Podcasts about visions

Early Christians read it in church beside the Gospels; a fourth-century Bible bound it in after Revelation. Then it vanished. Jimmy Akin and Dom Bettinelli open the Shepherd of Hermas — a tower, a beast, and a question about forgiveness. The post The 100-Foot Beast an Early Christian Saw in Visions (Shepherd of Hermas) appeared first on StarQuest Media.

Early Christians read it in church beside the Gospels; a fourth-century Bible bound it in after Revelation. Then it vanished. Jimmy Akin and Dom Bettinelli open the Shepherd of Hermas — a tower, a beast, and a question about forgiveness.

How reliable are the eleven witnesses who attest to the Book of Mormon? Dr. Rob Bowman, author of Jesus' Resurrection and Joseph's Visions, joins me to do a deep dive comparing them alongside the Gospel witnesses to the Resurrection of Jesus, asking questions such as: What did they really see? Can we trust their testimony? Etc. Let us know what you think! READ: Jesus' Resurrection and Joseph's Visions by Robert M Bowman Jr (https://amzn.to/4wMqmbn) CHECK OUT: Logos Bible 60 Day Free Trial (https://logos.com/mcdowell) *Get a MASTERS IN APOLOGETICS or SCIENCE AND RELIGION at BIOLA (https://bit.ly/3LdNqKf) *USE Discount Code [smdcertdisc] for 25% off the BIOLA APOLOGETICS CERTIFICATE program (https://bit.ly/3AzfPFM) *See our fully online UNDERGRAD DEGREE in Bible, Theology, and Apologetics: (https://bit.ly/448STKK) FOLLOW ME ON SOCIAL MEDIA: Twitter: https://x.com/Sean_McDowell TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@sean_mcdowell?lang=en Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/seanmcdowell/ Website: https://seanmcdowell.org Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Grab your decks, cuties, because we are diving into the courtly game origins of tarot, its development into an occult staple, and many artists' modern interpretations with the curators of The Morgan Library's recent exhibition: Tarot! Renaissance Symbols, Modern Visions.Content Warning: This episode contains conversations about or mentions of gambling and misogyny. Guests- Dr. Claire Gilman is Acquavella Curator and Department Head of Modern and Contemporary Drawings at the Morgan Library and Museum in New York. - Dr. Joshua O'Driscoll is Curator and Department Head of Medieval and Renaissance Manuscripts at The Morgan Library and Museum in New York. Together, they organized Tarot! Renaissance Symbols, Modern Visions. Housekeeping- Books: Check out our previous book recommendations, guests' books, and more at spiritspodcast.com/books- Call to Action: Will you join us for year 10, episode 500, and beyond at patreon.com/spiritspodcast??- Submit Your Urban Legends Audio: Call us! 617-420-2344- Check out the fabulous sexual education podcast Sex Ed with DB! Find Us Online- Website & Transcripts: spiritspodcast.com- Patreon: patreon.com/spiritspodcast- Merch: spiritspodcast.com/merch- Instagram: instagram.com/spiritspodcast- Bluesky: bsky.app/profile/spiritspodcast.com- Twitter: twitter.com/spiritspodcast- Tumblr: spiritspodcast.tumblr.comCast & Crew- Co-Hosts: Julia Schifini and Amanda McLoughlin- Editor: Bren Frederick- Music: Brandon Grugle, based on "Danger Storm" by Kevin MacLeod- Artwork: Allyson Wakeman- Multitude: multitude.productionsAbout UsSpirits is a boozy podcast about mythology, legends, and folklore. Every episode, co-hosts Julia and Amanda mix a drink and discuss a new story or character from a wide range of places, eras, and cultures. Learn brand-new stories and enjoy retellings of your favorite myths, served over ice every week, on Spirits.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Vinnie and the guys dig into the anniversary of Visions of Gandhi, tracing how the record came together. From a makeshift studio to Chung King in New York, it's a rare look at the making of a record straight from the source. The group also gets into the usual off-topic detours, so stick around for the stuff that has nothing to do with the album too.

Today's Scripture passages are Amos 5:18 - 8 | Matthew 26:47-56 | Luke 22:47-53 | John 18:3-11.Read by Ekemini Uwan.Get in The Word with Truth's Table is a production of InterVarsity Press. For 75 years, IVP has published and created thoughtful Christian books for the university, church, and the world. Our Bible reading plan is adapted from Bible Study Together, and the Bible version is the New English Translation, used by permission.SPECIAL OFFER | As a listener of this podcast, use the code IVPWORD40 for 40% off and free shipping on any IVP resource mentioned in this episode at ivpress.com.Additional Credits:Song production: Seaux ChillSong lyrics written by: Seaux Chill, Ekemini Uwan, and Christina EdmondsonPodcast art: Kate LillardPhotography: Shelly EveBible consultant: JM SmithSound engineering: Podastery StudiosCreative producers: Ekemini Uwan and Christina EdmondsonAssistant producer: Christine Pelliccio MeloExecutive producer: Helen LeeTo reach the IVP podcast team, please use this form.Disclaimer: The comments, views, and opinions expressed in this podcast are solely those of the host and/or the guests featured on the podcast and do not necessarily reflect the views or positions of InterVarsity Press or InterVarsity Christian Fellowship.

We're relaunching Let It Roll by reposting every episode in chronological order by subject matter. In this episode, host Nate Wilcox interviews Gary Giddins to discuss the opening section of his classic book "Visions of Jazz" including discussions of vaudeville greats Al Jolson and Bert Williams, W.C Handy, the man who "discovered" the blues and Louis Armstrong's signifying takes on old time songs of slavery and some of the forgotten Black songwriters of 1920s Tin Pan Alley. This episode originally dropped in 2023. GO TO THE LET IT ROLL SUBSTACK TO HEAR THE FULL EPISODE⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ -- The final 15 minutes of this episode are exclusively for paying subscribers to the Let It Roll Substack. Also subscribe to the LET IT ROLL EXTRA feed on Apple, Spotify or your preferred podcast service to access the full episodes via your preferred podcast outlet. We've got all 350+ episodes listed, organized by mini-series, genre, era, co-host, guest and more. Please consider becoming a paid subscriber to support the show. Thanks! Email ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠letitrollpodcast@gmail.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Follow us on Twitter.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Let It Roll is proud to be part of ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Pantheon Podcast⁠s⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sharai and LT are looking into The Spread Eagle Killer and unpacking Wes Craven's Night Visions.Artwork created by Bri Tippetts. Check out her work at @britippettsart.Music Credits: Composed/Produced by LaRob K. Rafael. LaRob K. Rafael, piano/vocals, Jackson Kidder, bass, and Tiana Sorenson, vocals.Want More Time On Fierce Street? Then check out the links below!Follow all of our social media from our⁠ All My Links⁠.Subscribe to our ⁠Patreon⁠ for exclusive content and merchandise.

John welcomes bestselling author, Spy magazine co-founder, and Peabody Award-winning radio host Kurt Andersen for the first installment of a two-part episode focused on his extraordinary new novel, “The Breakup.” After laying out the premise of his first work of speculative fiction—in 2045, two Americans edge towards ending their marriage just as their country, in the wake of a second Civil War, prepares to end its own, much longer union—Andersen discusses how such a national divorce could come to pass, what America might look like in its aftermath, and whether that outcome would actually be so terrible, after all.Bayer is empowering American farms with the smart tools and accurate data needed to confidently advance regenerative agriculture, improving soil health for a sustainable future.

