Words From the Brothers

In this powerful exhortation from Noel Delgadillo at the brothers' Easter Celebration, we explore the profound transformation from being enemies of God to becoming a "chosen race and a royal priesthood." Drawing from the exaltation of Christ and the victory of the Resurrection, this message reminds us that the same power that raised Jesus from the dead now dwells within us, enabling a life of supernatural love. We delve into the essential practice of prayer and intercession as the "well-worn path" to accessing a deep reservoir of godly love, allowing us to see our brothers (and sisters) as God sees them—forged of steel, full of courage, and redeemed by grace. Join us as we reflect on our call to be imitators of God, walking in the freedom of the Kingdom and the strength of our unity in the Spirit.For more content and other reflections, check out Words From The Brothers

As we enter the final week of Lent, Mike Shaughnessy brings together Palm Sunday, the conclusion of Romans, and the Passion narrative in Matthew. At the heart of these readings is a powerful truth: everything that unfolds in Christ has been foretold in the Scriptures.From Paul’s reflections in Romans 15–16 on the unity of Jews and Gentiles, to Matthew’s account of Christ’s suffering and death, we are invited to see how the Old Testament finds its fulfillment in Jesus. The Law, the Prophets, and the Psalms all point toward this moment—revealing a God who has been unfolding a single story of salvation throughout history.This week’s meditation calls us to look deeper into Scripture and recognize that Christ’s Passion is not just a tragic story, but the fulfillment of God’s plan. In him, faith becomes certainty, hope becomes enduring confidence, and love becomes eternal. As we prepare for Easter, we are invited to see our own story transformed in the light of his death and resurrection.The entire list of this year's readings can be found at 40 Days 2026 Readings & Podcast.

In the fifth week of Lent, Nico Angleys leads us through Romans 11:13–14:12, a powerful section that moves from God’s mysterious plan of mercy to the practical shape of Christian discipleship. Using the image of the olive tree, Paul reminds Gentile believers that we have been graciously grafted into God’s covenant story. This invitation calls us to humility, gratitude, and deeper unity with God’s people.As the week unfolds, Paul turns from theology to practice: presenting our lives as living sacrifices, loving others sincerely, honoring authorities, awakening from spiritual complacency, and learning not to judge one another. In this season of Lent—through prayer, fasting, and almsgiving—we are invited to renew our minds, put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and grow in humble love for others.This episode also offers daily reflection questions to guide your prayer throughout the week.Daily Reflection QuestionsMonday – Romans 11:13–24In what areas of my life do I risk spiritual pride by looking down on others God has chosen?Where do I exalt myself over others?How can I cultivate gratitude for being "grafted in" by His mercy?Tuesday – Romans 11:25–36How does this passage inform our attitudes and practice of Ecumenism in daily life?Where am I tempted to question God's timing or wisdom in others' lives and stories?How might surrendering to His "unsearchable judgments" deepen my worship today?Wednesday – Romans 12:1–8Reflect on and names some of these “mercies of God” in your own life. How do these prompt me to offer my body as a living sacrifice to God?Where in my relationships do I struggle with comparison and potentially judgment of my brothers or sisters? How can I discern and steward my unique gifts to serve the body of Christ without comparison?Thursday – Romans 12:9–21This could be a slightly longer exercise, but list out each of the imperatives that Paul writes in this passage. Which one of these is the Holy Spirit nudging me today or this week to make a more active practice in my life?Where does pretense or retaliation creep into my relationships?In what ways can I actively "overcome evil with good" (v.21) by clinging to what is holy and honoring others above myself?Friday – Romans 13:1–14Consider who was the emperor when Paul was writing this… Nero, perhaps one of the worst emperors when it comes to how he treated Christian. Yet Paul wrote what he did in Romans 13.How can I submit to earthly authorities as unto the Lord with my thoughts, speech, money, and my whole life?What sleep-like complacency in sin do I need to awaken from this hour and how can I put on Christ today?Saturday – Romans 14:1–12Is there someone in my life who might “be weak in faith” that I might be unknowingly judging or causing to stumble? Paul gives the example of food and use of time (or perhaps even Sabbath practice).How can I stand before God's judgment seat with a heart focused on pleasing Him rather than being right or judging my brother or sister?The entire list of this year's readings can be found at 40 Days 2026 Readings & Podcast.

