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Four points that I truly believe are wonderful reasons to read the Bible.

Point 1: The Bible is not just a book.

The Bible is God’s Word. Hebrews 4:12 says, “For the word of God is alive and powerful. It is sharper than the sharpest two-edged sword, cutting between soul and spirit, between joint and marrow. It exposes our innermost thoughts and desires.”

That means when we open the Bible, we are not just reading history or poetry—we’re encountering the living God.

Studying the Bible is how we hear God’s voice, understand God’s heart, and align our lives with God’s truth. Scripture is not just ink on a page—it’s a living force.

The Bible doesn’t just inform us—it pierces us, challenges us, and heals us. And that’s why it’s so important to study it with intention. Even the oldest stories in the Old Testament still speak to us today.

Romans 15:4 “Such things were written in the Scriptures long ago to teach us. And the Scriptures give us hope and encouragement as we wait patiently for God’s promises to be fulfilled.”

From Genesis to Revelation, every word has a purpose. The Bible isn’t outdated—it’s timeless. And when we study it, we find hope, endurance, and wisdom.

Point 2: Studying the Bible Shapes Our Identity

In a world that constantly tells us who we should be, the Bible reminds us who we already are in Christ.

Ephesians 2:10 says, “For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.”

So studying Scripture helps us replace lies with truth. It’s like spiritual recalibration. When anxiety, shame, or confusion creep in our mind, God’s Word anchors us back to truth.

Isn’t that beautiful? The Word of God doesn’t just teach—it refreshes. It revives weary hearts and brings joy to the broken. And that’s why we don’t just read it—we study it.

Point 3: Studying the Bible Equips Us for Life

2 Timothy 3:16–17 says, “All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right. 17 God uses it to prepare and equip his people to do every good work.”

That’s not just poetic—it’s practical.

So if Scripture is God-breathed—straight from God’s heart to ours—then it’s not just helpful, it’s essential. And when we begin to see the Bible that way, it changes how we approach it.

Studying the Bible equips us to make wise decisions, love others well, and persevere through trials. It’s our spiritual toolkit, and without it, we’re trying to build a life of faith with no blueprint to guide us.

Have you ever felt like you’re walking through fog in life? This verse reminds us that God’s Word doesn’t always give us the whole map—but it gives us the next step. And that’s often exactly what we need. The bible doesn’t just guide—it transforms, one step at a time.

Point 4: Studying the Bible Deepens Our Relationship with God

Studying the bible is how we walk with God—not blindly, but with clarity and purpose. Romans 12:2 “Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.”

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Welcome to the Gathering!

Have you ever wanted to sharpen your conflict resolution skills?

Meet Marius Andrews as he discusses what causes conflicts and the steps to resolve conflicts. Marius lives in South Africa where he is a certified counselor for youth, and mentors young adults. He is a life coach for adults and specializes in conflict resolution. His life experience includes ministry, mission work, church planting, discipleship, and community outreach. You may reach out to Marius via email: mariusandrews@gmail.com or Whatsapp at +27 082 406 4635.

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Friends, today we are discussing dry bones and dark valleys.

Let’s begin with Ezekiel 37:1-5, "The hand of the Lord was upon me, and he brought me out in the Spirit of the Lord and set me down in the middle of the valley; it was full of bones. And he led me around among them, and behold, there were very many on the surface of the valley, and behold, they were very dry. And he said to me, 'Son of man, can these bones live?' And I answered, 'O Lord God, you know.' Then he said to me, 'Prophesy over these bones, and say to them, O dry bones, hear the word of the Lord. Thus says the Lord God to these bones: Behold, I will cause breath to enter you, and you shall live'".

In Christianity, the vision of dry bones in Ezekiel symbolizes God's power to revive and restore what seems dead or hopeless. In particular, the scripture of dry bones is a symbolic representation of the restoration of Israel at that biblical time, and today it represents individual spiritual renewal for believers. The dry bones, which initially were a scene of despair, are brought to life by God's breath, signifying hope, resurrection, and the promise of new life through faith.

Sometimes, God sends us into spaces of dead, dry, and dark places. But our mandate, as His Children, is to be light and to speak life into the dead, dry, defeated, and forgotten areas in life. Because without God’s Word, there is no spiritual resurrection.

We are to speak encouragement, hope, and faith into seemingly hopeless situations or into the lives of people who feel spiritually dead or broken. It's all about actively using words to bring about healing, restoration, and new beginnings when faced with despair or stagnation. And as we can see in the Bible, God has provided a scripture of hope and encouragement for every valley and dry season that we may experience in this life.

And along with encouraging words, God has given us the grace to help ourselves and to help others. My friends, the gifts, talents, and abilities that our Father has placed inside of us are not for our benefit and self-exaltation, but the gifts and talents that are buried inside of each one of us are to be used to glorify God and help others. Through our words and actions, God uses our gifts to build up the old and breathe life into the worn-down things.

We should boldly speak life over spiritually dry areas because we believe it to be true, not because we are hoping it will come true.

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Friends, we are discussing one of God's names today. That name is Elohim. “Elohim" is a Hebrew word often translated as "God" in the Old Testament, which first appears in the very first verse of the Bible: "In the beginning God [Elohim] created the heavens and the earth" (Genesis 1:1).

It's not just a general word for "god," but a specific name used for the God of Israel. Genesis 1:1 is the first time God reveals himself as Elohim. “In the beginning, God (Elohim) created the heavens and the earth.” The term "Elohim" means “supreme one” or “mighty one. That is powerful because our universe does not exist by accident. God acted freely and intentionally with each Word He spoke. He executed each stage of the creation’s design.

Elohim purposefully placed the earth and each one of His creations on this earth at a specially ordained time and place to accomplish His purposes!