In episode 502 of The Reformed Brotherhood, Tony and Jesse begin what promises to be a multi-part deep dive into the Parable of the Good Samaritan — one of the most culturally embedded and theologically rich stories Jesus ever told. But before a single character hits the Jericho road, the hosts ground listeners in something easily overlooked: the charged context in which this parable is told. A lawyer — trained, confident, adversarial — steps forward not to learn but to test. What follows is a masterclass in how Jesus turns the law back on those who wield it as a weapon. This episode covers Luke 10:21–36, explores the covenant of works and covenant of grace, the noetic effects of sin, and why the Good Samaritan is far more than a lesson in being a helpful neighbor. Buckle up. Key Takeaways The lawyer's question is self-contradictory from the start. Asking "what must I do to inherit eternal life?" smuggles a works-righteousness assumption into the very grammar of the question. Inheritance by definition is received, not earned. Jesus does not give the lawyer a new paradigm — He reorients him to the true one. The covenant of grace is not a New Testament innovation. It runs through every Old Testament covenant administration. The lawyer should have already known this. "Do this and you will live" is not a Pelagian concession. Christ is holding out the law's own terms — perfect, total, unrelenting obedience — not to suggest it is achievable, but to expose its impossibility and drive the lawyer (and us) to the only alternative: mercy. "Desiring to justify himself" is more complex than it first appears. Tony argues that the desire to fulfill the covenant of works is not inherently wicked — it is the misguided belief that one can which is the problem. This distinction creates room for reading Christ's response as genuinely merciful instruction, not merely rebuke. The noetic effects of sin mean accurate theology can be deployed in service of self. The lawyer knows the right answers and still uses them to avoid repentance. Correct doctrine alone does not save. The fundamental human problem is not ignorance — it is the will's bondage and the heart's self-love. The parable is primarily Christological, not merely ethical. Jesus is the Good Samaritan. The story is not first about mercy ministry; it is about who binds up our wounds when we are left for dead on the road, unable to save ourselves. The priest and the Levite are not exonerated by their ritual obligations. Considerable ink has been spilled trying to justify their passing by on grounds of Levitical purity concerns. The parable refuses that exit. Everyone in the story — and everyone listening — already knows what the right thing to do was. Key Concepts The Covenant of Works Is Not a Black Box One of the more quietly important arguments Tony makes in this episode is that the covenant of works was never meant to be mysterious or inaccessible. When Jesus responds to the lawyer's question by asking, "What is written in the law? How do you read it?" — He does so with a visible assumption: there is a clear, knowable answer, and the lawyer should be able to give it. And he does. Love God completely, love your neighbor as yourself. The covenant of works was always coherent and comprehensible. The problem has never been that its demands were obscure. The problem is that no one — save the Mediator — has ever kept them. Jesus is not introducing a new ethical framework. He is forcing the lawyer to confront a standard he has always known and has never met. The Lawyer as a Warning to Reformed Christians Jesse closes the episode's first movement with a pointed and personal application that cuts across theological self-satisfaction. The lawyer is not a caricature of ignorance — he is a portrait of someone with accurate, affirmed theological knowledge who instinctively deploys it in the service of self-justification the moment he senses conviction. Jesse names this directly as a danger particularly acute in Reformed circles, where doctrinal precision can become a subtle mechanism of self-defense rather than an occasion for repentance. The Reformation's great recovery of grace must not become a new form of the very disease it diagnosed. Knowing the right words about total depravity, the covenant of grace, and the mediator does not exempt anyone from the need to actually be humbled by them. Theology is not armor against repentance — it is, rightly received, the road toward it. Context Is Not Just Setup — It Is Part of the Lesson Tony and Jesse both emphasize that Luke 10:21–24 is not merely throat-clearing before the real content begins. The theological statement embedded there — that the Father has hidden these things from the wise and revealed them to little children, that no one knows the Son except the Father or the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal Him — is the hermeneutical key to everything that follows. The lawyer approaches Jesus as one rabbi testing another. But Luke has already told his readers that this is not a conversation between equals debating interpretive options. It is the Lawgiver being questioned by someone who does not recognize Him. The parable that follows is not just an answer to a legal question. It is a revelation — the kind that only happens when the Son chooses to give it. Memorable Quotes You do not want to pit the law against the one who has given the law, the one whose character is represented in the law — because you're always going to get owned, and you'll get owned before you realize you've just gotten owned on multiple levels. - Jesse Schwamb Jesus is trying to sort of reorient them back to the true paradigm of grace that is present under all of the Old Covenant administrations. It's not so much a matter of developing a new framework and imposing it on this guy. It's really trying to say, 'Listen — think about this for a second. Think about the fact that, yes, you know you have to love the Lord your God with your whole heart, your whole soul, your whole strength, your whole mind, and you have to love your neighbor as yourself. You've answered correctly. If you can do those things, you will live.' — with the subtext: and of course you cannot possibly do those things. - Tony Arsenal The fundamental human problem is not primarily ignorance, but the will's bondage and the heart's self-love. It's a problem no amount of correct discipline or doctrine alone can fix apart from some kind of regenerating grace — which is exactly what Jesus is going to illustrate for us in the mercy he's about to display in this parable. - Jesse Schwamb Full Transcript Tony Arsenal: [00:00:00] This parable is not primarily about us figuring out how to do mercy ministry. Like, that's important. It's probably an outcome of this. It's probably something for us to think about. But really, this is actually Christ saying, like, "Hold on a second here, dude." Like, "Let's just think about this." Do you need someone who is going to tell you to pick yourself up off your bootstraps and cross to the other side of the street and leave you to your own devices? Or do you need someone who's gonna throw you on their donkey, who's gonna bind up your wounds, who's gonna pay the innkeeper, and is gonna pledge to pay everything that is owed for your salvation? Right? That's not too on the nose here, I think. Welcome to episode 502 of The Reformed Brotherhood. I'm [00:01:00] Jesse  And I'm Tony, and this is the podcast with ears to hear. Hey, brother.  Jesse Schwamb: Hey, brother. Well, we've got a big one to talk about on this episode. We're marching further and further into all of the glorious parables Jesus told as part of His teaching. And as you and I kind of joked before we began, I mean, what did you call it? Did you say this is, uh, the big daddy?  Tony Arsenal: It's the big daddy, one of the big daddy parables.  Jesse Schwamb: It's one of the big daddy parables. Now, this one is probably second maybe only to the prodigal son. Yeah But in terms of its ubiquity and its kind of just common knowledge in culture, this one ranks right up there. And before I reveal what it is, which you may already know, I was thinking how so many times we look at the Beatitudes as expression of a master class in Jesus teaching the law, and I think that's true. But as I was reading and thinking about this particular parable, I thought, "I don't know. I think this one is, uh, right up there," because [00:02:00] this is like law on law. It's double law. Yeah It's law coming back at the law giver who's trying to use the law to test Jesus, and then Jesus tests him with the law that He himself gave His people. It's... I'm already getting too excited- ... and we've got something to do before we get there. But we're talking about the parable of the Good Samaritan. And so I can't imagine, can I just make a prediction up front? I, you know where I'm going with this, and probably everybody else does. Uh, this is gonna be like two conversations-  Tony Arsenal: At least ...  Jesse Schwamb: probably.  Tony Arsenal: Yeah, at least two.  Jesse Schwamb: Is that fair? Because I realize we, of course, wanna get to the parable itself, and oh, my goodness, how much ink has been spilled. Even going back to, like, if you read, like, Augustine or, like, the early church, like the Patristics, the Church Fathers, there are so much that could be said, and maybe some stuff that just shouldn't be said about all the allegorical potential intent here about these characters. But [00:03:00] there's so much amazing stuff that happens in the opening of this, that's not just the setup, but it is its own lesson, and I'm real excited actually to talk about that with you before we even get into, like, all the good stuff that everybody expects that you wanna talk about. So we're gonna do it all. Tony Arsenal: Yeah.  Jesse Schwamb: We're gonna do it all, but it'll take time.  Tony Arsenal: Yeah. I'm interested to see if we're even on the same page about where to start reading, 'cause I, I think we might not be, and that's gonna be fun. So we'll, we'll let it fly and see what happens. It'll be our own little, uh, podcast game.  Jesse Schwamb: But, uh, I think- Well, I mean, we're gonna be in Luke chapter 10, but I guess to your point, we should be starting in Luke chapter one to get to this. Yeah.  Tony Arsenal: Exactly. But  Jesse Schwamb: we, we do have to back up quite a bit, and I was gonna ask you about that. Yeah. But I, apparently we're just gonna play that on the fly and see where we go.  Affirmations Denials Segment Jesse Schwamb: But of course, the Reformers had their five solos. Chalcedon had its, what, seven withouts. We've got opinions, and we're just as confident about ours, so of course it's time for affirmations, denials, where we affirm something that we think is good or awesome or [00:04:00] we wanna recommend, and we deny, again, something that is not so great or maybe just plain annoying. So before we talk about the Parable of the Good Samaritan, Tony, what do you got for us on this episode? Are you affirming with something, or are you gonna come in with a denial?  Tony Arsenal: Well, I've got two affirmations. That's fine. One is just- I will allow it ... a declaration of joy, and one is, like, a real affirmation. I, I just can't... It would be remiss of me not to share with our podcasting family that my son August and my daughter Adeline, uh, joined the visible church today as- Hear, hear ... uh, non-communicant members. Uh, Augie and Addie were baptized on the 16th of August of 2026, uh, into the visible church, into the name of Jesus Christ. Uh, was, it was just a great service. Um, it's funny because I've been- been talking with Augie. One of the thing with toddlers when you're doing something big like this is you kinda have to talk about it and practice and rehearse, rehearse it and, and get them ready for it. And up until maybe, like, I don't know, three days [00:05:00] ago, every time it would come up he would be saying, "I don't wanna be baptized. I don't wanna be baptized." And, um, you know, I, I, I, you know, I don't wanna force him to do something, but also, like, I make him eat vegetables. But, um- ... he, I, I think it was nerves, and I think something clicked in his head and all of a sudden he was very excited to be baptized. So, um, it was great. We've been talking about, you know, what baptism is, God's promise to you that if you trust him he'll save you. And so today he- Right ... he was like, "God's gonna make a promise to me to save me." So he was very excited. Nice. And he did a great job just standing quietly and listening to the pastor talk. Uh, and Addie was, was, was just a beautiful little girl, and she, um, she loved it as well. So that's just a bonus affirmation. I don't know that I could get through a podcast without gushing over that.  Glorify App and Devotionals Tony Arsenal: Uh, but the, the affirmation I have, uh, this is an, an app that I think some of our listeners may have heard of. Um, some may roll their eyes at it, to be honest with you. Um, I stumbled on this because, uh, you have an Oura Ring, don't you, Jesse? Jesse Schwamb: I do.  Tony Arsenal: You [00:06:00] do, yeah. So for those who don't know, an Oura Ring is like a little wearable ring that's like a, almost like a fitness tracker, but it tracks biometrics, pulse rate, temperature, all these different things, sleep. Um, there's a startup, uh, that has been doing a GoFundMe or a funding kind of thing for, uh, what they're calling like a Christian version of an Oura Ring. So it does a lot of the same things, sleep tracking, basic biometric tracking. Hmm. But it also has like alerts built in, and it's tied into an app that they use for devotionals. So it'll, it'll remind you to pray. It'll remind you, you know, bring you to an app to do a devotion. But the app it uses is a standalone app that I looked up, and it's called Glorify. Have you ever heard of this app before this evening? I have heard of  Jesse Schwamb: this, yeah.  Tony Arsenal: So Glorify is just a small devotional app. Uh, it's not much different than you would expect based on the name. It is connected to this, uh, to this Glorify ring, which again is, is sort of like an Oura Ring tied into this app. But this app basically is, is [00:07:00] designed to help you complete short daily devotional exercises, and they're usually very brief. They're based on a very brief, um, a very brief passage of scripture. Today's passage, uh, c- there's a quote. So today's quote is from Dietrich Bonhoeffer. It says, "True love does not consist in finding the perfect person, but in faithfully loving an imperfect one." Not sure why this devotional app is using a romance, uh, quote from Bonhoeffer of all people. But that was today's. Um, and the passage is Proverbs 5:15-17. So it's a, it's a devotional based on two verses, which is fine. So you read the passage. There's a very brief devotional on that passage, and then sort of a guided prayer, and they have both premium and free models. The premium model includes like you can listen to the devotional, you can listen to the prayer. Um, but just for example, today's prayer, it, it's very simple. "Loving Father, thank you for, uh, thank you because you're faithful and unchanging. In a world [00:08:00] marked by broken promises, disposable relationships, you remain the same. Teach me to reflect that faithfulness in my relationships. Help me to love with perseverance, grace, and commitment following the example of Christ. Protect marriages, strengthen families, restore what needs healing. May every relationship be marked by respect, truth, and genuine love. Shape in me a heart of integrity that honors you in both the small and significant choices of life. In Jesus' name, amen." So I think what I love about this, and this, I mentioned last week that there was, this is kind of like, sort of like the fluffy evangelical devotions. Like- Right ... there's not a ton of like solid doctrinal meat- But like, it's still nourishing. And sometimes we need a little bit of help. Sometimes we don't know what to pray, we don't know what to read, we're not sure. Sometimes in, I think in our Reformed circles, we feel like if we're not reading large portions of scripture and reading deep theological treaties or long, complex devotionals, that we're really not doing anything, and that's just not the [00:09:00] truth. So I've been using this in addition to other devotional studies I'm doing. I don't do it every day. I mean, there's some like streak functionality, kinda like habit tracking type stuff that's built into it. Um, but it's nice. It's nice to be able to pick it up, read a very short scripture, a brief devotional thought, and then have some guided prayer. I know one of the reasons I don't pray as often as I ought to is because I struggle to know what and how to pray. So even having some written prayers, I mean, this is why the Psalms are good, things like the Valley of Visions are good. Um, having some pre-written prayers that you genuinely pray but you're not having to come up with in the moment can really help. Right. So the app is called Glorify. I know it's available on iPhone. I'm not sure about Android. I'm sure it probably is. I'm sure they wanna have a pretty broad ecosystem. Um, and, and it's good. Again, it's, it's not anything fancy. It's not anything like super technical. Uh, and as I kind of alluded, like some of it's a little weird. Um, I, I didn't read the proverb. I think maybe the proverb is about romantic relationships, why they're, why they're tying in that, um, Bonhoeffer quote in, in the prayer. [00:10:00] But, um, even that, like it's pretty innocuous. And the quotes, like you don't have to read the quotes. It's not like you have to have to do that. Um, you could jump in, just read the scripture or just read the devotion and just do the prayer and you would be fine. So check it out. It's called Glorify, available on iPhone for sure. I'm pretty sure it's on, on Android. And maybe it's something you add daily, you know, this kinda thing like you do when you're on the bus or you're waiting at the grocery store, something quick you can do when you might be wasting that time just sorta sitting around or scrolling Twitter. Again, Twitter's fine. You can use your leisure time as you see fit. But if you wanna fill it with something like this, something that is more spiritual, then this would be a good option to just add a little bit of, uh, a little bit of nourishment to your diet where you might not otherwise be getting it  Jesse Schwamb: I have no proof of this, but I just keep saying it anyway. It might be that we're living in the golden age of really great- ... daily worship resources. Like, something to actually cultivate, not just, like, a devotional nugget, but something that actually leads you into a pattern and a habit of [00:11:00]worship, giving your attentive focus on Jesus. And I love that. So, uh, uh, 'cause I was just thinking, like, I was trying to look back on some of our past affirmations here. We've talked about the book Walking in Faith. I just gave everybody Awake My Soul last week. You're coming in with the Glorify app. I- we've talked about Dwell, if not recently, we've talked about that for some time. It's like a great Bible reading app, and there's lots and lots of new features, by the way, coming out on that- Yeah that are fantastic. And then, yes, all these other great prayers. I, I see, like, these books on prayer, like, actually, I'm sorry, like, prayer books, I guess, as, like, a great way to kinda... It's like a jumper for your car. You know what I mean? Like, just gets you started. What a, what a lovely thing to come into a place and have a launching pad. And I've been using a lot of Into His Presence, which is a collection of Puritan prayers, sometimes because, for instance, this just happened, where I wanted to pray for someone who was just going through a rough time, a good friend of mine. And I went to that place to kinda start and frame, knowing that I was gonna sit down with him and pray, how I might be able to do that well and [00:12:00] effectively. And these things are just, like, really phenomenal resources. It's just an amazing time to have all these things at our disposal. So that's another great option. It's, it's really more about, like you and I have talked about, Tony, like, whatever gets us into that pattern, whatever gets us, like, authentically experiencing under our own volition, coming in the discipline of sitting before God in daily worship with that expression being pretty broad in its representation- Yeah is to really include something of devotional time in the scriptures, memorization, metabolation, metabolizing. Metabolation, I'm just gonna make that up as, like- ... what happens when you, when you take the scripture and metabolize it into your own life. Meditating on it and, you know, again, maybe looking through the confessions and creeds that have shaped our distilled understanding of what the scripture teaches so that we're enhancing and edifying our mind. We're also engaging the heart, and then we're engaging God and ourselves in communication with Him through prayer. I'm all for anything [00:13:00] that gets us into those rhythms, reminds us of the importance of them, and like we talked about last week, makes it so that when we think about what it means to be married to Christ, so to speak, it's not just about whipping out some kind of marriage certificate to prove that, but that we actually have a frame and a behavioral pattern that fits a married person, that- Yeah how they act, how they think, how they behave, how they communicate, they're never too far away from their lovely spouse in some way or another. And so I think that these tools are great ways to get us exactly into that kind of mindset and practice.  Tony Arsenal: Yeah, absolutely. And like I said, like, I think- In our Reformed circles, we can, you know, we, we tend to be maybe a little eggheaded, and we, we tend to be a little more intellectual and, and a little more, I don't know, studious. And there's nothing wrong with that. Um, but I think sometimes it can breed a sort of, uh, elitism and arrogance. Sure. Uh, this is a perfectly valid devotional tool. Yes. Mm-hmm. And, and I think, [00:14:00] you know, kinda like the old adage, like, well, what's the best translation of scripture? Well, whichever one you're gonna read. Exactly. Like, what's the best devotional tool? Whichever one you're gonna use, whichever one's actually gonna bring you into the Word, uh, on a, on a regular basis. Um, and again, like, two verses of the scripture is two verses of the scripture that you might- Right ... not have other spent time, otherwise spent time reading. And it really is short enough, and it saves your progress. Like, you can do, you can do the quote in the morning, and then you can check the scripture on the way to the, you know, the word work, on a stoplight or whatever. Um, if you have the, the paid subscription, you can listen to this stuff, you know, on the, the bus or whatever. Um, so check it out. Glorify app, they have a ring they're making. It's in funding, I guess, if you wanna check it out, you can check that out too. I am neither affirming nor denying whatever this Glory ring is, Glorify ring. But, um, but yeah, the app is great. The, the app is free, and it's, it's worth even just checking out and adding once in a while to your day  Jesse Schwamb: The glory ring or the glorify ring sounds like almost too Tolkien, even for me  Tony Arsenal: Yeah. Yeah. It's the one ring to rule all of your devotions. [00:15:00] Uh, and in the, and in the morning bind them. Jesse, save me from the trail I was about to go on, and, and I was gonna speak in the language of Mordor, I think, on accident. Uh, save us from this. What are you affirming or denying?  Jesse Schwamb: That's  Tony Arsenal: beautiful. Please tell me it's the language of Mordor. Elvish AI and Music Pick Jesse Schwamb: Uh, no, but can I just say at the risk of really taking us really far afield so early on, which is not necessarily off-brand for us, I have done this... I, I don't know if I should be ashamed by this or I should be excited by this. But- ... um, the Elvish tongue in the Tolkien universe-  Tony Arsenal: Oh, no. ...  Jesse Schwamb: is like, there's several... If you're super nerdy, you'll know there's like several different kind of iterations or formulas of it, and there's no, like, official language like Klingon, but there ha- it has been studied, and basically, like, it's kind of like the Eugene Peterson of the language. Like, there's, like, just kind of a dynamic equivalent or an expression of words. Anyway, all that to say- ... there's several languages that, uh, Microsoft Copilot will just not [00:16:00] translate because it says, like, "This one, this language doesn't actually exist. There's not enough for me to do anything." Let me tell you something. Tolkien Elvish is not one of those languages, and I actually built an agent, because I have a coworker who can, uh, who can appreciate all this stuff, that takes a text, translates it into this kind of academic high-level Elvish from Tolkien, and then translates it back to English. That makes anything you're saying way better and far more poetic and just absolutely amazing. So if you wanna have some fun, go and do that with whatever your favorite AI model is. Anyway, that's free of charge. Real quick, my affirmation is more music. It just turns out I've found this band, and I've been listening to them a lot. The band's name is Thronebreaker, which is just a phenomenal name, I think, for any group. Uh, it's amazing. Uh, th- this is... I'm gonna read you their description from Spotify. It just says, "Thronebreaker is Christian metalcore built for the bruised, the doubting, and the ones still fighting their way home." And what I've really been [00:17:00] loving about them is it is kind of like Wolves at the Gate adjacent. It's really lovely music. It is melodic, so it's, there's not just that there's that kind of hard edge, but that is present in it. But, uh, the music is really lovely and beautiful, and in part that's because they're going through this, like, drip of releasing music where they're taking, like, old hymns or maybe songs if you're of a certain age like I am of kind of childhood Sunday school- And they're taking the lyrics, not the melody, and they're reimagining them. So they have two versions of Jesus Loves Me that they just released. They have the old We're Gonna Cross, a song called Glory to the King Most High. These songs are just saturated with gospel. Like, they're just all power, all encouragement, and all authority represented in Jesus Christ. They're incredible, and I've j- where I've, what I've been really blessed by is these two versions of Jesus Love Me are just fantastic. Like, they're orchestral. There is a children's kind of chorus at one point, and it got me [00:18:00] singing that song again, and really, maybe to what you were saying before, Tony, like sitting in those three words, which are really phenomenal words to hear. And so I have been surprised at how moved I've been by what really I, I first understood, of course, as a children's song with simple truth that seems, you know, depending on how long you've known some part of the gospel, obvious. And yet I found them all new again, and a, a really lovely way of just sitting in the truth of God in music that I didn't expect to find. So if you're interested in any of that or maybe just curious of what it would sound like if a Christian metalcore band took Jesus Loves Me and turned it into their genre, then honestly you should just go check out Throne Breaker. I mean, you pretty much have to at this point.  Tony Arsenal: I, I don't ever have anything to add to your musical affirmations or denials, 'cause I, I just don't. What I do have to add is that Throne Breaker actually sounds like some sort of really [00:19:00] amazing, like, mace-type weapon in Lord of the Rings. Yes.  Jesse Schwamb: Yes,  Tony Arsenal: it does. Or like a big hammer that a dwarf carries. And I would also like to say that if you ask Google Gemini to translate something into Tolkien English, it not only will do it, it will tell you how to pronounce it.  Google Elf: A ava aini Ilai amel i trona se.  Tony Arsenal: What do you think that was, Jesse?  Jesse Schwamb: No idea.  Tony Arsenal: First of all, that was elevated Quenya, a Quenya. Yes.  Jesse Schwamb: Yes, that's  Tony Arsenal: the one. Classic Quenya.  Jesse Schwamb: Yes.  Google Elf: A leta Ilai amel aima.  Tony Arsenal: I would be willing to bet... Actually, let's do this.  Jesse Schwamb: Ugh.  Tony Arsenal: Uh, we don't give out prizes very often. Uh, I will say to anyone who can tell me what that is, the first person that emails, uh, or, or goes into the Telegram chat, we'll do this. We'll be professional podcasters and drive people to one of our channels. Here we  Jesse Schwamb: go.  Tony Arsenal: The first person who goes to our telephone, our Telegram chat and tells me what that [00:20:00] means, what that, uh, Elvish means, will get a Reformed Brotherhood T-shirt.  Jesse Schwamb: Oh, that is big.  Tony Arsenal: Yeah.  Jesse Schwamb: That-  Tony Arsenal: So I'm gonna, I'm gonna play it one more time.  Jesse Schwamb: Okay, here we go. Everybody listen. Every- All right, pull over. Stop your vehicles. Here we go.  Google Elf: A leta Ilai amel aima.  Tony Arsenal: There it is, everybody.  Jesse Schwamb: I'm not being a cry- I have a guess, but I, I, I wanna try to win the T-shirt, so I'm gonna- Yes ... wi- withhold. All right. Uh, yeah, that's, that's super fun. Did it, um... Did you also translate it back into English from that  Tony Arsenal: just to see- No, I'll do that later, 'cause that would give away the, that would  Jesse Schwamb: give away the prize. Yeah, it's, it's... We'll have to save that for next week, because that, that is the fun. It creates, like, what I was doing to, to have fun with this coworker is take very technical, like, work-related emails, and I would send it through. It would go through that iterative process, and I actually loved how it, it was talking. Like, it wa- this was an email about risk, and it, it gave, like, these beautiful grand metaphors that didn't sound corny or cheesy. That's the beautiful thing. That's amazing. It [00:21:00] was like true Elvish. Like, you were just like, "I wish I spoke that way all the time about, about risk." And it, like I said, it wasn't just like... You could, you could obviously throw something in and be like, "Make this Shakespearean," or, you know, "Make this, you know, sound like, you know, Milton." This is way better. This is way better, because it's not, like, actually trying to manipulate what you're saying. It's takes, like, the dynamic equivalent of what you said, then translates it back with way more kind of poetic infrastructure while maintaining, like, the essential meaning that you have. I'm, I'm selling this too hard. Everybody just has to go out and try it. So, all right, you know what's at stake here, but here's how you have to win this. If you want a chance, if you want a chance at winning this, you gotta go to t.me/reformedbrotherhood, t.me/reformedbrotherhood, and that link will take you to the Telegram app and our little corner of it, and you're gonna find there's a bunch of chats there. You gotta go to the affirmations or denials chat, and then you gotta put in what is the translation of what Tony just played.[00:22:00] I just love... Isn't it amazing, though, that, like, y- as you discovered, there's more than one version of Elvish available? Yeah. And they do differentiate between the various kinds. This is a big deal. I learned there are actually scholars who have, like, again, filled in kind of like the details of the language- Oh, yeah taking as a basis what Tolkien had there. Yeah. So I think that this is the best. We couldn't have conceived of this if we'd actually tried and planned for it, so-  Tony Arsenal: It's true ...  Jesse Schwamb: it's just better that it all happened in, in real time. It's true. And, and speaking of which, I think now we get to have the fun of figuring out, uh, where in Luke chapter 10 are we gonna begin? Or should we just start in Luke 1 and just let's see how far we can get reading  Tony Arsenal: in this- I could have, I could have Google Gemini read it in elevated Kenya, Quenya I did try to get it to put it in Sindarin, and it wouldn't do it for some reason. I'm not sure. Maybe this anti-Sindarin bias in Gemini,  Jesse Schwamb: man. Disappointing.  