In the fourth week of Lent, Raoul Roncal guides us through John 9 and Romans 8–11 in a powerful reflection on sight, security, sovereignty, and salvation. Beginning with the healing of the man born blind, we are invited to examine our own spiritual vision—will we admit our blindness and allow Christ, the Light of the World, to heal us?As the week unfolds, Romans reminds us where true security is found: in the unshakable love of God. If God is for us, who can be against us? Even in the mystery of God’s sovereignty and Israel’s story, Paul reveals a deeper truth—salvation is rooted in mercy, not human effort.This episode calls us to radical confidence in God’s purposes, humble trust in his mercy, and bold proclamation of the Gospel. Lent becomes a journey from blindness to worship, from insecurity to assurance, and from receiving grace to sharing it with the world.The entire list of this year's readings can be found at 40 Days 2026 Readings & Podcast.

In this episode, Brother Will Cannon refines our understanding of Lent by introducing the Orthodox concept of "bright sorrow"—a state where the light of Christ doesn't just expose our shadows, but transforms them. From the surprising power of "confessing" your delights to the hidden danger of keeping your hopes in the dark, listen as Will explores explores a virtuous cycle of vulnerability that turns the fear of being "found out" into the joy of being truly known.Check out our weekly Lenten meditations and other reflections at Words From The Brothers

As we reach the halfway point of Lent, Daniel Dunkl invites us to pause and reflect. Whether the season has been fruitful, difficult, or distracted, it is not too late to make space for God. Lent is not meaningful because of itself, but because it creates room for the One who is ultimate meaning.Journeying through Romans 6–8 and John 4, we explore Paul’s powerful teaching on slavery and freedom, sin and grace, death and new life. There is no neutral ground—we live under an obligation either to sin or to God. Yet in Christ’s death and resurrection, we are set free from the law of sin and welcomed into the life of the Spirit.This episode reflects on what it means to die with Christ, walk in newness of life, and live as sons and daughters led by the Spirit. Even amid struggle, the Spirit produces life, peace, and hope. Lent becomes a season to ask deeper questions, seek God’s will, and renew our desire for the full life he offers.The entire list of this year's readings can be found at 40 Days 2026 Readings & Podcast.

In this second week of Lent, Luis Arce reflects on the Transfiguration of Christ in Matthew 17 and the call not only to behold Christ’s glory, but to be transformed by it. Just as Jesus was transfigured before his disciples, Scripture tells us that we too are being transformed “from one degree of glory to another” as we gaze upon the Lord.Moving through Romans 3–5, this episode explores the heart of the Gospel: all have sinned, yet all are justified freely by grace through faith in Christ. Abraham stands before us as a model of unwavering trust—believing God’s promises even when they seemed impossible. And in Christ, the new Adam, the power of sin is reversed and hope is restored.Even suffering is not wasted. Through faith, endurance forms character, character forms hope, and hope does not disappoint—because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit. Join us as we continue the Lenten journey, asking the Lord to transform our weakness, strengthen our faith, and draw us more deeply into his glory.The entire list of this year's readings can be found at 40 Days 2026 Readings & Podcast.

Join Peter Legaspi and the Words From the Brothers as we journey through the first full week of Lent. Inspired by Joel, James, Matthew, and Romans, this episode explores the interior work of the season: returning to God with all our hearts, disciplining disordered desires, and embracing humility, patience, and faithful love.From Jesus’ temptations in the wilderness to practical guidance for living out Scripture today, we reflect on how prayer, fasting, and almsgiving train the heart to resist pride, possessions, and fleeting pleasures, drawing us closer to God’s grace. A timely meditation for anyone seeking to grow spiritually this Lenten season.The entire list of this year's readings can be found at 40 Days 2026 Readings & Podcast.

In this episode of Words From the Brothers, we enter the Lenten journey with the prophetic call from Joel: “Return to me with all your heart.” Reflecting on Scripture from Joel and the opening chapters of James, this meditation invites us to focus not on external observances alone, but on the interior work of conversion—rendering our hearts rather than our garments.Through themes of humility, care for the poor, and guarding our speech, we are reminded that Lent is a season of responding to God’s steadfast love with lives shaped by mercy, integrity, and joy. Even amid trial and discipline, we are invited to return to the Lord with confidence, trusting in his generosity and grace as he forms us more fully in love.The entire list of this year's readings can be found at 40 Days 2026 Readings & Podcast.

In this episode of Words From the Brothers, we sit down with Rabbi Dr. Mark Kinzer—Messianic Jewish theologian and founding voice behind the Lord’s Day celebration—to trace the rich history behind a practice that has shaped thousands of Christian households. Drawing from Jewish Sabbath tradition, early community life, and decades of lived experience, Rabbi Kinzer reflects on faith, identity, joy, and how worship in the home can renew the life of the Church today.

