Podcasts about ammonites

A @Christadelphians Video: Description: The history from the times of the patriarchs to the Babylonian exile is outlined. Although the relationships between Jew and Gentile were often hostile, they were not necessarily so. Some Gentiles came to be associated with the promises which God made to Abraham, through their faith. To this day Gentiles can share in these blessings through belief and baptism into the things concerning the Kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ.# SummaryThis PRESENTATION delves into the history of the nations surrounding Israel, focusing on groups such as the Philistines, Phoenicians, Syrians, Kenites, and the descendants of Abraham, including the Amalekites, Moabites, and Ammonites. It explores their origins, interactions with Israel, and the impact of their relationships on the biblical narrative. The speaker highlights both the conflicts and alliances formed between these nations and Israel, emphasising the overarching theme of redemption and faith in God's plan, exemplified through figures like Ruth and Naaman.

Matthew week 92   Matthew 14:30 ESV   30 But when he saw the wind, he was afraid, and beginning to sink he cried out, “Lord, save me.”       Romans 7:21-23 ESV   21 So I find it to be a law that when I want to do right, evil lies close at hand. 22 For I delight in the law of God, in my inner being, 23 but I see in my members another law waging war against the law of my mind and making me captive to the law of sin that dwells in my members.       Matthew 15:13-14 ESV   13 He answered, “Every plant that my heavenly Father has not planted will be rooted up. 14 Let them alone; they are blind guides.       Matthew 15:21 ESV   21 And Jesus went away from there and withdrew to the district of Tyre and Sidon.             Matthew 15:22 ESV   22 And behold, a Canaanite woman from that region came out and was crying, “Have mercy on me, O Lord, Son of David; my daughter is severely oppressed by a demon.”       Judges 10:6 ESV   6 The people of Israel again did what was evil in the sight of the Lord and served the Baals and the Ashtaroth, the gods of Syria, the gods of Sidon, the gods of Moab, the gods of the Ammonites, and the gods of the Philistines. And they forsook the Lord and did not serve him.       Matthew 15:23 ESV   23 But he did not answer her a word. And his disciples came and begged him, saying, “Send her away, for she is crying out after us.”       Matthew 15:24-28 ESV   24 He answered, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” 25 But she came and knelt before him, saying, “Lord, help me.” 26 And he answered, “It is not right to take the children's bread and throw it to the dogs.” 27 She said, “Yes, Lord, yet even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters' table.” 28 Then Jesus answered her, “O woman, great is your faith! Be it done for you as you desire.” And her daughter was healed instantly.       Genesis 12:3 ESV   3 I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.”         Matthew 5:7 ESV   7 “Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.       1 Timothy 1:13a ESV   13 though formerly I was a blasphemer, persecutor, and insolent opponent. But I received mercy       1 Timothy 1:16 ESV   16 But I received mercy for this reason, that in me, as the foremost, Jesus Christ might display his perfect patience as an example to those who were to believe in him for eternal life.

Gospel Daily with Josh Weidmann Tola and Jair: Complacency or Commitment? Part 2 Series: Judges Scripture: Judges 10 Episode: 1252 In Judges 10, the story shifts to two lesser-known leaders, Tola and Jair, who serve as judges of Israel and bring brief periods of peace. After their rule, Israel once again falls into idolatry, serving multiple false gods and abandoning the Lord. As a result, God allows them to be oppressed by the Ammonites and Philistines, causing great distress. When the Israelites cry out, God rebukes them for their repeated unfaithfulness. However, after they repent and remove their foreign gods, God's compassion is stirred. Key themes include leadership transitions, Israel's cycle of idolatry, repentance, and God's mercy.

Gospel Daily with Josh Weidmann Tola and Jair: Complacency or Commitment? Part 1 Series: Judges Scripture: Judges 10 Episode: 1251 In Judges 10, the story shifts to two lesser-known leaders, Tola and Jair, who serve as judges of Israel and bring brief periods of peace. After their rule, Israel once again falls into idolatry, serving multiple false gods and abandoning the Lord. As a result, God allows them to be oppressed by the Ammonites and Philistines, causing great distress. When the Israelites cry out, God rebukes them for their repeated unfaithfulness. However, after they repent and remove their foreign gods, God's compassion is stirred. Key themes include leadership transitions, Israel's cycle of idolatry, repentance, and God's mercy.

Two judges of Israel follow the death of Abimelech, and we know little about them, except that they each judged Israel for over 20 years with no ruckus to speak of. When Israel turns to idols yet again, they suffer under the Philistines & the Ammonites. They cry out to the Lord, but he rejects their pleas. When they confess sin and burn their idols, God begins to become weary of their misery. Later, God appoints a ne'er-do-well named Jephthah to deliver Israel from the Ammonites. Sadly, Jephthah doesn't truly know the Lord or His commands, and he makes a vow to the Lord that is abominable in the Lord's sight, standing in direct conflict with the statutes handed down through Moses. Thinking that he is being faithful to the Lord, he makes a heartbreaking decision.Judges 10 - 1:02 . Judges 11 - 5:00 . Judges 12 - 13:19 . Psalm 80 - 16:18 .  :::Christian Standard Bible translation.All music written and produced by John Burgess Ross.Co-produced by the Christian Standard Bible.facebook.com/commuterbibleinstagram.com/commuter_bibletwitter.com/CommuterPodpatreon.com/commuterbibleadmin@commuterbible.org