As our Creator, Elohim introduces us to him as a Transcendent God. This means that he exists apart from and is not subject to the limitations of the universe that he has created. Romans 1:20 states, “For ever since the world was created, people have seen the earth and sky. Through everything God made, they can see his invisible qualities–his eternal power and divine nature. So they have no excuse for not knowing God.”

And Revelations 1:8 sums this up as scripture states, “I am the Alpha and the Omega”, says the Lord God who is and was and is to come, the Almighty.”

This revelation of God operating outside of time means he is not limited to time. He is timeless. In other words, time is part of a creation that he transcends. Time itself was created by God and is therefore subject to His will.

Another attribute of Elohim is that He is omnipresent.

God is everywhere. Jeremiah 23:23-24 describes this: “Am I a God who is only close at hand? Says the Lord. “No, I am far away at the same time. Can anyone hide from me in a secret place? Am I not everywhere in all the heavens and earth?” says the Lord.”

Elohim fills the heavens and earth with His presence.

Our Father is omnipresent, who can be everywhere all at once.

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Isaiah 49:1-3 (NIV) reads: "Listen to me, you islands; hear this, you distant nations: Before I was born the LORD called me; from my mother’s womb he has spoken my name. He made my mouth like a sharpened sword, in the shadow of His hand he hid me; he made me into a polished arrow and concealed me in His quiver. He said to me, You are my servant, Israel, in whom I will display my splendor."

Speaking through Isaiah, God calls Jesus to be a light to the nations and a means of redemption. In verse 2, we see the description of a sharpened sword and a polished arrow that is fully prepared for deployment, but hidden in the Father’s quiver.

Have you ever thought about how Jesus was polished and prepared, but was hidden in the Father’s quiver until the right time for His deployment? To be more specific, Jesus began His earthly ministry at the age of 30. And until that time, he was hidden in the Father’s quiver.

So, what is a quiver? A quiver is a case or sheath for carrying arrows; it is a part of the ordinary equipment of a warrior. The quiver holds the ammunition! It is the place where God keeps his most valuable weapons. His secret weapons…..his special weapons….his sharpened weapons….his ready weapons….his capable weapons….and His weapons that no one will see coming.

So when we look at the passage in Isaiah 49:1-3, which references the polished arrow that is concealed in the quiver, we can see how wonderful that God will polish and prepare us for our assignment as He prepared Jesus. And until we are fully ready for deployment, God keeps us in His quiver, a quiet place of readiness, until the time comes for our release and movement.

My friends, this is powerful. You are an arrow in the hand of God, and He polishes you for a reason. He wants you to fly straight and hit the mark with full impact.

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Hello and Welcome to The Gathering, Daughters of the Living King, where we seek to know and experience the love of Christ. I am your host, Judy Killebrew, and my experience and passion is in encouraging and empowering others and their walk of Faith With the Lord. Hebrews 10:25 states “and let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing near.”

Today I have an inspirational guest and ordained minister who has a passion for encouraging hurting women. She is the author of "Reflections of a Wounded Soul" which is an heartfelt book on assisting women through the pain of life. Welcome Barbara Miller. Barbara lives in West Virginia and is involved in creating commUNITY with women in the area.

Listen as Barbara gives her testimony on being raised in an abusive environment and how that affected all areas of her life. The verse in Luke 6:28 BLESS THOSE WHO CURSE YOU, PRAY FOR THOSE WHO ABUSE YOU is a favorite of Barbara's.

Currently, Barbara's book is being revised and will be available at Barnes & Noble, Amazon, and other outlets upon its release.

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Welcome to The Gathering, Daughters of the Living King, where we seek to know and experience the love of Christ. I am your host, Judy Killebrew, and my experience and passion is in encouraging and empowering others and their walk of Faith With the Lord. Hebrews 10:25 states, “and let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing near.”

Meet Dustin Largusa who serves as a Spiritual Support Responder with YouVersion, and is the host and producer of The lowLIFE Show podcast which is now LIVE in jails, prisons and juvenile facilities. The lowlife podcast is accessible to 1 Million incarcerated people daily for God’s glory. You can find this show on YouTube or any podcast platform. Dustin is also a digital marketing specialist and lives in California.

Dustin shares his personal testimony of God's grace and mercy in his life. You can find Dustin at:

The LowLIFE Show

https://thelowlifeshow.buzzsprout.com

https://www.youtube.com/@thelowlifeshow

https://instagram.com/livingthelowlifeig

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Welcome to The Gathering, Daughters of the Living King, where women seek to know and experience the love of Christ. I am your host, Judy Killebrew, and my experience and passion is in encouraging and empowering women and their walk of Faith With the Lord. Hebrews 10:25 states, “and let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing near.”

I am so honored and humbled to have a friend and sister-in Christ with us today! Meet Gigi Renfroe, who serves on the Leadership Development team at YouVersion. She is a Christian inspirational speaker and the author of the book “It’s Okay to Cry: A TESTIMONY of God‘s Redemption and Transformation.” Gigi is a wife, mother, and grandmother of eight children and seven grandchildren. She currently resides in Wisconsin, USA, and works in healthcare reimbursement.

"Raised in a tumultuous environment in Chicago, I thought chaos and toxicity were just a part of life, never imagining a brighter future. After battling alcoholism and enduring a series of unhealthy relationships for over twenty-five years, I surrendered my life to Jesus and have never looked back. His grace and mercy have completely changed my life. I now understand that my identity is rooted in Christ, and my mission is to spread His Word and share my testimony with people around the globe." (excerpt from her web page)

You can find her testimony and book at the following link:

https://www.gigirenfroe.com

Amazon.com : gigi renfroe