At our 2025 Christmas Retreat, our brother Dan Keating takes up an unexpected challenge: finding Christmas in the Gospel of Mark. Though Mark offers no nativity story, Dan shows how this Gospel still powerfully reveals the coming of the Son of God.

In this final Advent episode, Kenneth Carandang reflects on the Incarnation and the watchful hope found in Matthew 1 and the closing chapters of Mark. As Christmas draws near, we are invited to trust God’s promises, love as He loves, and actively wait with faith, vigilance, and joyful hope for Christ’s coming.

In this week’s Advent reflection, Andy Pettman guides us through the Gospel passages that reveal who Jesus is through his works, his glory, and his call to trust. Join him as he unpacks moments from Matthew and Mark that invite us to deeper faith in the midst of earthly struggle.The entire list of this year's readings can be found at Advent 2025 Readings & Podcast.

In our second Advent episode, Brian LaLonde leads us into the meaning of “Maranatha” through the miracles of Mark—freedom from darkness, healing in a moment, mastery over creation. Let us ponder the many ways Christ comes to meet us.The entire list of this year's readings can be found at Advent 2025 Readings & Podcast. 

In this first Advent episode, our Lebanese brother Paul Codouni invites us to enter the season by staying awake to God’s presence. Drawing from the Sunday readings and the opening chapters of the Gospel of Mark, he reflects on what it means to be ready for the Lord, to guard time for silence and solitude, and to let Scripture shape our daily walk with Him.

In this opening talk for the Brothers’ Fall Weekend Retreat, our brother Nico Angleys invites us to rediscover one of the most familiar yet profound teachings of Jesus—“I am the vine, you are the branches.” Drawing from John 15:1–11, Nico shares how this passage became a word from the Lord for us—confirmed through prayer, reflection, and providential encounters.

In this episode, Joseph Mathias invites us to reflect on how Jesus fulfills the role and promise of the Temple from the Old Covenant. Drawing from 1 Kings 8, the passage that recounts Solomon’s prayer at the dedication of the Temple, Joseph leads us to consider how the presence of God—once localized in stone and structure—is now fully revealed and accessible in the person of Jesus Christ.Through guided meditation and thoughtful reflection, this episode offers space to encounter Christ as the dwelling place of God among us, the one who intercedes, sanctifies, and draws us near.

For today’s installment of our 40 Days Meditation series, our brother Philip Morrison provides commentary on Ex 16:1-18, 35. Listen below, download here, or search for Words from the Brothers on your favourite podcasting app. They set out from Elim, and all the congregation of the people of Israel came to the wilderness of Sin, which is between Elim and Sinai, on the fifteenth day of the second month after they had departed from the land of Egypt. And the whole congregation of the people of Israel grumbled against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness, and the people of Israel said to them, “Would that we had died by the hand of the Lord in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the meat pots and ate bread to the full, for you have brought us out into this wilderness to kill this whole assembly with hunger.” Then the Lord said to Moses, “Behold, I am about to rain bread from heaven for you, and the people shall go out and gather a day’s portion every day, that I may test them, whether they will walk in my law or not. On the sixth day, when they prepare what they bring in, it will be twice as much as they gather daily.” So Moses and Aaron said to all the people of Israel, “At evening you shall know that it was the Lord who brought you out of the land of Egypt, and in the morning you shall see the glory of the Lord, because he has heard your grumbling against the Lord. For what are we, that you grumble against us?” And Moses said, “When the Lord gives you in the evening meat to eat and in the morning bread to the full, because the Lord has heard your grumbling that you grumble against him-what are we? Your grumbling is not against us but against the Lord.” Then Moses said to Aaron, “Say to the whole congregation of the people of Israel, ‘Come near before the Lord, for he has heard your grumbling.'” And as soon as Aaron spoke to the whole congregation of the people of Israel, they looked toward the wilderness, and behold, the glory of the Lord appeared in the cloud. And the Lord said to Moses, “I have heard the grumbling of the people of Israel. Say to them, ‘At twilight you shall eat meat, and in the morning you shall be filled with bread. Then you shall know that I am the Lord your God.'” In the evening quail came up and covered the camp, and in the morning dew lay around the camp. And when the dew had gone up, there was on the face of the wilderness a fine, flake-like thing, fine as frost on the ground. When the people of Israel saw it, they said to one another, “What is it?” For they did not know what it was. And Moses said to them, “It is the bread that the Lord has given you to eat. This is what the Lord has commanded: ‘Gather of it, each one of you, as much as he can eat. You shall each take an omer, according to the number of the persons that each of you has in his tent.'” And the people of Israel did so. They gathered, some more, some less. But when they measured it with an omer, whoever gathered much had nothing left over, and whoever gathered little had no lack. Each of them gathered as much as he could eat. Ex 16:1-18, 35