Deuteronomy 23 contains sundry laws. Verses 1-8 talk about those who have been excluded from the congregation of the LORD. The first excluded group was the eunuchs – either those who became so through accident, or through human agency. Verses 2-6 tell of the exclusion of the children to their tenth generation from forbidden unions, of Ammonites and Moabites. The hostility of the Ammonites and Moabites being the reason for their exclusion. In addition to coming against Israel in warfare, while the people of the LORD we're approaching the Promised Land the Moabites sought the services of Balaam the seer in an effort to curse the congregation of God. Edomites were excluded for two generations – their grandchildren were allowed to join in union with the Israelites. Verses 9-14 describe some causes of uncleanness and consequent prohibition of entry to the camp. These verses also speak of the removal of refuse from the camp of God in order to prevent both physical corruption and to ensure health and holiness. Verses 15-25 tell of sundry laws which cover care and kindness for the stranger; the morality of the nation's virgins; the forbidding of unconscionable interest being charged of the LORD's people – “usury” could be imposed upon foreigners (but again, in the spirit of the chapter, it is to be hoped that care and kindness will be shown to them). Vows were to be performed with faithfulness. The chapter concludes with the call for the people of the Almighty to allow their neighbours to satisfy immediate hunger, but not to take advantage of one another.

Scripture Reading: 2 Samuel 12:26-31 With the daily reports of warfare in almost every corner of the world, we may not expect or desire to come to the Bible and read about wars.  But the stories of Old Testament Israel are filled with accounts of the fierce fighting between the Israelites and their enemies.  This is especially true of the reign of King David, who was described as a “man of war” (1 Chron 28:3).  2 Samuel 12:26-31 describes the battles between Israel and the Ammonites.  It was the Ammonites that Israel was fighting when David committed his sin of adultery (2 Sam 11:1).  One question for us is this: what are we to learn for our own lives from Old Testament passages like this, recounting the wars of Israel? One truth revealed in this passage is the faithfulness of God to His promises.  He had promised, "By the hand of My servant David I will save My people Israel from the hand of the Philistines and from the hand of all their enemies" (2 Sam 3:18).  God's promises and warnings are all true and utterly reliable.  God's faithfulness to His word is illustrated in this passage. Second, God's holiness and justice are revealed in this passage.  The Ammonites were a detestable, idolatrous people.  Their main god was Molech (or Moloch or Milcom) and people offered their children as sacrifices to this god (Lev 18:21; 20:1-5; 2 Kgs 23:10).  So when the Israelites defeated the Ammonites in war, this was God's judgment on the wickedness of these idolaters.  God used war as an instrument of His justice.  These Old Testament stories have relevance to us in that they reveal attributes of the living God who never changes.  This is the same God who reigns over his world today.  Let us come to know Him and rejoice.