Tony Arsenal: It's disappointing.  Jesse Schwamb: Dis- disappointing. So let's kick off some Good Samaritan talk, which again, I think is gonna take us [00:23:00] through maybe in the next couple of conversations, in part because, like I said, we're not even gonna start at, uh, verse 25 because there is so much more that needs to be said, I think, before that. Tony Arsenal: Yeah. Yeah. I, I think actually the proper place to start this, and I, I'm guessing Jesse probably, whether he was there or not, he probably figured out where I was going, uh, over the course of the last 20 minutes or whatever. Um, I actually think the proper place to start, at least one of the proper places to start, is in verse 21. Yeah. Um, and I- we'll talk about why that is. And I'll... I'm gonna read here, um, 21, uh, through the end of the parable. Uh, and this is Jesus talking. He says in this, uh... Well, it, this is, um... Yes, uh, I'll just read it here. "In the same hour He rejoiced in the Holy Spirit and said, 'I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that You have hidden these things from the wise and understanding and revealed them to little children. Yes, Father, for such was Your gracious will. All things have been handed over to Me by My Father, and no one who knows who the Son is except... No, no one knows who the Son is [00:24:00] except the Father, or who the Father is except the Son, and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal Himself.'" Then turning to the disciples, he said privately, "Blessed are the eyes that see what you see. For I tell you that many prophets and kings desired to see what you see and did not see it, and hear what you hear and did not hear it." And behold, a lawyer stood up to put him to the test, saying, "Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?" He said to him, "What is written in the Law? How do you read it?" And he answered, "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength, and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself." And he said to him, "You have answered correctly. Do this and you will live." But he, desiring to justify himself, said to Jesus, "And who is my neighbor?" Jesus replied, "A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and he fell among robbers who stripped him and beat him and departed, leaving him half dead. Now by chance a priest was going down that road, and he saw him and passed on the other side. So likewise a Levite, [00:25:00] when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. But a Samaritan, as he journeyed, came to where he was, and when he saw him he had compassion. He went to him and bound up his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. And he set him on his own animal and brought him to an inn and took care of him. The next day he took out two denarii, gave them to the innkeeper, saying, 'Take good care of him. Whatever you, whatever more you spend I will repay you when I come back.' Which of these three do you think proved to be a neighbor to the man who fell among the robbers?" And he said, "The one who showed him mercy." Jesus said to him, "You go and do likewise."  Jesse Schwamb: I think you're right, of course, to back us up into verse 21 because I don't want to keep saying it's always a setup, but Jesus is certainly giving us like the right context in which... Well, Luke of course is the author here and as he's explaining the teaching of Jesus, he does so well to start out with some irony that we don't realize is gonna be ironic until we get to the, to verse 25 [00:26:00] when we realize who's testing Jesus, who's setting this all up. So this idea that the Holy Spirit, everybody rejoicing in the Holy Spirit and the knowledge and the wisdom, the intelligence that's revealed through the Holy Spirit to all of these lesser people and in particular here emblematic the infants That here we have kings and rulers, and in this case, this beloved scholar of the law, who all have this adventure in missing the point. They think, in fact, they're looking for the one who is to set them free, and they can't even see that it's Him who is before him. And yet, incidentally, God has already revealed all these things to the lowest, to the ones who are the most humble, the meek, the mild, the down and outs, the ones who are weak by the view of everybody else. And so it's amazing that if we just kinda, again, like blow past it into, like, just all the characters, we don't see that the teaching starts actually well above this, that even everything we're about to understand, that unfolds in our lives, ev- every spiritual incarnation and insight that we have [00:27:00] first starts with God himself in his revealing it to us both in his general revelation, but of course, in the specific revelation of his teaching. So I like that you started us there, because I, I'm with you. That's where this whole thing launches off, right?  Tony Arsenal: Yeah.  Parables Reveal and Conceal Tony Arsenal: Yeah, and as we come into when we very, like very start of this, uh, series, the, the parable series, Jesus sort of embeds a theology of parables into this introduction, right? Or I should say Luke does. But this, uh, this is written a- as though all of this is occurring as sort of one event. Right. And likely it was, right? So sometimes, uh, in the Gospels, events are kind of, like, moved next to each other for thematic reasons. It's possible that that's the case. It seems like this may have actually just been one, one teaching, and I'll, I'll talk about why that is in a second here. Um, but at the very least, this is placed next to each other in the Gospel almost as, like a, "Here's the theology of parables. Now, here's actually that happening in real [00:28:00] time."  Jesse Schwamb: Yes.  Tony Arsenal: And then also, like, a parable kinda demonstrating it, right? So the theology of the parable here is that there are many prophets, kings who desire to see what it is that, that, uh, uh, the disciples are seeing, right? And all things have been handed over to the Father or to, to the Son, by the Father, and no one knows who the Son is except the Father. No one who knows who the Father is except the Son, and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal, right? So the, the theology of parables here presented in Luke is that the parable itself is being used as a way to reveal the Father and the Son to those whom the Son chooses to reveal it to. The Lawyer as the Fool Tony Arsenal: And that leaves us with this lawyer, um, sort of playing, playing the fool in almost like a dramatic sense, right? In a lot of drama, there's kind of like the fool character who's sort of like the foil or the idiot of the thing who's, who's unaware and is almost like made an example of, right? Um, I, I can't think of any examples off the top of my head, but there's often a character in a play who's like, uh, it's [00:29:00] almost like the opposite of the everyman, right? The everyman in a, in a play- Right ... or in a movie is sort of like the outsider who things gets explained to, and he's sort of the proxy for, for the audience. Um, I think like, um, Hawkeye in Avengers is kind of the everyman. He's sort of just like this regular dude swept up in this thing, and oftentimes he's the one that, uh, the big characters are explaining things to. And really what that is is the big characters are explaining that to the audience through this proxy. There's also this concept of the fool in a lot of these plays or movies who's sort of like the dummy, the idiot of the play, who things are explained to, and it's still a way to explain it to the audience, but the character doesn't get it. And so that's kind of, kind of the role that this lawyer is playing in this, this narrative here. He, he steps forward. He's like, "What must I do to inherit eternal life?" Jesus answers his question, and then in this like sort of like stunning moment of, like unawareness, he's trying to justify himself. He says, "Well, who is my neighbor?"[00:30:00] As though that's a question that needed to be asked, right? I think, like, we sort of think of it as like, "Oh, yeah, that's a valid question." I actually don't think it is. Like, it's pretty obvious, in the Old Testament at least, who your neighbor is. It's the people who live immediately with you. It's the other people of Israel. It's the people in your immediate concentric circles, the people you have direct access to. Um, and so then Jesus explains it through this parable, and whether or not he gets it at the end, I guess is maybe a little bit unclear. We can talk about that as we get there. But at least in the beginning, he's portrayed as this sort of, like, fool who doesn't understand what Jesus is saying, and then this parable is taught. So it's this theology of, um, revelation to those whom it is intended to, and further obscuring from those it's intended not to, not to illuminate, which is identical. Uh, maybe it's a different flavor of the same thing, but it's the same thing as what Matthew had and what Jesus taught- Right ... in Matthew with the parables. Jesse Schwamb: Right. It definitely is, again, illustrating, again, God's divine prerogative. I think you really have to do a lot of theological gymnastics [00:31:00] to try to work yourself out of a place here that says, like, "Well, this, this knowledge is accessible to all people."  Tony Arsenal: Right.  Jesse Schwamb: That if somehow we just work hard enough, study hard enough, come even before God with the right attitude or do the right things, that somehow all this will be made plain to us, and that's certainly not the truth here. In fact, again, the ironic setup is you have this lawyer asking this question, which creates this strange contrast because here's a man trained in the law, and he approaches the very wisdom of God to test him while the little children already perceive what this fool cannot. So it's irony upon irony, and then I, I like what you're saying. I think, and we'll get to this to anticipate a bit, I'm reading this as he's hoping that the answer to whom is my neighbor, just like he- he's received the affirmative from Jesus saying, "Yes, you understand. Go and do these things. This is life," and we'll get to all of what that means, I think, as well in terms of the covenant of works and the covenant of grace. But I think he's hoping that the definition of neighbor is gonna mean that he has [00:32:00] already accomplished the thing then, so that if there's somehow- Yeah ... he could just set the right boundaries. He could say, "Ah, yeah, I'm already good then, Jesus. I already, already did all that stuff." So- It's wild to me that it, it all starts with, of course, like some kind of scribal specialist in the Torah, of course, likely some kind of Pharisee by theological alignment. And as I'm looking at the notes here, what I find particularly stunning as we start this out is that Luke, of course, is able to speak several times in this parable to the intent. And so he says right away with great kind of fanfare and description that the intent here from this scribal Torah person was to test or to tempt, which is the same verb used of Satan's temptation of Christ and of Israel's testing of God in Deuteronomy 6, which of course Jesus is gonna quote here later on. So it's not, of course, like sincere inquiry, like you're saying. It, it is like adversarial probing. It is like really profound setup. It is dripping with like [00:33:00] ulterior motive. It's seeking to expose Jesus as either like heterodox or as diminishing the law's demands. And I think we've talked about this before, so Tony, correct me if I'm wrong, but I'm pretty sure in one of the previous parables we talked about sometimes how these get set up with this kind of weird like oxymoronic setting. Inherit Eternal Life Debate Jesse Schwamb: So like this question of se- uh, uh, itself, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?  Tony Arsenal: Yeah.  Jesse Schwamb: It's like more than just theologically revealing. Biblically it's self-contradictory, 'cause of course like we talked about inheritance, I think actually when we went through the, the parable of the prodigal. By definition, that's received, of course, on the ba- basis of relationship or promise. It's not earned by performance. And if the inheritance comes by a law, it no longer comes by promise, right? I think that's like Galatians. So the lawyer's question already portray- portrays like some kind of weird works righteous paradigm. E- even if you think he's really after trying to understand the true intent of God's heart [00:34:00] behind the law, he is assuming at least in this question that eternal life is some kind of wage that he can earn rather than a gift to be received by grace through faith. And that's a fundamental error that the entire subsequent exchange, including the parable, is designed to expose. It's both, like you're saying, Tony, he has not learned yet what it means to be in the kingdom of God. He's outside of that, and so he's trying... Now Jesus is bringing in this corrective action, as it were, set up in a story, but he's gonna turn the law on him, which, which I don't wanna get too excited about that yet. But he's... But essentially, here we have somebody who's the expert in the law trying to leverage the law by way of force against the one who he does not understand has all leverage and authority over him, and is in fact the law giver himself So he's gonna, Jesus is gonna drive him to see his own ability to keep the law that he claims to honor, and that's more than just brilliant. This is what the law does. You do not wanna pit the law against the one who has given the law, the [00:35:00] one whose character is represented in the law, because you're always going to get owned, and you'll get owned before you realize you've just gotten owned on multiple levels, and I think that's what basically unfolds here. Tony Arsenal: Yeah. Yeah, I, I have a little bit of a different take on the, the word inherit here. Um, I don't think what you're saying is wrong, um, but I think there's a little different flavor here, and actually, I, I think it, it still sort of propels us forward to the conversation we have to have, um, about the law and the gospel and the covenant of works, the covenant of grace. The, the Greek that lays under this word is, uh, it's a compound word of the word for, like, lot or portion and the word for law. And so, so the, this force of the word is more along the lines of, like, what shall I do to have a legal right to eternal life? Like- Right ... inherit, I think we hear inherit, and we think of, like, um, like what you get when someone dies, and so, like, obviously there's nothing you do to earn it, and that's certainly an element of the way this [00:36:00] word is used in some instances. I think reading this and kind of how, how the rest of the text plays out, this lawyer is coming forward and he's like, "What do I need to do to have a rightful legal claim to eternal life?" Right? We might even be able, and this is where it comes into the covenant of grace, covenant of works k- kind of paradigm. We might even be able to say that what this lawyer or this person comes forward to ask Jesus is, how do I gain, how do I gain the benefits of the covenant of works, right?  Jesse Schwamb: Right.  Tony Arsenal: Yep. That's language that was developed later that's not, not, like, biblical language in terms of, like, the actual language within the text, but that's the force of what he's saying. What must I do to be a rightful legal... Uh, what must I do to have a rightful legal claim on all of the blessings of the covenant of works, is really the question that's here. And so Jesus' answer is so instructive- Right ... 'cause what he says is, "Well, what's written in the law?" Like, he, he basically says, like, "Well, you should be able to tell me, teacher- Exactly of [00:37:00] the law, like, what, what needs to happen there." And there's an assumption on Christ's part that, like, there is an answer. I think sometimes, sometimes we, we, uh, we make an error in thinking that the covenant of works was never attainable, that it's somehow this, like, um, it's almost like a black box. Like, nobody could know what we have to do to, like, obtain eternal life. That's absolutely not the assumption Jesus makes. Jesus not only knows that there's an answer, it's such a straightforward answer that he expects this scribe to be able to answer it, right? And the scribe can, right? The scribe says, "Well, you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, your soul, your mind, your strength, and your neighbor as yourself," right? The summary of the law. Just good old classic Westminster larger, shorter catechism. Where's the law summarily comprehended? Summarily comprehended in the Ten Commandments. And then, then again, I don't know the questions exactly, but then it also, like, says, like, "Where does Christ summarize this?" Well, you should love the Lord your God, and you should love your [00:38:00] neighbor as yourself, right? Covenant Works and Grace Tony Arsenal: So the, the lawyer comes forward and says, "What do I need to do to have a legal right to all of the blessings of the covenant of works?" Christ says, "Well, what do you think?" He says, "Well, you obey the entirety of the law." And he says, "You've answered correctly. Do this. Obey the entirety of the law and you will live." So the parable itself doesn't necessarily speak to this law, gospel, covenant of works, covenant of grace paradigm. The, the parable is used to show that not only does this lawyer know what is required of him, but that he won't do it.  Jesse Schwamb: Right.  Tony Arsenal: And I think that's really key, because even in the parable, within the parable itself, there are these figures that know what they should do, right? I, I think, um, we'll get into it, but there's a lot of ink spilled on almost like, um, explaining [00:39:00] why the priest and the Phar- phar- and the, the Levite almost like did the right thing by going to the other side of the room, and it points to like, well, their priestly and Levitical responsibilities, if they touch a dead body, like they can't do those things, and those things are so important. Like, there's a lot of ink spilled trying to almost explain why what they did is right, when the point of the parable is that actually we all know what the right thing to do in that sense was. And even the most righteous people in the mind of the hearers, the Levites and the priests, the most righteous people, even they don't do what they're supposed to do. Jesse Schwamb: Right.  Tony Arsenal: This, this paradigm, this gospel law paradigm, law gospel paradigm, this covenant of works, covenant of grace paradigm, is so baked into the very like fabric of, of human thought that it's just there. And Christ takes this time to point out to this lawyer, like, "You know what's expected of you." And so that's why the phrase desiring to justify himself is so key [00:40:00] here. I actually think that the, the, the I don't wanna go so far as to say, like, that this person was regenerated in the midst of this conversation, 'cause I don't know that. But I actually think that there's a forward movement of this lawyer as he interacts with Christ that is optimistic. I'm optimistic about it, right? Right. He starts out trying to test Jesus, then he star- then he moves to having a desire to justify himself. I think we hear that, we read that, desiring to justify himself, we automatically think that that's a negative thing. But if we think about justifying himself in terms of what he's talking about, how do I fulfill the obligations of the covenant of works, that's not a bad thing to wanna do. Right. It's not bad to wanna obey God's law and to lay claim to His promises. It's a misguided notion of something we can't accomplish, but in itself, desiring to justify himself is to desire to fulfill the obligations of the covenant of works. That's not necessarily a bad thing. And so I think this is a merciful, a merciful [00:41:00] teaching on Christ's part. He's trying to instruct this guy to say, "Look, you can't do it. And even if you could do it, you wouldn't do it. So let's, let's talk about mercy instead and what that looks like." And that's where we get to kind of the end of the, uh, the end of the parable.  Jesse Schwamb: And again, we have to remember that we know that the intent here is actually to test or try Jesus, so He's certainly being merciful by using this opportunity not to just put him on blast, but to actually provide true instruction. And of course, like, that was, to some degree, this turning the question back would've been, like, a rabbinic pedagogical technique, but theologically, this is what floors me, is from the jump, Jesus refuses to let this man treat Him merely as one more voice among competing rabbis. Yeah. Instead, He holds that lawyer to the standard of God's own revealed word by, like you said, asking not just what does it say, but how do you read it? Mm-hmm. He's pressing not just for, like, some kind of recitation, but for the lawyer's own understanding and application, and Jesus is gonna hold him [00:42:00] accountable to his own hermeneutic. So by, by the time we get the answer, we know as readers, and all those present would've understood, he already knows the right answer, and he's not ignorant to God's requirements. He already summarizes the whole moral law correctly, encompassing both tables of the Decalogue. And so I think that does lead us then to this statement that we probably should spend a little time on, like, do this and you will live, like you introduced for us. Like, what does that even mean? Because i- it's not, like, in my view It's not like a Pelagian or Arminian concession that law keeping actually saves. I mean, it is the covenant of works principle stated truly inexorably that the law as law does promise life to perfect obedience. But that's the exact problem. I, I like what you said that it's not as if we can't understand what it would be to comprehend or contemplate this perfect law and what it means to fall under the covenant of works. It's just that he also presents for us at the same time this covenant of grace in which life is [00:43:00] granted freely through faith in the mediator who alone fulfills all of these laws' demands. So it's wild in this back and forth that's happening here where it's... I don't even know if it's fair to say this is like the most incredible subtext ever. I'm imagining trying to process this in real time and realizing everything that's being said, not just listening to what's being said and like the technical answers going back and forth. But I think like you said, that the Spirit even here is at work, I would like to believe, in the life and at the heart and the mind of this lawyer who's bringing forward this question with nefarious intent first to test and to undermine, and then is being drawn in almost inexorably into this debate to more profound understanding about a covenant based on works that cannot be accomplished, uh, in perfect obedience except through the mediator who organizes and distributes liberally this covenant of grace to his children for whom he has accomplished at least passively and then actively in his obedience in life and death. And so Jesus' reply is, I [00:44:00] think, thus a very genuine like if that functions to expose an impossibility. I, I don't think he's teaching salvation by works here, of course. He is holding out the law's own terms so that the lawyer and everybody else listening, and even us as well, can discover through this narrative which is about to happen the impossibility of self-produced righteousness, which again is what this gentleman is theologically all about. He's trying to justify himself. And that is precisely the pedagogical strategy like Paul uses later when he systemizes all of this by saying that the law was our guardian or school master until Christ came in order that we might be justified by faith. I think- Yeah ... and it's only because God is good to us and we might sit in some of this teaching, I think this is all in play. So, so I ask you, like, have I gone too far with all this? Like, how much do you think in the real time was being processed? And maybe that's a horrible question to ask because we know the Spirit does this work of illumination and enlightenment, and we're on the other [00:45:00] side of this and have this time to sit and to kind of parse and to really kind of just be pickled in all of this. But there's so much happening here, right?  Tony Arsenal: Yeah. Yeah. Uh, maybe I'll answer the question a, a little bit of a different way. I think, um- We often can think about Old Testament religion, if we wanna kinda call it that. We think about Old Testament religion as though it was totally uniform and, um, entirely legalistic. Right. Uh, my- the, the listener is gonna panic a little bit when I say this, so please don't freak out, but I, I think N.T. Wright, uh, and some of the new perspective on Paul stuff is a, a little bit helpful in this, in that it gives us a foil to sorta push against. Yes. The new perspective on Paul is this idea that, um- Paul was not saying that Judaism was legalistic and Christianity is a grace-based religion, right? He, m- [00:46:00] um, N- NPP is not, is saying, um, Paul was not correcting New or Old Testament religion. And where they go wrong is that they say that Paul actually retains this concept of covenantal faithfulness, covenantal nomism fidelity. Uh, where I think, where I think they're right is that this idea that, like, the Old Testament religion is entirely legalistic and Paul was just sort of correcting that, I think that's way too simplistic. And the reason I say that is that the Mosaic Covenant for, you know, w- and predominantly this podcast is coming from a sort of Westminster Confession of Faith Presbyterian perspective, give or take, right? The, the broad Reformed tradition would say that the, the Mosaic, uh, covenant, the Davidic Covenant, all of the covenants of the Old Testament, and we can break them up in all sorts of different ways, but all of the covenants of the Old Testament, [00:47:00] um, with maybe the exception of the Noahic Covenant, and there's some debate about that, all of those are They're not just, like, supporting structures for the covenant of grace, but they actually are the covenant of grace in various administrations. If that's true, and of course we believe that it is, if that's true, then the people of those covenants understood that on some level. Right. Right? So to think that, like, people under the administration of the covenant of grace somehow thought that they were operating under a legalistic framework doesn't make any sense. Jesse Schwamb: Yeah,  Tony Arsenal: that's true. So, so where I think that applies here is I think this person coming forward, it's not as though the concept of the covenant of grace... Again, that's language that we would develop later, but the concept that God graciously saves His people by the counsel of His own will, apart from their works of righteousness, apart from their meritorious effort, that God [00:48:00] simply extends His grace and conveys the cov- the blessings of the covenant of works to those who trust in the mediator, those who trust in the one to come, the, the forthcoming serpent-crushing seed, right, if you wanna use- Right language from Genesis 3. The, the idea that God simply graciously conveys the blessings of the covenant of works to those people Um, that's not something that's alien to the Old Testament, right? It's not alien to the, even to the Mosaic economy. The most law-based of all of the Old Testament, um, covenants, even that starts with the concept that these people are God's people who he redeemed out of Egypt, right? Right. The redemption out of Egypt comes before the giving of the law, and the giving of the law is a result of the redemption out of Egypt. So to think that this lawyer comes forward, and again, this had been sort of corrupted and distorted and had become a very works-based, uh, [00:49:00] meritorious-based understanding. But the idea that this framework of a covenant of grace is totally alien to this guy just doesn't, it just doesn't, I think it doesn't play. And so I think rather than us read this as I think sometimes we do, of Christ as kind of like giving this guy, trying to give this guy an entirely new paradigm, or like the rich young ruler is very much a parallel kind of situation. We read this, this guy comes forward, he's like, "What do I gotta do to earn eternal life?" Christ is like, kinda basically says like, "Well, you dum-dum, you can't. And I'm gonna demonstrate for you that you can't by- Right ... taking sort of like this situation that you can't possibly believe that you fulfilled and telling you to fulfill it." That's the outcome of this. We'll get to that when we get to the end of the parable. Um, he's not trying to give them a new paradigm. He's trying, in my opinion, he's trying to sort of reorient them back to the true paradigm of grace that is present under all of the Old Covenant administrations. So it's not so much a matter of like [00:50:00] developing a new framework and impli- like imposing this new framework on this guy. It's really trying to say like, "Listen- Think about this for a second, dude. Think about this, right? Think about the fact that, yes, you know you have to love the Lord your God with your whole heart, your whole soul, your whole strength, your whole mind, and you have to love your neighbor as yourself, right? You've answered correctly. If you can do those things, you will live. With the subtext, which I think is what you're getting at, the subtext of, like, and of course you cannot possibly do those things. Right. Right. So what's the alternative, my friend? The alternative is not justifying yourself by somehow identifying who the person is that you have to love the most. The, the, the, um, the... Well, we'll get this when we get to the parable itself, but the, the alternative is... This will be interesting, 'cause I'm not sure that we... I don't know where you are on this, but, um, the alternative is that there's someone out there who shows us mercy. [00:51:00] Right. There's someone out there who takes care of our need despite our total inability to do so. Jesse Schwamb: That's right.  Tony Arsenal: That's the alternative to the covenant of works, is the covenant of grace. I m- maybe I'm, like, hinting at it too much, so I'll just say it. Like, Jesus is the Good Samaritan, right? Like, there's something for us to learn about our own justification here and our own- Right ... like, um, our own need to be merciful, to treat people as our neighbors. But just like we talked about when we talked about, like, what does the least of these mean, this parable, uh, I'm totally, like, burying the lede for next, next week, but that's fine. This parable is not primarily about us figuring out how to do mercy ministry. Right. Like, that's important. It's probably an outcome of this. It's probably something for us to think about. But really, this is actually Christ saying, like, "Hold on a second here, dude." Like, "Let's just think about this." Do you need someone who is going to tell you to pick yourself up off your bootstraps and cross to the other side of the street and leave you to [00:52:00] your own devices? Or do you need someone who's gonna throw you on their donkey, who's gonna bind up your wounds, who's gonna pay the innkeeper, and is gonna pledge to play- pay everything that is owed for your salvation? Right? That's not too on the nose here, I think. Right. And, and I really look forward to, like, unpacking that, although maybe we don't need to now, but I think, like, this parable is so much more about how salvation works than it is about, like, what it means to have a good neighbor and to be a good neighbor. I think we get bogged down in that, and I just am really excited to talk more about, like, what I think this parable actually gets at.  Jesse Schwamb: I agree, and it's happening in the contex