For today’s installment of our 40 Days Meditation series, our brother Philip Morrison provides commentary on Ex 14:10-31. Listen below, download here, or search for Words from the Brothers on your favourite podcasting app. When Pharaoh drew near, the people of Israel lifted up their eyes, and behold, the Egyptians were marching after them, and they feared greatly. And the people of Israel cried out to the Lord. They said to Moses, “Is it because there are no graves in Egypt that you have taken us away to die in the wilderness? What have you done to us in bringing us out of Egypt? Is not this what we said to you in Egypt: ‘Leave us alone that we may serve the Egyptians’? For it would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die in the wilderness.” And Moses said to the people, “Fear not, stand firm, and see the salvation of the Lord, which he will work for you today. For the Egyptians whom you see today, you shall never see again. The Lord will fight for you, and you have only to be silent.” The Lord said to Moses, “Why do you cry to me? Tell the people of Israel to go forward. Lift up your staff, and stretch out your hand over the sea and divide it, that the people of Israel may go through the sea on dry ground. And I will harden the hearts of the Egyptians so that they shall go in after them, and I will get glory over Pharaoh and all his host, his chariots, and his horsemen. And the Egyptians shall know that I am the Lord, when I have gotten glory over Pharaoh, his chariots, and his horsemen.” Then the angel of God who was going before the host of Israel moved and went behind them, and the pillar of cloud moved from before them and stood behind them, coming between the host of Egypt and the host of Israel. And there was the cloud and the darkness. And it lit up the night without one coming near the other all night. Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and the Lord drove the sea back by a strong east wind all night and made the sea dry land, and the waters were divided. And the people of Israel went into the midst of the sea on dry ground, the waters being a wall to them on their right hand and on their left. The Egyptians pursued and went in after them into the midst of the sea, all Pharaoh’s horses, his chariots, and his horsemen. And in the morning watch the Lord in the pillar of fire and of cloud looked down on the Egyptian forces and threw the Egyptian forces into a panic, clogging their chariot wheels so that they drove heavily. And the Egyptians said, “Let us flee from before Israel, for the Lord fights for them against the Egyptians.” Then the Lord said to Moses, “Stretch out your hand over the sea, that the water may come back upon the Egyptians, upon their chariots, and upon their horsemen.” So Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and the sea returned to its normal course when the morning appeared. And as the Egyptians fled into it, the Lord threw the Egyptians into the midst of the sea. The waters returned and covered the chariots and the horsemen; of all the host of Pharaoh that had followed them into the sea, not one of them remained. But the people of Israel walked on dry ground through the sea, the waters being a wall to them on their right hand and on their left. Thus the Lord saved Israel that day from the hand of the Egyptians, and Israel saw the Egyptians dead on the seashore. Israel saw the great power that the Lord used against the Egyptians, so the people feared the Lord, and they believed in the Lord and in his servant Moses. Ex 14:10-31

For today’s installment of our 40 Days Meditation series, our brother Philip Morrison provides commentary on Ex 13:17-14:9. Listen below, download here, or search for Words from the Brothers on your favourite podcasting app. When Pharaoh let the people go, God did not lead them by way of the land of the Philistines, although that was near. For God said, “Lest the people change their minds when they see war and return to Egypt.” But God led the people around by the way of the wilderness toward the Red Sea. And the people of Israel went up out of the land of Egypt equipped for battle. Moses took the bones of Joseph with him, for Joseph had made the sons of Israel solemnly swear, saying, “God will surely visit you, and you shall carry up my bones with you from here.” And they moved on from Succoth and encamped at Etham, on the edge of the wilderness. And the Lord went before them by day in a pillar of cloud to lead them along the way, and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light, that they might travel by day and by night. The pillar of cloud by day and the pillar of fire by night did not depart from before the people. Then the Lord said to Moses, “Tell the people of Israel to turn back and encamp in front of Pi-hahiroth, between Migdol and the sea, in front of Baal-zephon; you shall encamp facing it, by the sea. For Pharaoh will say of the people of Israel, ‘They are wandering in the land; the wilderness has shut them in.’ And I will harden Pharaoh’s heart, and he will pursue them, and I will get glory over Pharaoh and all his host, and the Egyptians shall know that I am the Lord.” And they did so. When the king of Egypt was told that the people had fled, the mind of Pharaoh and his servants was changed toward the people, and they said, “What is this we have done, that we have let Israel go from serving us?” So he made ready his chariot and took his army with him, and took six hundred chosen chariots and all the other chariots of Egypt with officers over all of them. And the Lord hardened the heart of Pharaoh king of Egypt, and he pursued the people of Israel while the people of Israel were going out defiantly. The Egyptians pursued them, all Pharaoh’s horses and chariots and his horsemen and his army, and overtook them encamped at the sea, by Pi-hahiroth, in front of Baal-zephon. Ex 13:17-14:9