Group Guide Use this guide to help your group discussion as you meet this week. TranscriptGood morning. My name is Chet. I'm one of the pastors here. We are in First Samuel chapter 10, and we're picking up where we left off last week. Last week, we read about Saul being anointed as king. He went looking for some lost donkeys, and eventually, he went to a place where there was a prophet. It turned out that prophet was Samuel. Samuel sees Saul, and God tells Samuel, "That's him. That's the guy I told you was going to be king. I told you you'd see him today." And there he is. He anoints him as king. Saul goes to a dinner where he sits at the head of the table. Then he goes home and tells no one that he has been anointed king.We're going to pick up today where we left off. Spencer told us a little bit about where this ends up with Saul, and that it doesn't go well for him. But we're not there yet in the story, and today we're going to look at how his story begins. It starts off okay. So, we're going to look at verse 17 of 1 Samuel chapter 10. It says this: Now Samuel called the people together to the Lord at Mispa. He said to the people of Israel, "Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, I've brought up Israel out of Egypt, and I delivered you from the hand of the Egyptians and from the hand of all the kingdoms that were oppressing you. But today you have rejected your God, who saves you from all your calamities and your distresses, and you have said to him, 'Set a king over us.' Now therefore, present yourselves before the Lord by your tribes and by your thousands."They said they want a king. They're bringing together to give them a king. Normally, in these sorts of things, the first person who gets up and talks pumps some ceremony and highlights the importance of the day. Samuel gets up and says, "You used to follow God who saves you from everything. You've rejected him, and today you won't have God. You'll have some guy." Now, line up. It's not the best start, but they're going to line up. They're going to choose a king by lot.By lot just means a system for randomly choosing. We do some things by lot culturally; we don't call it that, but we draw straws, flip a coin, pull a name from a hat, hold a lottery, or a raffle. Paper rock scissors is just competitive lots where you feel like you won something, even though it was still pretty random.A lot of things were done by lot historically and culturally all over the place. It just means they have a random system for choosing. They would use urim and thummim. They had the breastplate of the high priest that they would use for this at times. They also may have used some other different methods. People trusted that God would give them the answer through this.This is not uncommon to them. We see a whole section of this playing out in Joshua chapter 7, where they are trying to find out who sinned against God, and they walk it all the way down to the household of Achan. So they're going to choose by lot. Samuel, verse 20, brings all the tribes of Israel near, and the tribe of Benjamin was taken by lot.Now, God already told Samuel who was going to be king. Samuel already told Saul he was going to be king. They're going to do this now by lot. Samuel is going to see, and Saul's going to see, that God is overseeing the lot. But for everybody else, they're just going to see that this is how God works in choosing, and they may not have known or wouldn't have known already that Saul is the one to be chosen. But Benjamin is the tribe he comes from, that Saul is from.It says the tribe of Benjamin was taken by lot. He brought the tribe of Benjamin near by its clans, and the clan of the Matrites was taken by lot. Saul, the son of Kish, was taken by lot. But when they sought him, he could not be found.So, however they were taking lots and doing this, there was some sort of representative tokens or something used to pick a person because they selected a person who's not there. So the lot falls on Saul, the son of Kish, and he's not there.They looked for him. So they're doing this, and they're like tribe of Benjamin. They move up, and then they do the next process, and they say the clan of the Matrites. Then everybody moves off, and the Matrites come near somehow and then they say Saul, the son of Kish. So is Saul here? Where's Saul? Like, they have to go look for him, and the whole country's here, and now we're looking for Saul. The whole process has stopped to the point that it says, "But when they sought him, he could not be found."Verse 22: So they inquired again of the Lord, "Is there a man still to come?" It slows down so much that they're like, "Let's ask God again." They inquire of the Lord, "Are we waiting for somebody else? Did we do what is happening?" And God says, "Behold, he has hidden himself among the baggage."We know that Saul showed up, but we don't know at what point he hid. Maybe it was right when they said line up. Maybe it was when Benjamin got picked and he thought, "Oh no." Maybe he waited till it was the Matrites, then he was like, "Oh no." But he definitely wasn't there when they said Saul, the son of Kish. The baggage is the luggage that everybody has shown up with; they just piled all their gear up, all their supplies in a certain spot. And Saul goes and hides, which is a real cute look for your new king.So God tells them, "No, I picked the right person. He's hiding." Then it says, "Then they ran and took him from there." I would assume, just trying to picture this, they're excited. They run. I also think that means there's a lot of children involved. They say he's in the supplies, and everybody just takes off. This whole group takes off and finds Saul hiding.I don't know how he hid. The text doesn't tell us. It's possible there was no one near the supplies and he just went there. It's possible he hid. You remember playing hide-and-seek? The better your hiding spot, the more awkward it is to get out of it once you've been caught. We're told that Saul's a big dude. I don't know if he was just tucked behind stuff, and they were like, "God told us you were here," and he came out. Or if he was in stuff, and they had to be like, "Hey man, get up," and he had to crawl out of things. But it's not a good look.They bring him out. Samuel said to all the people, oh sorry, they ran and took him, and when he stood among the people, he was taller than any of the people from his shoulders upward. They bring him out, and he's a head taller than everybody. Samuel said to all the people, "Do you see him whom the Lord has chosen? There is none like him among all the people."There are a couple of ways to understand what he's saying there. He possibly is just saying now that he is king, he stands above everybody else. Here's your king, and no one's like him. It's a from now on kind of thing. It's also possible that all he's saying here is look at him, remember what he looks like, and he looks different than everybody. So later, when you see a guy who's taller than everybody, you can say, "Oh yeah, I remember that. That's our king." It's possible he's just commenting on what he looks like. It's also possible that what he means is now he stands above everybody, not literally but figuratively.All the people shouted, "Long live the king." They've chosen the king. They know who it is, and they all shout, "Long live the king."Samuel told the people the rights and duties of the kingship, wrote them in a book, and laid it before the Lord. We don't know what he wrote. My guess is it included some of the stuff we've read in Deuteronomy about what a king is supposed to be like. It probably included some things Samuel said—that if you get a king, he's going to do all this stuff—but he gives some restrictions, this is what a king is allowed to do, and duties, here's what he's supposed to do, has to do. He declares it all to everybody, like, "Alright, y'all got a king now and here's what a king can and can't do and should do." He writes it all down and puts it before the Lord.Samuel sent all the people away, each to his home. We're going to get more information about how this plays out. I appreciate the detail. They get everybody together; they choose a king. Then they go play hide-and-seek with the king, find him, then Samuel says, "Look at him." He announces, and then he just goes, "Alright, go home."We're told Saul goes home because they've never had a king before. He doesn't have a palace. He's no castle. They just say, "Here's what kings are allowed to do. You got one. Yay. Go home."It says, "Saul also went to his home at Gibeah." He just was like, "Okay, I'm king now. I'm going home." With him went men of valor whose hearts God had touched.God begins to work and sends brave, capable, valiant men with Saul. But some worthless fellows said, "How can this man save us?" They despised him and brought him no present. Other people were apparently prepared to give something to honor the king. But they're like, "We're not doing it. He'll get no present from us. We don't like him."They despised him, brought him no present, but he held his peace. We're told God touches the hearts of valiant men, and these worthless men reject Saul. But I can't help but feel like the worthless men have a point. They're in a time of war. Part of the reason they've picked a king is they want someone to save them. That's part of the reason Samuel's upset with them: God saves them.But they are constantly at war with the people around them. They want someone to go out and fight their battles. They say, "How can this guy save us?" Saul's start isn't a good one.What do we know about Saul at this point? We've read chapters 9 and 10 and were introduced to him in chapter 9. We know his dad is wealthy. If you wanted to talk about that nicely, you'd say he's from a well-off family. If you didn't like Saul, you'd say, "Yeah, daddy's rich." You could spin that one way or the other.We know his family is wealthy. We know Saul is tall and handsome, so if you wanted to date him, these are the categories you'd pick. I told you a couple of weeks ago that they're not the best ones, but tall, handsome, rich—that doesn't make you king.So far, we've seen him unsuccessfully find donkeys, and then hide when they called his name. That's what we know of Saul. He was humble, but he seems humble to the point of not wanting to do this.I don't know if we would like him. Some people would like that he was tall, might like that he was wealthy, and you might appreciate that he's handsome. But I don't know if we'd pick him as king.In our country, Kennedy and Nixon have a debate, and Nixon was sweaty and people were like, "Seems real sweaty. Can't elect that guy." He lost. I can tell you it's a big deal because I know about it.The first election I was able to vote in was Obama, way after Kennedy and Nixon. If Nixon had been hiding in the back under a table, not well, hyperventilating, and they had to start off by saying, "Candidate Nixon is hiding in the back under a table, breathing in a bag, refuses to come out, says that he'd like to speak to his mother," they would have had a tough time. They would ask Senator Kennedy what he thought about that. But Nixon was just sweaty. He glistened too much on TV, and people said, "Can't trust him." People were kind of right.So there you go. This guy hid. They had to go find him. What makes him special? Why is God blessing and sending valiant men with him? And why are these people called worthless? He didn't win a battle. He didn't accomplish anything. He didn't win a tournament. He wasn't the most anything, really—most tall. I want to show you all what it says.Verse 24: Samuel said to all the people, "Do you see him whom the Lord has chosen?" Now we know why he's special—the Lord chose him. Therefore, it's worthless to reject him whom the Lord has chosen, and it's a good thing to do to follow him whom the Lord has chosen because he's chosen.That's what makes him special—God, in his divine choosing, chose him.But everybody goes home. Saul keeps his peace. We're going to chapter 11.Then Nahash the Ammonite went up and besieged Jabesh Gilead. We've been hearing about problems with the Philistines on the west. Israel is in the middle. Jabesh Gilead is over here on the east, and the Ammonites are over here. The Ammonites have now besieged Jabesh Gilead on the other side of the Jordan.Isn't it nice to live where and when we do, where this doesn't happen as often? Historically, this was super common: an army shows up, you're hanging out, suddenly you see people marching, your walled city is surrounded, and they just besiege it. If you have a big enough army, you're ready to go get some stuff.All the men of Jabesh said to Nahash, "Make a treaty with us and we will serve you." That phrasing is actually "cut a treaty with us," which is how they would cut a covenant. They would cut up an animal, mingle the blood, then walk through. It's officially called a suzerain and vassal covenant, where you have one ruling authority over a vassal state that will pay tribute, taxes.So they say, "That's a nice besieging army you have there." They send out an envoy and say, "We'll cut a covenant with you and start sending you money. Deal." Nahash says, "Deal." But Nahash the Ammonite said, "On this condition: I will make a treaty with you that I gouge out all your right eyes and thus bring disgrace on all Israel."They're not going to cut up an animal; they're going to cut up you. Line up. I'll pop out all your right eyes and bring shame on all Israel. That'll be the covenant, then you'll owe me taxes.The elders of Jabesh said, "Give us seven days' respite that we may send messengers through all the territory of Israel. Then if there is no one to save us, we will give ourselves up to you."That's desperation. What else can they do? They said, "Let us go through all Israel and ask." He says yes, which seems crazy culturally—that he would say yes.They basically say, "Give us a chance to see if someone wants to come kill you. If they do, thanks for waiting. If they don't, you can gouge our eyes out." It makes some sense because his goal was to bring shame on all Israel.They said, "Let us go through all Israel and ask." He apparently says yes because next we hear: when the messengers came to Gibeah of Saul, they reported the matter to the people, and all the people wept aloud.They heard the news; they were heartbroken. This is awful. They seem despondent. What are we going to do?The people of Israel have been a loose collection of peoples, tribes, and have never really banded together for some things. That's part of the reason Nahash thinks, "Sure, try to get those people together."Now Saul was coming from the field behind the oxen. He's gone back to work. Saul said, "What is wrong that the people are weeping?" They told him the news about Jabesh.The spirit of God rushed upon Saul when he heard these words, and his anger was greatly kindled. He took a yoke of oxen, cut them in pieces, and sent them throughout all Israel by messengers, saying, "Whoever does not come out after Saul and Samuel, so shall it be done to his oxen."Then the dread of the Lord fell upon the people, and they came out as one man.Imagine someone rides into your town with two-day-old ox pieces, tosses it down, and says, "Hey." Everybody's like, "What are you doing?" He says, "Saul, our king, cut that ox up." He says, "Get your weapons and muster or he's going to cut your oxen."It's an effective message. The dread of the Lord fell on the people, and they come as one man.Verse 8: When Saul mustered them at Bezek, the people of Israel were 300,000, and the men of Judah 30,000. They told the messengers, "Say this to Jabesh Gilead: Tomorrow, by the time the sun is hot, you shall have salvation."Their city's besieged. To get that message in, these people must cross back through. Nahash knows they're going back in; people are returning now with the answer. When the messengers told Jabesh, they were glad.Verse 10: They said to Nahash, "Tomorrow we will give ourselves up to you and you may do to us whatever seems good to you."That phrase is fair translation, or, "We'll come out to you. We'll march out." They intentionally tightrope walk—"We'll come on out; you can do whatever you want to."There's a little eye play on words, too: "We'll let your eyes do what you want to do," which is what they said.Verse 11: The next day Saul put the people in three companies; they came into the midst of the camp in the morning watch, before sunrise, and struck down the Ammonites until the heat of the day. Those who survived were scattered so no two of them were left together.Nahash surrounded a city, very confident, then 330,000 Israelites showed up in the middle of the night, and it went very poorly for Nahash.Verse 12: The people said to Samuel, "Who said Saul shouldn't reign over us? Bring those men so we may put them to death." Those who stood against Saul did it publicly. After Saul showed he can lead, muster, bring rescue, they said, "Who said Saul wasn't going to be in charge? Let's kill them, too."Those guys are there because they all showed up, and they were like, "No, this turned real quick."Saul said, "Not a man shall be put to death today, for today the Lord has worked salvation in Israel."Samuel said to the people, "Come, let us go to Gilgal and renew the kingdom." All the people went to Gilgal; there they made Saul king before the Lord. They sacrificed peace offerings before the Lord, and Saul and the men of Israel rejoiced greatly.So we've seen Saul anointed, chosen, and now solidify as king.We've seen bits and pieces of his character. One thing to keep asking: what makes him special? Why is he special? What's worked here to make this good?Reading the text, God chose him and empowered him. The Spirit of the Lord fell on him, kindled his anger, then Saul acted. The last time we saw him do something good was prophesying when the Spirit fell on him.He's been chosen and empowered by the Spirit. God hasn't just picked out the best guy—he's picked someone and is empowering them.I want to take a moment as a church family, as Christians, those following Jesus, to wrap our heads around what Saul has. We have something even better.What happened for Saul? Something even better has happened for us. So, turn with me to Ephesians 1.Paul writes to Christians about what it means to belong to the Lord. In verse 3, "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places."That's wonderful. We are blessed in Christ with every spiritual blessing."He chose us in him before the foundation of the world that we should be holy and blameless before him."What makes us special? He chose us. What made Saul special? He was chosen.In the New Testament, he chooses those whom he blesses. We're blessed because he chose us."He chose us in him before the foundation of the world that we should be holy and blameless before him." If you belong to Jesus, you are holy and blameless because of Jesus, not you. You're blessed because of his choosing, not you.He did this before the foundation of the world. If you're a Christian and wonder why you're special, why did I get to believe this, why me? Because he chose. He did this.When we look at Saul and say, "Why did he choose Saul?" It doesn't tell us why. It tells us some things, but not the reason.Why did he choose me? It says, "In love." It's not in us; it's in his love.We were loved in him, so we love him because he first loved us."He predestined us for adoption to himself as sons through Jesus Christ according to the purpose of his will."He loves us and brings us to himself, which is wonderful. If you belong to Jesus, you don't get in on a technicality like, "Try not to cause problems; you got in because you trusted in Jesus." No."In love, he predestined us for adoption as sons." He wants you and me, the church, to belong to him, to be enjoyed, to be delighted in.Why does he love me? "According to the purpose of his will."Then it says to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he blessed us in the beloved. Grace is unearned favor—unearned, unmerited, undeserved.What gets praised? Not anything you've done or accomplished; it's grace, glorious grace.You say, "I don't feel good enough." It's not about that. He saved you by glorious grace, and he's wonderful.According to the purpose of his will.This is beautiful—that it's by his divine choosing.Imagine being gathered with the people of Israel and the lot falling to you and saying, "What?"But what we've been chosen for is so much more glorious, wonderful, eternal. It's staggering what he, in his divine purpose and glorious grace, has chosen in the blood.It keeps going. Ephesians 1:7, "In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace, which he lavished upon us in all wisdom and insight, making known to us the mystery of his will, according to his purpose, which he set forth in Christ as a plan for the fullness of time—to unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth."Highlight this: in him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses.If you're keeping score at home, trespasses are what you brought."According to the riches of his grace, which he lavished upon us in all wisdom," making known the mystery of his will, according to his purpose, which he set forth in Christ, not in you.He purposed and accomplished it in Christ as a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in him—heaven and earth.This is about Jesus and God's glorious will.If you belong to him, it's because he has made you belong to him.You've been chosen because he's chosen.You brought sin that made the sacrifice necessary, but you didn't earn, achieve, or keep it. It's not about you.If they had gathered the people and said, "Hold on. Let's see if he's good at this. Let's watch him a while."They would all be wrong because God already chose.If you've trusted Jesus, it's in response to his divine choosing.You are kept, held, worked on because of him and what he has done.He has qualified you.It's about him, not you.And if you've met yourself, that's great news.I've had times when I go into a tough conversation prepared, using pep talks, and still fall apart.It's not about your ability to hold it together or keep it.It's not about your ability to earn it.It's about him.Ok, hold on, sorry.Verse 11 repeats, but in him we have attained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will.If chosen, it's because he did this.So we who first hope in Christ might be to the praise of his glory.So he's glorified, praised, exalted.It's not about you.You're involved as the object, the recipient.When you consider your walk with Jesus, you're not the subject or the verb.God is doing the work, Christ is doing the work.You're down here being acted on by a glorious God who divinely chooses, rescues, saves, redeems, and keeps according to the purpose of his will, because of his love, because of his glorious grace, and to the praise of his glory.You shouldn't think, "I must be one of the good ones."God didn't pick you because of something special.You wouldn't conclude you earned or achieved this.You'd conclude you need to praise his glory.Why are you a Christian? Because Jesus is wonderful, good; he redeems, saves, and loves.That would all turn back to praising his glory and grace.But you say, "Saul falls apart. God chooses, Saul loses it."Good point.That's why I said we have something better than Saul.Saul was chosen for a role in an earthly kingdom.He was chosen temporarily as a king in a temporary kingdom.He was empowered by the Spirit for some of what God was going to do, but he ultimately lost it.We in Christ are not chosen by lot.We're chosen by grace.Not chosen by Samuel through lots, but chosen by Jesus through his blood.Chosen for an eternal kingdom.Verse 13: "In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation"—that is, Jesus Christ came, died on the cross, rose again so you might have hope and faith.That's proclaimed in baptism: Jesus was dead and buried, and with him we die and bury our sin.Without Jesus, we don't rise, but because Jesus rose, we rise.We are washed clean, made new, given new life; our sin is dead and buried with Christ, and we rise with him with justification—we're made new and whole.That's what we celebrate.The gospel says when you heard it and believed it, believed in him, you said, "It's not about me; it's about him. I don't believe in me; I believe in him."That's your process, your response.You were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit.Sealed.Saul was empowered; we are too.The New Testament tells us he's empowered us for mission.But we're not just empowered; we're sealed.The promised Spirit is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it.The Spirit will keep you going until you get the full inheritance of all the blessings of Christ.It's guaranteed; a guarantee is as good as the person who makes it.And it's the God of the universe.You're not just empowered; you're sealed, kept, and guaranteed.Jesus says you're put in his Father's hand, and no one takes anything from the Father's hand.If that's true for me and my sons, 10 and 7, it's true for God.If He's holding something, He's not letting go.It's guaranteed.Sealed by the Spirit, and it's working.He says in chapter 4, "Don't grieve the Spirit by whom you were sealed for the Day of Redemption."You say, "But I'm doing bad stuff, grieving the Spirit, causing problems."He says, "Yes, don't do that, but you're sealed for the day of redemption."That's the Spirit you're grieving—who will be with you the entire time until he brings you to the conclusion of the inheritance, till he gets you where he plans to take you by his purpose.He ends, "To the praise of his glory."Oh, that he might be praised, exalted, lifted up.Do you realize you've been chosen in a lottery far better than being the king of Israel?If you belong to Jesus, you've been chosen by his divine choosing and good pleasure, according to the purpose of his will.He lavished grace upon you, made you his forever, sealed you with the Spirit, and will bring you to the end.May we praise him, honor him, follow him, and not grieve the Spirit.At all points, may we know it is by his glorious grace, accomplished in him, brought about by him, and about him.At no point say, "But I haven't done this," or "I haven't done that."Have you trusted in him? Then stop talking about you.Do you believe in him? Or do you believe in yourself?We say, "No, I believe in him."Therefore, we are made free; we are brought to the end.Praise his name.Let's pray