Try the BibleACTS app!: ⁠https://bibleacts.goodbarber.app/subscribe⁠ Shop "Cut to the Heart" apparel: ⁠https://cut2theheart.com⁠ In this episode, we continue our verse-by-verse study through Acts 12, where persecution against the early Church intensifies under King Herod. James is killed, Peter is imprisoned, and the Church responds by earnestly praying to God. In this study, we discuss: Peter being imprisoned and guarded by soldiers The Church praying earnestly for Peter An angel miraculously freeing Peter from prison and why Peter confused this with having a vision The believers' surprising reaction when Peter arrives Herod's pride and refusal to give glory to God Herod's judgment and death Acts 12 is a powerful reminder that God remains sovereign even in persecution. Some believers experienced miraculous deliverance while others, like James, suffered for their faith—yet through it all, God's purposes continued and His Word kept spreading. Watch, listen, and grow in your faith — and subscribe for more verse-by-verse Bible teaching, podcast discussions, and biblical commentary. #Acts12 #BibleStudy #Peter #Prayer #Herod #EarlyChurch #Persecution #BibleCommentary #ChristianPodcast #VerseByVerse

Jen sits down with WEBTOON and Square Enix to break down a channel that reaches mobile, PC, and console at once.UA is saturated and everyone is hunting for new reach. WEBTOON has 160 million MAU, about 90% under 34, and roughly 69% of its readers play games across all three platforms. Christine Yu (WEBTOON) and Melanie Gordon (Square Enix) walk through how the Visions of Mana and Dragon Quest VII Reimagined campaigns actually came together, what the branded epilogue format is, how long these collabs take, and how the Coin Hunter offerwall is driving 10,000 verified Steam wishlist adds a week.Topics Covered:• The vertical scroll format and why Gen Z never touched a comic book• 160M MAU and how WEBTOON monetizes like a free to play game• $2.7B paid out to creators and 124,000 new episodes a day• Creators as influencers and why the comment section matters• The branded epilogue and the Visions of Mana collab results• Dragon Quest VII Reimagined and the Tabletop partnership• Timelines, approvals, and what marketers need to bring to the table• Licensing collab creative for paid media, owned social, and UA• Coin Hunter, the offerwall, and pay per verified Steam wishlist• Where WEBTOON sits in the funnel and why ROAS is the wrong first questionCHAPTERS:01:33 — What Is WEBTOON04:21 — Mel's Fan Origin Story06:26 — WEBTOON as an IP Engine09:17 — Creators as Influencers11:24 — Turning Fandom Into a Marketing Channel13:14 — Case Study: Visions of Mana x The Greatest Estate Developer15:20 — Inside the Collab Process17:33 — Western Market Performance20:00 — Case Study: Dragon Quest VII Reimagined x Tabletop24:07 — Campaign Types and Timelines27:32 — Repurposing Collab Content for UA/Social30:18 — What Makes It Feel Authentic (Not Cheesy)32:00 — Performance, ROAS, and Funnel Placement34:00 — Beyond Anime: Genre and Demographic Diversity37:08 — Audience Demographics38:00 — Lower-Funnel Product: Coin Hunter / Steam Wishlist41:00 — What's Next & Wrap-Up Wishlist 42:00 — Recap and Closing (Brandformance)

