32:6-25

In the midst of one of the Babylonian sieges, in one of the most famous passages in the Bible, Jeremiah 29:11, God addresses the captive Jews. “‘For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the LORD, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.’”

Jeremiah was there when Jerusalem finally fell on the tenth day of the 5th month on God’s calendar, around this time of the year. The people were taken into Babylonian captivity and every building and house, including the temple was set on fire.

The words of Jeremiah end with God directing oracles or curses against many surrounding nations including Egypt, the nation Judah had aligned themselves with strategically and the hiding place many fled to after Jerusalem fell. Jeremiah 51

In the end, making a strategic alliance to gain strength, instead of depending on God's promise of future restoration, cost His chosen people more than they could ever have imagined. They refused to accept the yoke that God’s Word placed on them, so God placed a yoke of iron on their necks. Listen now, as the words of Jesus speak truth to us all. “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” Matthew 11:28-30

THIS IS WHAT THE LORD SAYS: “Cursed is the one who trusts in man, who draws strength from mere flesh and whose heart turns away from the LORD. That person will be like a bush in the wastelands; they will not see prosperity when it comes. They will dwell in the parched places of the desert, in a salt land where no one lives. But blessed is the one who trusts in the LORD whose confidence is in him. They will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit.” Jeremiah 17:5-8

07/24/2026

“I WILL NOT LISTEN TO YOU…” God does NOT say He doesn't hear the prayers of His people, illustrated here by the ancient Wailing Wall of Jerusalem. He says that He chooses NOT to listen.

“… On the tenth day of the fifth month of the seventh year… ‘This is what the Lord God says: Have you come to ask me what you should do? I, the Lord God, tell you that, as surely as I live, I will not listen to you.’ ” Ezekiel 20:1-3. (ERV)

This statement of the Almighty on the 10th day of the fifth month on His calendar, which begins the evening of July 24 on our 2026 Gregorian calendar, still reverberates His truth to us 21st century Christians.

About 2600 years ago, 10,000 of God's chosen people, exiled in Babylon and longing for home, quickly added up to a lot of self-centered prayers and needy people. The Prophet Ezekiel understood what it was like to be in the middle of all that. One of his often-used phrases was “in the midst of". He used it 116 times.

So when the prideful Jewish leaders of Judah came to Ezekiel seeking God’s wisdom for their nation, Ezekiel wasn’t surprised by what happened next. God replied to their prayer petitions with an invaluable history lesson. He reminded them of their rebellion in Egypt, again in the wilderness, once again in the Promised Land, and in their present-day Babylon. Each and every time they doubted God and decided to wave other gods in His face, He convicted them of their sin by simply removing His protective hand of covering and allowing their enemies to teach them a lesson they would never forget.

God had delivered Israel from another land where they were in bo***ge and led them to a new world, full of promise. “It was the most beautiful of all countries…I gave them my laws and told them my rules… They did not keep my commands—even though people who obey my laws live because of them. They treated my special days of rest as though they were not important.” Ezekiel 20:6, 11, 13.

We would be wise to remember God’s response to ancient Israel who called on His name, built their government on His covenant, but then attempted to control their national destiny by placing their faith in other avenues for deliverance. “I promised to scatter them among the nations, to send them to many different countries…I also gave them over to statutes that were not good and laws they could not live by." Ezekiel 20: 21, 23, 25.

God has plenty more to say in Ezekiel 20:30-31. “Since Israel did those things, speak to them and tell them, ‘This is what the Lord God says: You people have made yourselves filthy by doing the things your ancestors did. You have acted like a prostitute…Do you really think that I should let you come to me and ask me for advice? I am the Lord God. By my life, I swear that I will not answer your questions or give you advice.’”

So, God expresses Himself very simply here. Listening to Him means He will listen to you. Not listening to Him means He may choose not to listen to you.

And He may decide to bring judgment on a nation to call attention to the fact that He is God. "'…I scattered you among many nations, but I will gather you together and make you my special people again. And all the nations will see it. Then you will know that I am the Lord...Family of Israel, you did many evil things, and you should be destroyed because of them. But to protect my good name, I will not give you the punishment you really deserve. Then you will know that I am the Lord.' This is what the Lord God said." Ezekiel 20: 41, 44.

Contrary to popular Christian thought, God's Word teaches many times that God may NOT listen to our unrepentant, self-centered prayers. “If I had known of any sin in my heart, the Lord would not have listened to me.” Psalm 66:18. “We know that God does not listen to sinners. He listens to the godly person who does his will.” John 9:31. In Mark 11:25, Jesus says, “Whenever you stand praying, forgive, if you have anything against anyone, so that your Father also who is in heaven my forgive your transgressions.” 1 Peter 3:7 even tells us that lack of respect for a wife by her husband will hinder his prayers.

1 Timothy 2:5 tells us there is only one way to a relationship with God. “There is one God and one mediator between God and man, the man Christ Jesus.”

God DOES listen to the prayers of Jesus. “During the days of Jesus’ life on earth, he offered up prayers and petitions with fervent cries and tears to the one who could save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverent submission.” Hebrews 5:7.

We close today's lesson with a prayer voiced by Jesus himself on our behalf. Notice that Jesus does not ask His Father to save His city or His nation and the innocent, righteous people in it. He asks for the unity of ALL those who believe in Him, through the glory and love that His Father has given Him, and He now gives us.

“I pray also for those who will believe in me through their (the disciples) message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one— I in them and you in me—so that they may be brought to complete unity. Then the world will know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me. Father, I want those you have given me to be with me where I am, and to see my glory, the glory you have given me because you loved me before the creation of the world. Righteous Father, though the world does not know you, I know you, and they know that you have sent me. I have made you known to them, and will continue to make you known in order that the love you have for me may be in them and that I myself may be in them." John 17:20-25

“I WILL NOT LISTEN TO YOU…”