Jesus Ministries, Joan Boney  ...    I Kings 11:1-11   1 But king Solomon loved many strange women, together with the daughter of Pharaoh, women of the Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites, Zidonians, and Hittites:    2 Of the nations concerning which the Lord said unto the children of Israel, Ye shall not go in to them, neither shall they come in unto you: for surely they will turn away your heart after their gods: Solomon clave unto these in love.    3 And he had seven hundred wives, princesses, and three hundred concubines: and his wives turned away his heart.    4 For it came to pass, when Solomon was old, that his wives turned away his heart after other gods: and his heart was not perfect with the Lord his God, as was the heart of David his father.    5 For Solomon went after Ashtoreth the goddess of the Zidonians, and after Milcom the abomination of the Ammonites.    6 And Solomon did evil in the sight of the Lord, and went not fully after the Lord, as did David his father.    7 Then did Solomon build an high place for Chemosh, the abomination of Moab, in the hill that is before Jerusalem, and for Molech, the abomination of the children of Ammon.    8 And likewise did he for all his strange wives, which burnt incense and sacrificed unto their gods.    9 And the Lord was angry with Solomon, because his heart was turned from the Lord God of Israel, which had appeared unto him twice,    10 And had commanded him concerning this thing, that he should not go after other gods: but he kept not that which the Lord commanded.    11 Wherefore the Lord said unto Solomon, Forasmuch as this is done of thee, and thou hast not kept MY covenant and MY statutes, which I have commanded thee, I will surely rend the kingdom from thee, and will give it to thy servant.   