‘The very word “America” remains a new, almost completely undefined and extremely controversial proper noun,' James Baldwin wrote in 1959. ‘No one in the world seems to know exactly what it describes, not even we motley millions who call ourselves Americans.' Donald Trump's vision of Fortress America, at war with immigrants, shadowy globalists and itself, is a violent attempt to resolve what Baldwin called the ‘rich confusion' of American identity. But there are other possible Americas, some, like Baldwin's, described from voluntary exile. What can they offer at the present moment? From the LRB Subscribe to the LRB: ⁠⁠https://lrb.me/subslrbpod Close Readings podcast: ⁠https://lrb.me/crlrbpod⁠ LRB Audiobooks: ⁠https://lrb.me/audiobookslrbpod⁠ Bags, binders and more at the LRB Store: ⁠https://lrb.me/storelrbpod⁠ Get in touch: podcasts@lrb.co.uk Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Golden roses falling from the sky. A heavenly cocktail party just beyond the veil. An archangel offering glimpses of events decades into the future. This episode brings together unforgettable stories of contact with the unseen. Casie shares an extraordinary vision—a luminous encounter filled with angels, roses, music-like fragrance, and overwhelming joy. Then Vyasa tells of meeting Archangel Metatron in 1976 and receiving three prophetic visions that would shape the course of his life. Together, their stories invite us to consider how our loved ones communicate, how guidance arrives, and whether prayer, intention, and choice can actually change what comes next.

This episode, we are joined by Josh from British Columbia, Canada, who shares a lifetime of unusual encounters beginning with memories of Grey beings at a young age. He describes numerous incidents that occurred while sober and fully awake, along with a major change at the age of 50. Since then, the pace of paranormal activity has increased, including telepathic connections, psychic phenomena, prophetic dreams and contact he describes as angelic. Josh also discusses his work developing an AI system designed to construct and interpret magical castings, and explores whether artificial intelligence could become another doorway into the unknown.More information on this episode on the podcast website:https://ufochroniclespodcast.com/2026-2/If you enjoy this podcast, please support the show with a virtual coffee:https://ko-fi.com/ufochroniclespodcastFollow and Subscribe on X to get ad-free episodesX: https://x.com/UFOchronpodcast/Want to share your encounter on the show?Email: UFOChronicles@gmail.comOr Fill out Guest Form:https://forms.gle/uGQ8PTVRkcjy4nxS7Podcast Merchandise:https://www.teepublic.com/user/ufo-chronicles-podcastHelp Support UFO CHRONICLES by becoming a Patron:https://patreon.com/UFOChroniclespodcastAll Links for Podcast:https://linktr.ee/UFOChroniclesPodcastThank you for listening!Like share and subscribe it really helps me when people share the show on social media, it means we can reach more people and more witnesses and without your amazing support, it wouldn't be possible.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/ufo-chronicles-podcast--3395068/support.

Part of the Visions of the Great God sermon series from Ezekiel 1:1-28. This sermon was preached by David Shaw and is 39 minutes long.