For today’s installment of our 40 Days Meditation series, our brother Dan Keating provides commentary on Ex 12:37-51. Listen below, download here, or search for Words from the Brothers on your favourite podcasting app. And the people of Israel journeyed from Rameses to Succoth, about six hundred thousand men on foot, besides women and children. A mixed multitude also went up with them, and very much livestock, both flocks and herds. And they baked unleavened cakes of the dough that they had brought out of Egypt, for it was not leavened, because they were thrust out of Egypt and could not wait, nor had they prepared any provisions for themselves. The time that the people of Israel lived in Egypt was 430 years. At the end of 430 years, on that very day, all the hosts of the Lord went out from the land of Egypt. It was a night of watching by the Lord, to bring them out of the land of Egypt; so this same night is a night of watching kept to the Lord by all the people of Israel throughout their generations. And the Lord said to Moses and Aaron, “This is the statute of the Passover: no foreigner shall eat of it, but every slave that is bought for money may eat of it after you have circumcised him. No foreigner or hired worker may eat of it. It shall be eaten in one house; you shall not take any of the flesh outside the house, and you shall not break any of its bones. All the congregation of Israel shall keep it. If a stranger shall sojourn with you and would keep the Passover to the Lord, let all his males be circumcised. Then he may come near and keep it; he shall be as a native of the land. But no uncircumcised person shall eat of it. There shall be one law for the native and for the stranger who sojourns among you.” All the people of Israel did just as the Lord commanded Moses and Aaron. And on that very day the Lord brought the people of Israel out of the land of Egypt by their hosts. Ex 12:37-51

For today’s installment of our 40 Days Meditation series, our brother Dan Keating provides commentary on Ex 12:21-36. Listen below, download here, or search for Words from the Brothers on your favourite podcasting app. Then Moses called all the elders of Israel and said to them, “Go and select lambs for yourselves according to your clans, and kill the Passover lamb. Take a bunch of hyssop and dip it in the blood that is in the basin, and touch the lintel and the two doorposts with the blood that is in the basin. None of you shall go out of the door of his house until the morning. For the Lord will pass through to strike the Egyptians, and when he sees the blood on the lintel and on the two doorposts, the Lord will pass over the door and will not allow the destroyer to enter your houses to strike you. You shall observe this rite as a statute for you and for your sons forever. And when you come to the land that the Lord will give you, as he has promised, you shall keep this service. And when your children say to you, ‘What do you mean by this service?’ you shall say, ‘It is the sacrifice of the Lord’s Passover, for he passed over the houses of the people of Israel in Egypt, when he struck the Egyptians but spared our houses.'” And the people bowed their heads and worshiped. Then the people of Israel went and did so; as the Lord had commanded Moses and Aaron, so they did. At midnight the Lord struck down all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, from the firstborn of Pharaoh who sat on his throne to the firstborn of the captive who was in the dungeon, and all the firstborn of the livestock. And Pharaoh rose up in the night, he and all his servants and all the Egyptians. And there was a great cry in Egypt, for there was not a house where someone was not dead. Then he summoned Moses and Aaron by night and said, “Up, go out from among my people, both you and the people of Israel; and go, serve the Lord, as you have said. Take your flocks and your herds, as you have said, and be gone, and bless me also!” The Egyptians were urgent with the people to send them out of the land in haste. For they said, “We shall all be dead.” So the people took their dough before it was leavened, their kneading bowls being bound up in their cloaks on their shoulders. The people of Israel had also done as Moses told them, for they had asked the Egyptians for silver and gold jewelry and for clothing. And the Lord had given the people favor in the sight of the Egyptians, so that they let them have what they asked. Thus they plundered the Egyptians. Ex 12:21-36