In this episode, Pastor Dorrell explores the story of Jephthah, whose life reflects the consequences of disobedience, flawed leadership, and rash vows. Despite Israel's descent into apostasy and Jephthah's troubled past, God empowers him to lead Israel to victory over the Ammonites. However, Jephthah's tragic vow serves as a sobering reminder of the complexities of human choices and the enduring need for God's grace in the midst of our mistakes.Eastland is a Place to Belong Eastland Baptist Church is located in Tulsa, Oklahoma. We are a welcoming and close-knit family community that loves to care for each other through the Church. We strongly believe in loving and supporting each other and our neighbors. Our members don't just attend our Church; they feel a strong sense of belonging. Join Us Find service times and our location at https://www.eastlandbaptist.org/join. Connect with Us Website: https://www.eastlandbaptist.org Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/eastlandbaptisttulsa Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/eastlandbaptist To support the ministry of Eastland Baptist Church, tap here: https://www.eastlandbaptist.org/give.

Two judges of Israel follow the death of Abimelech, and we know little about them, except that they each judged Israel for over 20 years with no ruckus to speak of. When Israel turns to idols yet again, they suffer under the Philistines & Ammonites. They cry out to the Lord, but he rejects their pleas. When they confess sin and burn their idols, God begins to become weary of their misery. Later, God appoints a ne'er-do-well named Jephthah to deliver Israel from the Ammonites. Sadly, Jephthah doesn't truly know the Lord or His commands, and he makes a vow to the Lord that is abominable in the Lord's sight, standing in direct conflict with the statutes handed down through Moses. Thinking that he is being faithful to the Lord, he makes a heartbreaking decision.Judges 10 – 1:15 . Judges 11 – 4:56 . Judges 12 – 13:24 . Psalm 74 – 16:27 :::Christian Standard Bible translation.All music written and produced by John Burgess Ross.Co-produced by Bobby Brown, Katelyn Pridgen, Eric Williamson & the Christian Standard Biblefacebook.com/commuterbibleinstagram.com/commuter_bibletwitter.com/CommuterPodpatreon.com/commuterbibleadmin@commuterbible.org

In this episode, Pastor Daniel explores the story of Saul in 1 Samuel 11, highlighting his transformation from an uncertain new king to a courageous leader who responds to a desperate cry for help. The sermon emphasizes the importance of active faith, selfless service, and God-centered leadership, showcasing how Saul's actions not only led to victory against the Ammonites but also demonstrated the power of grace, humility, and the lasting impact of unseen contributions within the community.Eastland is a Place to Belong Eastland Baptist Church is located in Tulsa, Oklahoma. We are a welcoming and close-knit family community that loves to care for each other through the Church. We strongly believe in loving and supporting each other and our neighbors. Our members don't just attend our Church; they feel a strong sense of belonging. Join Us Find service times and our location at https://www.eastlandbaptist.org/join. Connect with Us Website: https://www.eastlandbaptist.org Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/eastlandbaptisttulsa Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/eastlandbaptist To support the ministry of Eastland Baptist Church, tap here: https://www.eastlandbaptist.org/give.