A man disguised as a peddler stands on the bank of the Yangtze watching a British fleet go past, and tries to hitch a ride to Nanjing. He's been trying to reach the rebel capital for 6 years now, and this is the closest he's gotten. He's told “no” … again. So he picks himself up once more and just keeps walking. He'll get there eventually. And once he does, within three weeks he'll be made the Shield King – the 2nd most powerful man in the Taiping Kingdom… on paper, at least. Time Period Covered:1858–1859 CE Major Historical Figures: Taiping Heavenly Kingdom:Hong Xiuquan, the Heavenly King [1814–1864]Hong Rengan, the Shield King [1822–1864]Chen Yucheng, the Brave King [1837–1862]Li Xiucheng, the Loyal King [1823–1864]Shi Dakai, the Wing King [1831–1863] Great Britain:James Bruce, 8th Earl of Elgin [1811–1863]Thomas Francis Wade, interpreter [1818–1895] Missionaries & Observers:Theodore Hamberg [1819–1854]James Legge [1815–1897]Karl Marx [1818–1883] Great Qing:The Xianfeng Emperor (Aisin-Gioro Yizhu) [r. 1850–1861]Magistrate Tan of Huangmei Major Works Cited:Hamberg, Theodore. The Visions of Hung-Siu-tshuen, and Origin of the Kwang-si Insurrection.Kuhn, Philip A. "The Taiping Rebellion" in The Cambridge History of China, Vol. 10.Michael, Franz, and Chung-li Chang. The Taiping Rebellion: History and Documents, Vols. I, II & III.Oliphant, Laurence. Narrative of the Earl of Elgin's Mission to China and Japan in the Years 1857, '58, '59.Platt, Stephen R. Autumn in the Heavenly Kingdom: China, the West, and the Epic Story of the Taiping Civil War. Spence, Jonathan D. God's Chinese Son: The Taiping Heavenly Kingdom of Hong Xiuquan. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Join Tom, Stephen, and William as they review Season 1 of the Star Wars Visions spinoff, The Ninth Jedi. They also discuss the thrilling trailer for Ahsoka Season 2 and the leaked teaser for the upcoming film Star Wars: Starfighter.Synopsis: Picking up not long after the events of the Visions shorts, in the new series, Lah Kara continues to train in the ways of the Jedi under Margrave Juro amid an epic journey of self-discovery as she and Juro's small fellowship of Jedi-in-training embark on a quest to save her father.The Ion Cannon Podcast is your source for entertainment reviews from a galaxy far, far away. Ion Cannon has covered every corner of the saga since 2008, from the films and hit series like The Mandalorian, Andor, The Clone Wars, Rebels, Ahsoka, and Skeleton Crew to books, comics, games, and more. Not affiliated with Disney or Lucasfilm.Contact usEmail: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠contact@ioncannoncast.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Facebook: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Ion Cannon Podcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠X (Twitter): ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@IonCannonCast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@MasterDevwi⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@kal_skirata⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@srice08⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Subscribe⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Spotify⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Apple Podcasts / iTunes⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Amazon Music⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Pocket Casts⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠RSS feed⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Thank you for listening and may the Force be with you.

We're in a really strange moment in the foreign policy politics of the Democratic Party. People are looking for an alternative vision — an approach to American power in the world that would feel more moral and just, after the failures of President Biden, and the wrecking ball President Trump has taken to international rules and norms. The answer many on the left are coming to is powerfully simple: international law. America could just start following the rules that we helped write. Is that possible? Is that enough? What would that even look like? To talk through these questions, I invited Linda Kinstler on the show. She's a member of the Society of Fellows at Harvard, a contributing writer at The New York Times Magazine, and the author of “Come to This Court and Cry: How the Holocaust Ends.” She's done some incredible writing and reporting on whether what we're watching is the death of international law. In this conversation, we talk about the Biden administration's failures to live up to the principles it set for itself, the Trump administration's campaign to destroy the International Criminal Court and what it would take to reinvigorate international law. Mentioned: “Are we witnessing the death of international law?” by Linda Kinstler “Abdul El-Sayed, U.S. Senate candidate, on AIPAC and Israel” by Detroit Free Press Opinion Staff Book Recommendations: The Divided City by Nicole Loraux Crossing the Red Line by Akbar Shahid Ahmed Under Water by Tara Menon Thoughts? Guest suggestions? Email us at ezrakleinshow@nytimes.com. You can find the transcript and more episodes of “The Ezra Klein Show” at nytimes.com/ezra-klein-podcast. Book recommendations from all our guests are listed at https://www.nytimes.com/article/ezra-klein-show-book-recs.html This episode of “The Ezra Klein Show” was produced by Jack McCordick. Fact-checking by Kelsey Lannin, with Michelle Harris. Our senior engineer is Jeff Geld, with additional mixing by Aman Sahota and Johnny Simon. Our recording engineer is Aman Sahota. Cinematography by Marina King. Video editing by Steph Khoury and Arpita Aneja. Our executive producer is Claire Gordon. The show's production team also includes Marie Cascione, Annie Galvin, Rollin Hu, Kristin Lin, Emma Kehlbeck and Jan Kobal. Original music by Pat McCusker. Audience strategy by Shannon Busta. The director of New York Times Opinion Shows is Annie-Rose Strasser. Subscribe today at nytimes.com/podcasts or on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. You can also subscribe via your favorite podcast app here https://www.nytimes.com/activate-access/audio?source=podcatcher. For more podcasts and narrated articles, download The New York Times app at nytimes.com/app. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

On this episode, Dominic, Ben, and Joel break down the new animated series Star Wars Visions Presents: The Ninth Jedi in both spoiler-free and spoiler-full terms. They share their thoughts on Kara's journey, Nawaam as a villain, and this unique vision of the Star Wars galaxy. But first, they react to Anakin's new costume in Ahsoka season two (as seen at D23 Expo) and speculate about his role in the upcoming episodes. And later Ben regales us with stories from Rebel Scum Con, including the "Rolling of the Rottas." Plus, what does redemption really mean, what elements from The Ninth Jedi should be incorporated into "main" Star Wars stories, and what did Yoda really mean when he said the dark side will forever dominate your destiny? All this and much more! THE NINTH JEDI SPOILER DISCUSSION FROM: 42:13 to 1:53:34 New episodes streaming LIVE every Thursday night at 9:00pm ET / 6:00pm PT! Find All Our Links Here! Producers: Ben Hart & Dominic Jones Thumbnail Art: Martin Ingleston Production Services Provided By CultureSlate

Today, we are sharing an episode from the Signal Award-winning and 2026 Ambie Award-nominated podcast No Small Endeavor. Hosted by award-winning teacher and Professor of Theology and Ethics Lee C. Camp, No Small Endeavor explores what it means to live a good life, uncovering the habits, practices, and dispositions that facilitate human flourishing. In this episode, marine biologist, policy expert, and New York Times bestselling author Ayana Elizabeth Johnson who wrote What If We Get It Right? Visions of Climate Futures. Ayana asks a question that reframes everything: how do you respond to climate change with joy? Those two words, climate change, can fill us with dread, anxiety, and doom. Advocates for action are often fueled by breakneck urgency, but for many, that outlook is paralyzing. Johnson argues there is another way. "This is the work of our lifetime," she says, "so why don't we find ways to make it delightful?" In this conversation, she explains why the climate crisis is no less dire than the news makes it seem, but why climate activism must be rooted in hope and joy to be truly sustainable. Follow and listen to more episodes of No Small Endeavor here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/no-small-endeavor-with-lee-c-camp/id1513178238

Bethel is still producing “visions,” parents are increasingly being cut off by their adult children, free speech collides with Islam, and two former NBA players expose the WNBA's transgender dilemma. What should Christians learn from all of it? Segment 1 • A Bethel Music singer describes a dramatic “vision” of Jesus. • Why chasing fresh revelations can quietly undermine the sufficiency of Scripture. • If your church sings Bethel Music, what exactly are you supporting? Segment 2 • Why are so many adult children cutting off their parents? • Five influences driving family estrangement, from politics to therapy culture. • What Christian parents can do now to strengthen relationships with their children. Segment 3 • A British activist tests whether an Oxford audience really believes in free speech. • Why one envelope containing a supposed image of Muhammad caused an uproar. • What the confrontation reveals about Islam and Western values. Segment 4 • Two former NBA players say they identify as women and want into the WNBA. • Their stunt forces the transgender sports debate to confront its own logic. • When obvious truths are rejected, why facts alone may never be enough. ___ Thanks for listening! Wretched Radio would not be possible without the financial support of our Gospel Partners. If you would like to support Wretched Radio we would be extremely grateful. VISIT https://fortisinstitute.org/donate/ If you are already a Gospel Partner we couldn't be more thankful for you if we tried!

Grammy-winning pianist, composer and arranger Roger Kellaway has spent more than six decades making music alongside some of the greatest names in jazz and American popular music. In this wide-ranging conversation, Roger looks back on the musicians who shaped him, what separates the truly great players from the merely accomplished, and why music education and learning to really listen still matter.Roger talks about the fateful gig when he was hired by Norman Lear and his partner to write the closing song for "All in the Family," which became "Remembering You," one of the most recognizable tunes in television.We also bring the story home to Ojai. Roger talks about meeting his wife, Jorjana Kellaway, how the two eventually found their way to the Ojai Valley, and some of the performances and musical moments at the Ojai Music Festival that have stayed with him.Roger Kellaway is no stranger to the pages of Ojai Quarterly. He was featured for his collaboration with Joe Sohm and Clint Eastwood on "Visions of America." He is also a frequent, distinctive and distinguished audience member at the Ojai Music Festival.We did not talk about Red Sox owner Tom Yawkey's friendship with Ted Williams, marlin fishing in the Sea of Cortez, or Gene Lees. It's a conversation about jazz history, improvisation, teaching, creativity, love, place — and what a lifetime devoted to music teaches you about listening.https://rogerkellaway.com/

Night Visions Episode 1The Passenger ListThe Bokor

JKL Media Reviews hosts Jesse, Karen, and Lou discuss The Expanse Season 3, Episode 10 "Dandelion Sky," opening with a suicide trigger warning and resources. They break down Anna's interaction with Lt. Nemeroff, his subsequent suicide, and Anna's regret and eulogy, focusing on faith, pride, and humility. The trio examines Holden's message ordering the crew not to follow, Amos's revelation that he hasn't felt fear since age five, and the bond between Amos and Alex. They analyze escalating tension between Drummer and Ashford (and Diogo's behavior), plus Clarissa/Melba's pursuit of revenge and her confrontation with Tilly. Finally, they unpack the confusing, 2001-style protomolecule sequence involving Holden, Miller/the Investigator, Bobbie, a grenade, and the sudden standstill inside the Ring bubble.

In this profound interview of Just Tap In with Emilio Ortiz, we welcomes back spiritual teacher Anne Tucker, who channels I-LA, the Mother of Creation, for a powerful conversation about the transition humanity is moving through right now. Together, they explore the idea of a coming “separative moment,” the formation of two different paths or realities, the seven stages of soul growth, and why so much chaos, polarity, and upheaval may be surfacing as the old world begins to fall away. I-LA also shares a deeper perspective on Earth herself, describing the planet as awakening to her own will, creative power, and evolving relationship with humanity.✦ Grab Anne's Newest Channeled Book: The Map to New Earth

Marcie Peeters from Carlton Soil & Water Conservation District talks about the history, future, and planned celebration for the upcoming 65th anniversary

Visions, prophesy, see what the future has to hold as Aaron and Dylan pull back the curtain and peer into the beyond and tell you the top 11-20 players of the 2026-2027 season.

Send us Fan MailDo you ever wonder if there is a world beyond the one that you can see and touch?  Do you believe in the existence of angels, demons, heaven, and hell?  Whether you do or not, you'll want to check out this edition of Finish Strong.Award-winning author Lee Strobel joins us to delve into these topics and more.  He shares fascinating stories from his new book Seeing the Supernatural.You'll learn about mystical dreams, near-death encounters, and miraculous healings.  Lee also tells the truth about psychics, ghosts, and the paranormal.You don't want to miss this edition of Finish Strong as we help you see the supernatural!Support the showFearless Faith Websiteffaith.orgTo leave a review - Open Finish Strong on the Apple Podcast app and scroll down until you see "Ratings & Reviews". There will be a link to click so that you can "Write A Review"FacebookYouTubeInstagram

The Bartered Bride, a comic opera by Bedrich Smetana, premiered in Prague on March 30, 1866. Its pastoral love story and setting in a rural Czech village eventually became an enduring symbol of Czech nationalism. In Visions of the Village: Ruralness, Identity, and Czech Opera (Oxford University Press, 2025), Christopher Campo-Bowen examines how a particular image of the rural village in a set of Czech operas written between 1866 and 1904 became a powerful signifier for Czech ethnoracial and nationalist identity. He follows this conception of Czech identity and its entanglement with opera through the political changes in the years when the Czech lands were ruled by the Austro-Hungarian Empire and the upheaval that followed when the Empire collapsed in 1918 and the First Czechoslovak Republic was founded. In addition to composers and their operas, Campo-Bowen investigates the output of critics, administrators, and other urban intellectuals to understand the impact of village operas on public discourse. By setting his analysis within a discussion of how race was understood in nineteenth-century Europe, Campo-Bowen shows that this seemingly straightforward nationalist discourse was shot through with racialized essentialism and ideas about gender that were connected with larger political realities. He ends the book with a discussion of the resonances of this nineteenth-century conception of Czech identity in the current Czech Republic. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/new-books-network

The Bartered Bride, a comic opera by Bedrich Smetana, premiered in Prague on March 30, 1866. Its pastoral love story and setting in a rural Czech village eventually became an enduring symbol of Czech nationalism. In Visions of the Village: Ruralness, Identity, and Czech Opera (Oxford University Press, 2025), Christopher Campo-Bowen examines how a particular image of the rural village in a set of Czech operas written between 1866 and 1904 became a powerful signifier for Czech ethnoracial and nationalist identity. He follows this conception of Czech identity and its entanglement with opera through the political changes in the years when the Czech lands were ruled by the Austro-Hungarian Empire and the upheaval that followed when the Empire collapsed in 1918 and the First Czechoslovak Republic was founded. In addition to composers and their operas, Campo-Bowen investigates the output of critics, administrators, and other urban intellectuals to understand the impact of village operas on public discourse. By setting his analysis within a discussion of how race was understood in nineteenth-century Europe, Campo-Bowen shows that this seemingly straightforward nationalist discourse was shot through with racialized essentialism and ideas about gender that were connected with larger political realities. He ends the book with a discussion of the resonances of this nineteenth-century conception of Czech identity in the current Czech Republic. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/performing-arts