For today’s installment of our 40 Days Meditation series, our brother Dan Keating provides commentary on Ex 12:1-20. Listen below, download here, or search for Words from the Brothers on your favourite podcasting app. The Lord said to Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt, “This month shall be for you the beginning of months. It shall be the first month of the year for you. Tell all the congregation of Israel that on the tenth day of this month every man shall take a lamb according to their fathers’ houses, a lamb for a household. And if the household is too small for a lamb, then he and his nearest neighbor shall take according to the number of persons; according to what each can eat you shall make your count for the lamb. Your lamb shall be without blemish, a male a year old. You may take it from the sheep or from the goats, and you shall keep it until the fourteenth day of this month, when the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel shall kill their lambs at twilight. “Then they shall take some of the blood and put it on the two doorposts and the lintel of the houses in which they eat it. They shall eat the flesh that night, roasted on the fire; with unleavened bread and bitter herbs they shall eat it. Do not eat any of it raw or boiled in water, but roasted, its head with its legs and its inner parts. And you shall let none of it remain until the morning; anything that remains until the morning you shall burn. In this manner you shall eat it: with your belt fastened, your sandals on your feet, and your staff in your hand. And you shall eat it in haste. It is the Lord’s Passover. For I will pass through the land of Egypt that night, and I will strike all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast; and on all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgments: I am the Lord. The blood shall be a sign for you, on the houses where you are. And when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and no plague will befall you to destroy you, when I strike the land of Egypt. “This day shall be for you a memorial day, and you shall keep it as a feast to the Lord; throughout your generations, as a statute forever, you shall keep it as a feast. Seven days you shall eat unleavened bread. On the first day you shall remove leaven out of your houses, for if anyone eats what is leavened, from the first day until the seventh day, that person shall be cut off from Israel. On the first day you shall hold a holy assembly, and on the seventh day a holy assembly. No work shall be done on those days. But what everyone needs to eat, that alone may be prepared by you. And you shall observe the Feast of Unleavened Bread, for on this very day I brought your hosts out of the land of Egypt. Therefore you shall observe this day, throughout your generations, as a statute forever. In the first month, from the fourteenth day of the month at evening, you shall eat unleavened bread until the twenty-first day of the month at evening. For seven days no leaven is to be found in your houses. If anyone eats what is leavened, that person will be cut off from the congregation of Israel, whether he is a sojourner or a native of the land. You shall eat nothing leavened; in all your dwelling places you shall eat unleavened bread.” Ex 12:1-20

For today’s installment of our 40 Days Meditation series, our brother Dan Keating provides commentary on Ex 10:21-11:10. Listen below, download here, or search for Words from the Brothers on your favourite podcasting app. Then the Lord said to Moses, “Stretch out your hand toward heaven, that there may be darkness over the land of Egypt, a darkness to be felt.” So Moses stretched out his hand toward heaven, and there was pitch darkness in all the land of Egypt three days. They did not see one another, nor did anyone rise from his place for three days, but all the people of Israel had light where they lived. Then Pharaoh called Moses and said, “Go, serve the Lord; your little ones also may go with you; only let your flocks and your herds remain behind.” But Moses said, “You must also let us have sacrifices and burnt offerings, that we may sacrifice to the Lord our God. Our livestock also must go with us; not a hoof shall be left behind, for we must take of them to serve the Lord our God, and we do not know with what we must serve the Lord until we arrive there.” But the Lord hardened Pharaoh’s heart, and he would not let them go. Then Pharaoh said to him, “Get away from me; take care never to see my face again, for on the day you see my face you shall die.” Moses said, “As you say! I will not see your face again.” The Lord said to Moses, “Yet one plague more I will bring upon Pharaoh and upon Egypt. Afterward he will let you go from here. When he lets you go, he will drive you away completely. Speak now in the hearing of the people, that they ask, every man of his neighbor and every woman of her neighbor, for silver and gold jewelry.” And the Lord gave the people favor in the sight of the Egyptians. Moreover, the man Moses was very great in the land of Egypt, in the sight of Pharaoh’s servants and in the sight of the people. So Moses said, “Thus says the Lord: ‘About midnight I will go out in the midst of Egypt, and every firstborn in the land of Egypt shall die, from the firstborn of Pharaoh who sits on his throne, even to the firstborn of the slave girl who is behind the handmill, and all the firstborn of the cattle. There shall be a great cry throughout all the land of Egypt, such as there has never been, nor ever will be again. But not a dog shall growl against any of the people of Israel, either man or beast, that you may know that the Lord makes a distinction between Egypt and Israel.’ And all these your servants shall come down to me and bow down to me, saying, ‘Get out, you and all the people who follow you.’ And after that I will go out.” And he went out from Pharaoh in hot anger. Then the Lord said to Moses, “Pharaoh will not listen to you, that my wonders may be multiplied in the land of Egypt.” Moses and Aaron did all these wonders before Pharaoh, and the Lord hardened Pharaoh’s heart, and he did not let the people of Israel go out of his land. Ex 10:21-11:10