Join in the exploration of the fascinating science of paleontology — that lens that examines ancient animals, plants & ecosystems from wee single-celled organisms to big & mighty dinosaurs.

In this Bible Story, Saul rises as king. He leads the Israelites into victory over the Ammonites, and all the people rejoice over their new leader. However, a flickering light of pride dwells within Saul's heart. This story is inspired by 1 Samuel 11. Go to BibleinaYear.com and learn the Bible in a Year.Today's Bible verse is 1 Samuel 11:13 from the King James Version.Episode 80: All was well in Jabesh-Gilead, a farming village in Israel, until one day the Ammonites raided them, taking the people captive. The elders of the city begged for a treaty and Nahash, the commander of the Ammonites, gave them an offer of humiliation, pain, and servitude. The elders agreed but requested 7 days for a rescuer to come first. Little did Nahash know that God had given them a King, Saul, who would gather the people and come to their rescue!Hear the Bible come to life as Pastor Jack Graham leads you through the official BibleinaYear.com podcast. This Biblical Audio Experience will help you master wisdom from the world's greatest book. In each episode, you will learn to apply Biblical principles to everyday life. Now understanding the Bible is easier than ever before; enjoy a cinematic audio experience full of inspirational storytelling, orchestral music, and profound commentary from world-renowned Pastor Jack Graham.Also, you can download the Pray.com app for more Christian content, including, Daily Prayers, Inspirational Testimonies, and Bedtime Bible Stories.Visit JackGraham.org for more resources on how to tap into God's power for successful Christian living.Pray.com is the digital destination of faith. With over 5,000 daily prayers, meditations, bedtime stories, and cinematic stories inspired by the Bible, the Pray.com app has everything you need to keep your focus on the Lord. Make Prayer a priority and download the #1 App for Prayer and Sleep today in the Apple app store or Google Play store.Executive Producers: Steve Gatena & Max BardProducer: Ben GammonHosted by: Pastor Jack GrahamMusic by: Andrew Morgan SmithBible Story narration by: Todd HaberkornSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Join Adam Barralet, Kyle Perez , Ashley Leavy and Nicholas Pearson in Episode #29 of the Crystal Confab Podcast as they do a deep dive into Ammonite & Fossils meaning, including: Kitchen witchery & Fossils Opal and Fossils combining to make Ammolite Horns of Ammon, Avalon connection and Ammonite   Tune in now for a deeper look at Ammonite & Fossils meaning!   Podcast Episode Transcript: Crystal Confab Podcast Introduction: Are you just starting with crystals? Or maybe you have a whole collection but aren't sure how to use them? Join four crystal nerds, healers, workers, and lovers for a casual chat about all things crystals. Adam Barralet: Hello, and welcome to this week's episode of crystal confab. Each week, we like to talk about things that are buried in the ground and have been waiting for a long, long time for us to discover them. But today, we're doing something a little bit different because we won't be talking about a crystal. We're gonna be exploring the world of fossils and things like amylenite and ammolite. So I'm gonna be honest with you. Fossils don't really thrill me. So I've set a challenge to the other three to see if they can win me over by the end of the episode. So to dive in and explore these, welcome, Kyle, Nicholas, and Ashley. Kyle, I know you like the ammolites and ammonites. Talk us a little bit through them. Kyle Perez: Well, for me, I am kind of like you in the way that I'm not a huge fossil person, but I know other people around the confab are much much bigger. I will start with fossil light, ammolite. But what I wanna talk about first is what I've seen as an explosion of interest in fossils recently. I don't know if the rest of you have seen this as well, but last year at the gem show that I worked at, people gave no crap about the crystals. I had to learn on the fly about the fossils that we had because that's where a huge amount of interest was. Our ammolite shells, our ammonites, the megalodon teeth, like amber, green ambers, all of these sorts of things were, like, really exciting. Have you seen that sort of thing, or is it maybe just a niche thing that's happening here? Nicholas Pearson: Yeah. I'm pretty much seeing it industry wide, but I would love to say that it's probably people like Ashley and me who might be bringing some more crystal folks to the dark side. I haven't been to any, like, really big trade shows in a hot minute, but I know Ashley frequents them. So she might have some more insight there too. Ashley Leavy: Yeah. I think if I really reflect on it, the fossil boots might have been a little bit busier than they normally are. Usually, I'm one of, like, two or three people shopping at those booths for the store. So maybe that is the case. I haven't noticed it yet trending amongst the crystally people, the healy feelies, like all of us. I feel like I'm always being like the fossil evangelist out there, trying to get people to appreciate them a little bit. I know Nicholas is the same. We actually did an amazing event last year hosted by Anwen Avalon who did, like, a fossil symposium, and it was Anwen, Nicholas, myself, Brett Holyhead, and Moss Matthew. And it was just, like, five days of fossils, and it was super fun. But that is very much not the norm. I think it takes a little, a little bit of special interest to get people going.   Are you captivated by the ancient wisdom of fossils? Elemental energies shape the world and guide our spiritual practice. By working with fossils, you can access these ancient forces and bring balance, empowerment, and connection into your life. That's why I created the Fossils for Elemental Magic Course—a beginner-friendly journey into the magic of Earth, Water, Air, Fire, and Spirit.     In this course, you'll explore how fossils act as conduits for elemental energy, empowering you to align with nature's forces in your rituals, divination, and healing work.