Visions is back and better than ever! In the third season, beloved studios make their return alongside exciting new voices, each bringing a unique take on the Star Wars galaxy. This week, we're covering Episode 5, "Yuko's Treasure". 0:00 - Intro/Ninth Jedi3:35 - Yuko's Treasure/Studio15:23 - English Voice Cast21:58 - Visions Lack of Documentaries24:09 - How Will The Story Continue?26:32 - Final Thoughts27:45 - Writer/Director28:46 - PlugsJoin Our Patreon for Extended Episodes ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.patreon.com/GoldSquadronGays⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Follow Us:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@GoldSquadronGays⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ on Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@GoldSquadronGays⁠⁠ on BlueSky⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@GoldSquadronGays⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ on TikTok⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@GoldSquadronGays⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ on YouTubeContact Us: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Goldsquadrongays@gmail.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Theme Music from Uppbeat: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://uppbeat.io/t/danijel-zambo/stardust⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠License code: GNBFGWAK0CXN3KG2

The Bartered Bride, a comic opera by Bedrich Smetana, premiered in Prague on March 30, 1866. Its pastoral love story and setting in a rural Czech village eventually became an enduring symbol of Czech nationalism. In Visions of the Village: Ruralness, Identity, and Czech Opera (Oxford University Press, 2025), Christopher Campo-Bowen examines how a particular image of the rural village in a set of Czech operas written between 1866 and 1904 became a powerful signifier for Czech ethnoracial and nationalist identity. He follows this conception of Czech identity and its entanglement with opera through the political changes in the years when the Czech lands were ruled by the Austro-Hungarian Empire and the upheaval that followed when the Empire collapsed in 1918 and the First Czechoslovak Republic was founded. In addition to composers and their operas, Campo-Bowen investigates the output of critics, administrators, and other urban intellectuals to understand the impact of village operas on public discourse. By setting his analysis within a discussion of how race was understood in nineteenth-century Europe, Campo-Bowen shows that this seemingly straightforward nationalist discourse was shot through with racialized essentialism and ideas about gender that were connected with larger political realities. He ends the book with a discussion of the resonances of this nineteenth-century conception of Czech identity in the current Czech Republic. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/music

In this week's episode, I share a few tips for writing effectively and politely in a public space like a coffee shop, library, waiting room, or similar location. This coupon code will get you 25% off the ebooks in the Ghost Exile series at my Payhip store: SUMMEREXILE The coupon code is valid through August 24, 2026. So if you need a new ebook this summer, we've got you covered! TRANSCRIPT 00:00:00 Introduction and Writing Updates Hello, everyone. Welcome to Episode 315 of The Pulp Writer Show. My name is Jonathan Moeller. Today is August the 7th, 2026 and today I am sharing tips for writing while in public in places such as a coffee shop, a waiting room, or a library. We will also have Coupon of the Week and a progress update on my current writing, publishing, and audiobook projects. First off, let's start with Coupon of the Week. This week's coupon code will get you 25% off the ebooks in the Ghost Exile series at my Payhip store. That coupon code is SUMMEREXILE and this coupon code will be valid through August the 24th, 2026, so if you need a new ebook to read this summer, we have got you covered. And as always, the coupon code and the link to my Payhip store will be available in the show notes for this episode. Now for an update on my current writing, publishing, and audiobook projects. I am very nearly done with Cloak of Frost. In fact, I'm so close to being done with Cloak of Frost, I am hoping (if all goes well and the creek doesn't rise), to finish it this afternoon after I finish recording this episode. So after you finish listening to this episode when it goes live, go check out your nearest ebook store for Cloak of Frost because hopefully it should be working its way through the platforms and be available then. Once Cloak of Frost is finished and published, my next main project will be Blade of Visions, the sixth book in the Blades of Ruin epic fantasy series. I am currently 17,000 words into that. If all goes well, I am hoping to have that book out sometime in September. I'll need a new secondary project since Blade of Visions is getting promoted from secondary project. So my new secondary project will be Elven-Warlock, the seventh book in the Half-Elven Thief series. That hopefully will be out sometime in October, again, if all goes well. In audiobook news, we have a couple different audiobook things to discuss. Dragon-Mage, the sixth book in the Half-Elven Thief series (as narrated by Leanne Woodward) should now be available at all audiobook stores. Stealth & Spells Online: Final Quest (as narrated by C.J. McAllister) should be at my Payhip store, Google Play, and Kobo as of right now, and it should be working its way through the other audiobook platforms before too much longer. Cloak Mage: Omnibus Four, which is a three-book bundle containing Cloak of Illusion, Cloak of Dragonfire, and Cloak of Embers (as narrated by Hollis McCarthy) is now available in audio as well. It's 38 hours [long] and you can get that at Audible, Apple, and Amazon. As for upcoming books, Brad Wills is working on Blade of Thieves and as of this recording, he's about halfway through it. Hollis McCarthy is working on Cloak of Worlds and I believe she's done with main recording and doing edits right now. So before too much longer, if all goes well, we'll have a bunch of new audiobooks for you. So that is where I'm at with my current writing, publishing, and audiobook projects. 00:02:57 Tips for Writing in Public Spaces Now let's move on to our main topic this week, writing or working in a coffee shop, waiting room, library, or other public space. People often romanticize the process of writing and imagine that writers spend all day in a cozy cafe with a leather notebook and a fountain pen, sipping espresso with [chuckles] acoustic guitar music playing faintly in the background. In reality, most full-time writers don't regularly work that way. For myself, I don't generally like working in public, and I prefer either to work in my office at home or with my laptop on my couch (also at home). I only work in public spaces like coffee shops, libraries, and waiting rooms when I'm waiting for someone or don't have any other option. Because of course, real life has its demands, I do that a fair bit. I've written large chunks of most of my books in various waiting rooms while waiting on various appointments. But again, it's not my first choice. If I had total freedom to pick where I was going to work today, I would not pick a coffee shop. I would not pick the library. I would probably pick either my office or my couch with my laptop, depending on how hot the day happened to be. However, just because I don't like working in a public space doesn't mean that other people do not, and many people do love to work in public spaces like coffee shops or find it a necessity for a variety of reasons. So today we're going to go over what you should consider when working in these kinds of spaces. For many people, the benefits of working in a space like a coffee shop or a library are significant. Let's go over a few of the reasons that people might benefit from this working arrangement. Some people don't have much control over the noise or activity levels in their home environment or are experiencing a temporary issue like a power outage or home renovations. For example, this morning at about seven o'clock, a tree trimming truck pulled up directly in front of my house, so I was worried that I would not be able to record this podcast today due to chainsaw noise, but for whatever reason, they haven't started yet, so I'm hoping I can actually finish recording this episode before any chainsaw noise begins. Many people also like having a change of scenery or like getting out of the house if they primarily work from home. Some people find this helps them to feel more creative or interested in their work or feels like a reward for doing the work. Another reason is that some people also miss the social aspect of working in person and enjoying making small talk or working alongside a friend in these types of spaces. Some people, especially those who've been diagnosed with ADHD, benefit from being in a space where others are also working, even if they're not interacting with those people. It actually helps them to focus and be more productive when they can see others working. If you're interested in learning more about that, you can read about the concept of body doubling, which describes this in more detail. So with those reasons in mind, let's go over some of the appropriate etiquette for working in a public place. You might think these etiquette tips about working in an American public space are obvious, but after you spend a fair amount of time in a coffee shop, you'll see that many people never get this advice or blatantly ignore it. So let's spend some time stating what feels like the obvious, especially for people who might not be familiar with American customs and behaviors. First, if you're spending time in a business, you need to order, and if you're in America, you should at least leave a small tip. If you're staying more than an hour or so, you should probably order more than once. For example, if you're spending an afternoon working in a coffee shop, you can start with a plain coffee and then after a couple of hours order another cup or a snack. You're essentially renting their space at their expense, so you shouldn't be there all day after buying only a $2 cup of coffee (or worse yet, nothing at all). Another important factor is to have realistic expectations. Coffee shops are primarily places for people to eat and gather, so you can't be upset when people do just that. These spaces are not designed to be workspaces and you have to adjust your expectations about the noise and activity level. It might be tempting to ask that table of high school girls to be quieter or the toddler across the room to stop running about, but that's not your job and it's not appropriate of you to ask that of strangers in a place where people come for conversation. If you truly need quiet space, many libraries have designated quiet areas and larger cities usually have rentable coworking spaces designated for just working. And if you are going to the library, remember that the library doesn't cost you anything as opposed to a coffee shop or a coworking space. Also, don't hog space. If the establishment is absolutely packed and there are no available tables, it's not good etiquette to take up an entire table for hours on end. Try to choose a lower traffic shop if this is something that you regularly observe happening in your preferred one or come in outside of peak hours. Likewise, it's generally considered impolite in America to use your belongings to hold the table more than a minute or two. And if, depending on where you are in the country, if you leave your belongings at the table for too long without being there to attend them, there's a fair chance that something's going to get stolen. It's also a good idea to have some situational awareness about cords and not being a tripping hazard. If you're using a charger, make sure the cord isn't going into an employee space like the condiment bar or causing a tripping hazard for others. Likewise, make sure that your bags are also situated on the floor in such a way that others won't easily trip on them or have to step over them. Another point is no pacing. Many of us like to pace while working or thinking, but that's generally considered annoying or even unsettling and threatening in a public space like a coffee shop or a library or a waiting room. [As for] making noise, how appropriate it is to take a video or a phone call will depend greatly on your environment. Some coffee shops have many people working and it's normal there. In a small town coffee shop where the locals gather to talk about the forecast or local news or the local parade at great length, it's most likely going to be inappropriate or annoy other people. If you're taking calls or on video meetings, be sure to learn what settings on your devices and software minimize background noise and amplify your speaking voice so those on the other side of the line can hear you more clearly and not be bothered by all the noise in the background. This will also minimize how loudly you need to talk in order to be heard clearly, and a good headset can definitely help you with that. Another seemingly obvious thing that needs to be said is that you should bring headphones if you're going to be listening to music or watching videos. At my last gym (before I left for another, better gym), there was an elderly man who frequently would come to use the elliptical, put his phone on the console, and then watch various Facebook AI slop videos at maximum volume. It was really quite annoying and is part of the reason I no longer go to that gym. So don't be that person and make sure if you're listening to music while you're working in public, bring headphones. And finally, be nice. If you're spending a significant amount of time in a space like a coffee shop, it's important to be a good customer and to maintain a positive relationship with those people working there. Be polite, but don't take up the workers' time with excessive conversation. Of course, what is excessive is wholly subjective. If you're the only one there and they're totally bored, it's polite to have a little conversation but if there's 15 people in line behind you, it's probably best to move along. Clean up your messes and leave a few minutes before closing time so they don't have to kick you out. I used to work in retail many years ago, and I'm sure many of you either have worked or continue to work in retail or some form of food service and we all know that one of the most annoying things is a customer who refuses to leave when it's closing time or the guy who comes in five minutes before closing time and orders a huge meal. Don't be that guy. Now with all those etiquette points out of the way, you're ready to work. Here are some other considerations for working in this space like a coffee shop. Supplies [like] noise canceling headphones or noise reducing earplugs might be helpful for you, especially if you're sensitive to loud noises like an espresso machine being cleaned or as we mentioned before, loud conversations. A good headset if you are taking video calls might be invaluable. A privacy screen is a good idea for a laptop if you're working with sensitive information or don't want people reading over your shoulder. The most common ones are fairly inexpensive and are easy to remove when you no longer need to use it. For myself, I've never used that one, but I never look at sensitive information on my laptop in public, which we'll get to later. I suppose the only awkward thing is if someone's reading over my shoulder and I'm writing a scene like where Talembur beheads an orc with a two-handed blow and the head rolls away in a fountain of gore. That might be off-putting to people, but they shouldn't be reading my laptop screen anyway. A portable charger for your laptop and other devices might be a good idea to invest in if you're frequently working in these spaces, especially since outlet availability can be very limited. We should also talk about Wi-Fi safety. If you connect to the Wi-Fi in a public place like a coffee shop or a library, there are risks associated with that. Here are some basic things you can do to minimize your risks. Turn off auto connect to Wi-Fi and disable network discovery. That way if there are any malicious actors or devices on that network that will make it slightly harder for them to get to your laptop. Consider using a VPN to encrypt data sent from your device. Finally, more potentially sensitive tasks like shopping and online banking should wait until you're back on a more secure network. If you have a Gmail account with a two-factor authentication set up, checking your Gmail on a public Wi-Fi is probably okay. I would strongly recommend avoiding visiting any banking sites, financial sites, retirement investment sites, or shopping sites while you are on a public Wi-Fi network since there's always at least a chance someone would be able to pick up details about that from the public Wi-Fi. Another thing to consider might be groups or events where some coffee shops and libraries and other places will have events specifically for working together with a large group. If you're interested in finding like-minded people in your area, keep an eye on local events. One of the local coffee shops in my area has a writer's hour where writers are encouraged to come in and work. It also has a group that meets in the evenings during the winter to talk about writing. I mean, I've never done this myself personally, but I approve of the idea. A large city in my area frequently has occasional free silent working time meetups in a community center to accommodate people who need a quiet space to work that has free snacks and social time afterwards. So what specifically do I personally do when I need to work in public? When I work in public, I usually bring my cheapest laptop or my oldest laptop. Since I used to be an IT guy and I've been a full-time writer for a while now, I have a fair collection of older computer hardware that I really need to get rid of. One of the ones I keep around is my oldest laptop that I take out with me when I need to write in a public space. So that way, if for some reason the laptop is stolen or somehow it's damaged, like say a toddler is throwing a football in the waiting room and hits my screen dead center and shatters it. Well, annoying, but that will not be such a serious loss because it's my oldest laptop. And that way if it's stolen also, it would not be that great of a loss because it's my oldest laptop. For my concerns I mentioned earlier about Wi-Fi, I never actually connect to public Wi-Fi unless there's some sort of a pressing need like my phone isn't working, I need to look up directions for where I need to go next, that kind of thing. That's partly for security reasons like I mentioned above, and partly because having no Wi-Fi to distract me also turns out to be an excellent way to dial in and get work done. I never listen to music when I'm in public. I always listen to music or something while I'm working at home or in my home office, but I never listen to music in public just because I dislike the lack of situational awareness this brings. I mean, I don't want to be paranoid. The fact is for the most part, the United States is a very safe country. During the World Cup, you saw all these news stories about European tourists who were coming to the US for the World Cup and were worried about getting shot or getting robbed or getting blown up and then that they found that the experience was very pleasantly different from what they expected because for the most part, Americans are generally a very generous and very welcoming people. What you see on the news with the shootings and the violence and the mayhem and so forth tends to be the extreme outlier that gets exaggerated for effect for news views and news clicks. So for the most part, the United States is a very safe country. That said, mostly safe is not the same as perfectly safe, and there is still crime. The best way to avoid trouble is to make sure you're not involved or anywhere near trouble by maintaining situational awareness. So that's one reason I don't like to listen to music when I'm in a waiting room or in a coffee shop or something is because even though I'm focused on my work, I can still maintain a degree of situational awareness. So if I see something going south, I can react to it and clear the area or pay attention to a potential situation that's going on. Not that that's happened more than a few times in the decades I've been doing this, but it's still a good idea in my opinion to have a good deal of situational awareness whenever possible. Depending on the length of the wait, I usually bring my smallest laptop case I can fit my oldest laptop into, a couple of Clif bars (which are a brand of energy bar in the US, so if I'm waiting a long time and I know I'm not getting to lunch, then I can have a quick snack), and then if I need to use the restroom, I won't leave my stuff out. What I usually do is close the laptop, put it in the bag, and then take it with me to the restroom and then come back out and either take my old seat if it hasn't been taken or find a new one. That way it just minimizes the risk of theft of leaving a laptop unattended. Despite all that, I have written a fair chunk of many of my books in waiting rooms. I remember once I had to take my car in for a fairly serious repair, and I wrote something like 9,000 words of Ghost in the Winds while I was waiting for that repair. So that was a major productivity leap, and I got my car repaired and then [laughs] publishing Ghost in the Winds helped pay for that very serious car repair. So although you might not be elegantly writing poetry in a beautiful notebook like you imagined, writing in a coffee shop or a similar space can be pleasant and help you to feel a greater enjoyment or even productivity in your work. If you keep all these tips in mind, hopefully you have an enjoyable and productive experience. So that is it for this week. Thank you for listening to The Pulp Writer Show. I hope you found the show useful. A reminder that you can listen to all the back episodes on https://thepulpwritershow.com. If you enjoyed the podcast, please leave a review on your podcasting platform of choice. Stay safe and stay healthy and we'll see you all next week.