For today’s installment of our 40 Days Meditation series, our brother Dan Keating provides commentary on Ex 6:28-7:24. Listen below, download here, or search for Words from the Brothers on your favourite podcasting app. On the day when the Lord spoke to Moses in the land of Egypt, the Lord said to Moses, “I am the Lord; tell Pharaoh king of Egypt all that I say to you.” But Moses said to the Lord, “Behold, I am of uncircumcised lips. How will Pharaoh listen to me?” And the Lord said to Moses, “See, I have made you like God to Pharaoh, and your brother Aaron shall be your prophet. You shall speak all that I command you, and your brother Aaron shall tell Pharaoh to let the people of Israel go out of his land. But I will harden Pharaoh’s heart, and though I multiply my signs and wonders in the land of Egypt, Pharaoh will not listen to you. Then I will lay my hand on Egypt and bring my hosts, my people the children of Israel, out of the land of Egypt by great acts of judgment. The Egyptians shall know that I am the Lord, when I stretch out my hand against Egypt and bring out the people of Israel from among them.” Moses and Aaron did so; they did just as the Lord commanded them. Now Moses was eighty years old, and Aaron eighty-three years old, when they spoke to Pharaoh. Then the Lord said to Moses and Aaron, “When Pharaoh says to you, ‘Prove yourselves by working a miracle,’ then you shall say to Aaron, ‘Take your staff and cast it down before Pharaoh, that it may become a serpent.'” So Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh and did just as the Lord commanded. Aaron cast down his staff before Pharaoh and his servants, and it became a serpent. Then Pharaoh summoned the wise men and the sorcerers, and they, the magicians of Egypt, also did the same by their secret arts. For each man cast down his staff, and they became serpents. But Aaron’s staff swallowed up their staffs. Still Pharaoh’s heart was hardened, and he would not listen to them, as the Lord had said. Then the Lord said to Moses, “Pharaoh’s heart is hardened; he refuses to let the people go. Go to Pharaoh in the morning, as he is going out to the water. Stand on the bank of the Nile to meet him, and take in your hand the staff that turned into a serpent. And you shall say to him, ‘The Lord, the God of the Hebrews, sent me to you, saying, Let my people go, that they may serve me in the wilderness. But so far, you have not obeyed. Thus says the Lord, By this you shall know that I am the Lord: behold, with the staff that is in my hand I will strike the water that is in the Nile, and it shall turn into blood. The fish in the Nile shall die, and the Nile will stink, and the Egyptians will grow weary of drinking water from the Nile.'” And the Lord said to Moses, “Say to Aaron, ‘Take your staff and stretch out your hand over the waters of Egypt, over their rivers, their canals, and their ponds, and all their pools of water, so that they may become blood, and there shall be blood throughout all the land of Egypt, even in vessels of wood and in vessels of stone.'” Moses and Aaron did as the Lord commanded. In the sight of Pharaoh and in the sight of his servants he lifted up the staff and struck the water in the Nile, and all the water in the Nile turned into blood. And the fish in the Nile died, and the Nile stank, so that the Egyptians could not drink water from the Nile. There was blood throughout all the land of Egypt. But the magicians of Egypt did the same by their secret arts. So Pharaoh’s heart remained hardened, and he would not listen to them, as the Lord had said. Pharaoh turned and went into his house, and he did not take even this to heart. And all the Egyptians dug along the Nile for water to drink, for they could not drink the water of the Nile. Ex 6:28-7:24

For today’s installment of our 40 Days Meditation series, our brother Dan Keating provides commentary on Ex 6:2-13. Listen below, download here, or search for Words from the Brothers on your favourite podcasting app. God spoke to Moses and said to him, “I am the Lord. I appeared to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, as God Almighty, but by my name the Lord I did not make myself known to them. I also established my covenant with them to give them the land of Canaan, the land in which they lived as sojourners. Moreover, I have heard the groaning of the people of Israel whom the Egyptians hold as slaves, and I have remembered my covenant. Say therefore to the people of Israel, ‘I am the Lord, and I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians, and I will deliver you from slavery to them, and I will redeem you with an outstretched arm and with great acts of judgment. I will take you to be my people, and I will be your God, and you shall know that I am the Lord your God, who has brought you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians. I will bring you into the land that I swore to give to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob. I will give it to you for a possession. I am the Lord.'” Moses spoke thus to the people of Israel, but they did not listen to Moses, because of their broken spirit and harsh slavery. So the Lord said to Moses, “Go in, tell Pharaoh king of Egypt to let the people of Israel go out of his land.” But Moses said to the Lord, “Behold, the people of Israel have not listened to me. How then shall Pharaoh listen to me, for I am of uncircumcised lips?” But the Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron and gave them a charge about the people of Israel and about Pharaoh king of Egypt: to bring the people of Israel out of the land of Egypt. Ex 6:2-13

For today’s installment of our 40 Days Meditation series, our brother Dan Keating provides commentary on Ex 5:1-6:1. Listen below, download here, or search for Words from the Brothers on your favourite podcasting app. Afterward Moses and Aaron went and said to Pharaoh, “Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, ‘Let my people go, that they may hold a feast to me in the wilderness.'” But Pharaoh said, “Who is the Lord, that I should obey his voice and let Israel go? I do not know the Lord, and moreover, I will not let Israel go.” Then they said, “The God of the Hebrews has met with us. Please let us go a three days’ journey into the wilderness that we may sacrifice to the Lord our God, lest he fall upon us with pestilence or with the sword.” But the king of Egypt said to them, “Moses and Aaron, why do you take the people away from their work? Get back to your burdens.” And Pharaoh said, “Behold, the people of the land are now many, and you make them rest from their burdens!” The same day Pharaoh commanded the taskmasters of the people and their foremen, “You shall no longer give the people straw to make bricks, as in the past; let them go and gather straw for themselves. But the number of bricks that they made in the past you shall impose on them, you shall by no means reduce it, for they are idle. Therefore they cry, ‘Let us go and offer sacrifice to our God.’ Let heavier work be laid on the men that they may labor at it and pay no regard to lying words.” So the taskmasters and the foremen of the people went out and said to the people, “Thus says Pharaoh, ‘I will not give you straw. Go and get your straw yourselves wherever you can find it, but your work will not be reduced in the least.'” So the people were scattered throughout all the land of Egypt to gather stubble for straw. The taskmasters were urgent, saying, “Complete your work, your daily task each day, as when there was straw.” And the foremen of the people of Israel, whom Pharaoh’s taskmasters had set over them, were beaten and were asked, “Why have you not done all your task of making bricks today and yesterday, as in the past?” Then the foremen of the people of Israel came and cried to Pharaoh, “Why do you treat your servants like this? No straw is given to your servants, yet they say to us, ‘Make bricks!’ And behold, your servants are beaten; but the fault is in your own people.” But he said, “You are idle, you are idle; that is why you say, ‘Let us go and sacrifice to the Lord.’ Go now and work. No straw will be given you, but you must still deliver the same number of bricks.” The foremen of the people of Israel saw that they were in trouble when they said, “You shall by no means reduce your number of bricks, your daily task each day.” They met Moses and Aaron, who were waiting for them, as they came out from Pharaoh; and they said to them, “The Lord look on you and judge, because you have made us stink in the sight of Pharaoh and his servants, and have put a sword in their hand to kill us.” Then Moses turned to the Lord and said, “O Lord, why have you done evil to this people? Why did you ever send me? For since I came to Pharaoh to speak in your name, he has done evil to this people, and you have not delivered your people at all.” But the Lord said to Moses, “Now you shall see what I will do to Pharaoh; for with a strong hand he will send them out, and with a strong hand he will drive them out of his land.” Ex 5:1-6:1

For today’s installment of our Advent Meditation series, our brother David Mijares provides commentary on Is 7:14. Take a listen or click here to download. Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel. Is 7:14

For today’s installment of our Advent Meditation series, our brother David Mijares provides commentary on Hag 2:7. Take a listen or click here to download. And I will shake all nations, so that the treasures of all nations shall come in, and I will fill this house with glory, says the LORD of hosts. Hag 2:7