The Bartered Bride, a comic opera by Bedrich Smetana, premiered in Prague on March 30, 1866. Its pastoral love story and setting in a rural Czech village eventually became an enduring symbol of Czech nationalism. In Visions of the Village: Ruralness, Identity, and Czech Opera (Oxford University Press, 2025), Christopher Campo-Bowen examines how a particular image of the rural village in a set of Czech operas written between 1866 and 1904 became a powerful signifier for Czech ethnoracial and nationalist identity. He follows this conception of Czech identity and its entanglement with opera through the political changes in the years when the Czech lands were ruled by the Austro-Hungarian Empire and the upheaval that followed when the Empire collapsed in 1918 and the First Czechoslovak Republic was founded. In addition to composers and their operas, Campo-Bowen investigates the output of critics, administrators, and other urban intellectuals to understand the impact of village operas on public discourse. By setting his analysis within a discussion of how race was understood in nineteenth-century Europe, Campo-Bowen shows that this seemingly straightforward nationalist discourse was shot through with racialized essentialism and ideas about gender that were connected with larger political realities. He ends the book with a discussion of the resonances of this nineteenth-century conception of Czech identity in the current Czech Republic. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/eastern-european-studies

(True North Insight)

MICHAELBASHAM.COMTo the twelve tribes scattered abroad [among the Gentiles in the dispersion]: Greetings (rejoice)! Consider it wholly joyful, my brethren, whenever you are enveloped in or encounter trials of any sort or fall into various temptations. Be assured and understand that the trial and proving of your faith bring out endurance and steadfastness and patience.

"Has God Not Poured Out His Spirit? - Dreams, Visions & Prophecy in the Last Days"Scripture: Acts 2:17Messenger: Apostle Suzanne Howard

(True North Insight)

A Minnesota organization formed in the wake of the police killings of Jamar Clark and Philando Castile nearly a decade ago has announced it will close its doors at the end of 2026.Black Visions has become a nationally-recognized voice since its founding in 2017, leading efforts to advance social and racial justice. Notably, it was behind the “Yes on 2” campaign to dismantle the Minneapolis Police Department and establish a Department of Safety following the murder of George Floyd in 2020. Yolanda Roth, director of communications with Black Visions, joined Minnesota Now to talk more about the decision and the transition ahead.

Cycling Cities is a series of books that investigates 150 years of cycling policy and practice across fifty cities in twenty-five countries, and keeps adding new cities to the list including, recently, Lisbon and Tehran. In this episode, I interview two authors, M. Luísa Sousa and Kazem Afradi, from the teams of researchers that wrote Cycling Cities: The Lisbon Experience and Cycling Cities: The Tehran Experience. These books uncover the histories of bicycles and their cyclists from Lisbon to Tehran, from the 19th century to the 21st century, and from royals to revolutionaries. As you'll hear, while there are of course many differences between Lisbon and Tehran, there are also many commonalities in their cycling histories. Jacob Ward is an historian at Maastricht University, the Netherlands. He has written on the history of science and technology, environmental history, business and financial history, and political history. He recently published Visions of a Digital Nation: Market and Monopoly in British Telecommunications (MIT Press, 2024) and he's currently working on a history of futurology in the United Kingdom and Europe from 1945 to the present day. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/new-books-network

This week I talk about my thoughts on Beyond The Gates, a few thoughts on the other CBS soaps as well as books I've been reading - Die For Me by Shirlene Obuobi, Visions of Heat by Nalini Singh, and Big Stick Energy by Sarina Bowen. Thanks for listening

durée : 00:05:22 - Le 6/9 de l'été - De la gestion des feux de forêt en Gironde aux tensions au sein de la FIFA, en passant par les effets climatiques en Bretagne et les enjeux gaziers en Europe, voici les principaux titres de la presse de ce jeudi. - équipe : Sara Ghibaudo Vous aimez ce podcast ? Pour écouter tous les épisodes sans limite, rendez-vous sur Radio France

¿Es Star Wars: Visions Presents - The Ninth Jedi una de las mejores series recientes de la franquicia? En esta crítica sin spoilers, analizamos la primera serie completa nacida de Star Wars: Visions, una producción de Disney+ que apuesta por el anime para ofrecer una historia completamente nueva dentro de la galaxia creada por George Lucas. En este vídeo hablamos de su espectacular animación, de cómo reinventa algunos de los conceptos más icónicos de Star Wars, de sus impresionantes combates con sables de luz y de por qué muchos la están comparando con lo mejor que ha hecho Lucasfilm en los últimos años. Si te gustaron Andor, Star Wars: Visions o simplemente buscas una buena serie de ciencia ficción, aquí te contamos por qué The Ninth Jedi puede convertirse en una de las grandes sorpresas del año. Sin spoilers. ⭐ Déjanos en comentarios: ¿Crees que el futuro de Star Wars pasa por proyectos como Visions o prefieres que la saga siga centrándose en los personajes clásicos?

This is our spoiler-free review of Star Wars: Visions Presents — The Ninth Jedi. Continuing the story established in the Visions shorts The Ninth Jedi and The Ninth Jedi: Child of Hope, the series follows Lah Kara as she trains under Margrave Juro and joins a new fellowship of Jedi-in-training on a quest to save her father.  Join Nate, Darcy, and Justin as they discuss Production I.G's stunning animation, physical lightsaber combat, immersive sound design, and standout voice performances. We explore how the series blends anime storytelling with the wider Star Wars mythos, where its pacing falters, and why its final three episodes ultimately stick the landing. Does Kara's journey deserve a second season? Star Wars: Visions presents - The Ninth Jedi debuts on Disney+ on Wednesday, August 5. Check out Geekcentric onYouTube | Instagram | Twitter | TikTokJoin the Geekcentric Discord HEREFollow Eatcentric - Same geeks. New Eats

Matt and Nic are back for another week of news and deals. In this episode:  What the novel Hyperion tells us about AI doom Situational Awareness liquidates most of its public book after a sharp AI selloff Will Leo have a second act? Why has AI been selling off? Over 1000 BTC stored in Coldcard wallets were stolen due to bad entropy Where does self-custody go from here? What happened with Coldcard? Political winds are shifting against crypto as midterms loom Strategy continues to strengthen its balance sheet with MSTR common sales An ice cream shop in CA is hedging the weather with Kalshi Circle buy's IBM's blockchain patent portfolio Visions of Bitcoin turns 8 this week  Content mentioned this episode:  Nic and Hasu, Visions of Bitcoin

Can lightsabers work like mood rings for your soul? Matthew Fox and Erin McGowan get listeners ready for "Star Wars: Visions Presents - The Ninth Jedi," the new eight episode series expanding two existing Visions shorts about a girl named Kara, her captured father, and lightsabers that change color depending on who's holding them. They break down both shorts scene by scene, plus read written thoughts from absent co-host Alex Kormann.Erin makes the case that these lightsabers track a person's pull toward the dark side almost in real time, while Matthew connects the droid Teto's advice about admitting failure to Yoda's line from "The Last Jedi." They also debate how much a story needs to fit official canon to still feel like real Star Wars, and end with a theory about who else from the galaxy's past might turn up a thousand years later.Full show notes and resources**************************************************************************This episode is a production of Star Wars Generations, an Ethical Panda podcast and part of the TruStory FM Entertainment Podcast Network. Check out our website to find out more about this show and our sister podcast Superhero Ethics.We want to hear from you! Keep up with our latest news and send us feedback, questions, or comments via social media or email.TikTok · Twitter/X · Instagram · Facebook · EmailTo learn more about co-host Erin and her incredible cosplay: Instagram · TikTokJoin the conversation in the Star Wars Generations and Superhero Ethics channels on the TruStory FM Discord.Want even more content while supporting the podcast? Become a member! For $5 a month or $55 a year you get access to bonus episodes and bonus content at the end of most episodes — and you can even give membership as a gift. Sign up here.You can also support us through our sponsors:Purchase a lightsaber from Level Up Sabers, run by friend of the podcast Neighborhood Master Alan.Use Audible for audiobooks. Sign up for a one-year membership or gift one through this link.Purchase any media discussed this week through our sponsored links.

In this special episode of Blast Points we are thrilled to bring you Jason taking part in a roundtable interview with some of the creators of The Ninth Jedi series, supervising director Kenji Kamiyama, director Shunsuke Tada and producer Hitoshi Ito. Listen as Jason and other awesome Star Wars podcasters and friends ask about how the show developed from the shorts seen in Visions and so much more. Celebrate the love and listen today! JOIN THE BLAST POINTS ARMY and SUPPORT BLAST POINTS ON PATREON! MANDALORIAN SEASON 3 BOBA FETT BEACH PARTY COMMENTARY! NEW ANDOR SEASON 2 EPISODE COMMENTARIES! HEAR EPISODES EARLY! Theme Music! downloadable tunes from episodes! Extra goodies! and so much MORE! www.patreon.com/blastpoints If you dug the show, please leave BLAST POINTS a review on iTunes, Spotify and share the show with friends! If you leave an iTunes review, we will read it on a future episode! Honestly! Talk to Blast Points on twitter at @blast_points "Like" Blast Points on Facebook Join the Blast Points Super Star Wars Chill Group here www.facebook.com/groups/BlastPointsGroup/ we are also on Instagram! Wow! www.instagram.com/blastpoints Your hosts are Jason Gibner & Gabe Bott! contact BLAST POINTS at : contact@blastpointspodcast.com May the Force be with you, always! This podcast is not affiliated in any way with Lucasfilm Ltd. LLC, The Walt Disney Company, or any of their affiliates or subsidiaries.

The gang talks about Denshattack, Visions of Mana, the latest TV shows and movies, Target's video game section, and so much more!