In this episode, we explore the historical and biblical context surrounding Israel's second judge, Ehud, during a time when the Israelites once again turned away from God after the death of Othniel. As a result, God allowed King Eglon of Moab—along with allies from the Ammonites and Amalekites—to oppress Israel for 18 years. We dive into the origins and cultural backgrounds of these three groups, particularly the Moabites, descendants of Lot, and their ongoing territorial conflicts with Israel. The story climaxes with Ehud, a left-handed (or ambidextrous) warrior from the tribe of Benjamin, who assassinates Eglon in a daring and strategic move, leading to Israel's liberation. This episode also examines archaeological evidence surrounding the City of Palms (Jericho), the political symbolism of the tribute to Eglon, and the significance of Ehud's actions, which brought 80 years of peace to Israel.   If you'd like to support "The History of the Bible", visit our Patreon Page at https://patreon.com/TheHistoryoftheBible. Your feedback is valuable to us! Share your thoughts and insights via our feedback form at https://forms.gle/AtzUReJ8gLuFYPaP8. Let us know how our podcast has impacted you or someone you know by filling out our impact form at https://forms.gle/jr4EdGsqCaFk4qZm8. If you have concerns about any information presented, please inform us via our correction form at https://forms.gle/PiMMkPnJFaa4j5p37.   #BibleStudy #OldTestament #BookOfJudges #Ehud #Israelites #Moab #BiblicalHistory #BiblePodcast #ChristianPodcast #FaithBasedContent #ChristianTeaching #BibleTeaching #ScriptureStudy #BibleStory #HebrewBible #Moabites #Ammonites #Amalekites #BiblicalArchaeology #SpiritualGrowth #ChristianHistory #GodsDeliverance #LeftHandedWarrior #KingEglon #CityOfPalms #JerichoHistory #ChristianYouTube #FaithJourney #BibleExplained #ChristianEducation   Episode's Sources Bible, NIV Study Bible.  https://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/the-moabites https://armstronginstitute.org/38-uncovering-the-bibles-buried-civilizations-the-moabites Bible, ESV https://armstronginstitute.org/309-uncovering-the-bibles-buried-cities-jericho  

As we continue reading from 1 Samuel, Fr. Mike points out how God gave the people a king like they wanted, even though it was not part of his plan. This reveals to us that even when we choose things that God does not want for us, he is still with us. The readings are 1 Samuel 11-12 and Psalm 55. For the complete reading plan, visit ascensionpress.com/bibleinayear. Please note: The Bible contains adult themes that may not be suitable for children - parental discretion is advised.

Summary of Judges 10:Judges 10 introduces two minor judges, Tola and Jair, who led Israel after Abimelech's violent reign.Tola, from the tribe of Issachar, judged Israel for 23 years and lived in Shamir in Ephraim.Jair, from Gilead, judged for 22 years. He had 30 sons who rode 30 donkeys and controlled 30 towns in Gilead.After Jair's death, Israel once again turned away from God, worshiping the Baals and foreign gods. In response, God allowed them to be oppressed by the Philistines and Ammonites.The Israelites cried out in repentance.God reminded them of all the times He had rescued them despite their disobedience.He initially refused to help but their sincere repentance and abandonment of idols moved Him.The chapter ends with Israel preparing for battle against the Ammonites, while seeking a leader.Your words were found and I ate them

Immerse yourself in the ancient stillness of Echoes of the Ammonite Cave, a healing soundscape designed to support deep sleep, relaxation, and meditation. Featuring gentle binaural beats layered with the soothing sounds of a cave waterfall and echoing drips, this ambient track helps quiet the mind and ease the body into restful calm.   Perfect for bedtime, stress relief, or focus, this episode is part of the Your Sleep Guru series—a nature-based approach to sleep and wellness.  

The Kings of the South and the North11 “And as for me, in the first year of Darius the Mede, I stood up to confirm and strengthen him. 2 “And now I will show you the truth. Behold, three more kings shall arise in Persia, and a fourth shall be far richer than all of them. And when he has become strong through his riches, he shall stir up all against the kingdom of Greece. 3 Then a mighty king shall arise, who shall rule with great dominion and do as he wills. 4 And as soon as he has arisen, his kingdom shall be broken and divided toward the four winds of heaven, but not to his posterity, nor according to the authority with which he ruled, for his kingdom shall be plucked up and go to others besides these. 5 “Then the king of the south shall be strong, but one of his princes shall be stronger than he and shall rule, and his authority shall be a great authority. 6 After some years they shall make an alliance, and the daughter of the king of the south shall come to the king of the north to make an agreement. But she shall not retain the strength of her arm, and he and his arm shall not endure, but she shall be given up, and her attendants, he who fathered her, and he who supported her in those times. 7 “And from a branch from her roots one shall arise in his place. He shall come against the army and enter the fortress of the king of the north, and he shall deal with them and shall prevail. 8 He shall also carry off to Egypt their gods with their metal images and their precious vessels of silver and gold, and for some years he shall refrain from attacking the king of the north. 9 Then the latter shall come into the realm of the king of the south but shall return to his own land. 10 “His sons shall wage war and assemble a multitude of great forces, which shall keep coming and overflow and pass through, and again shall carry the war as far as his fortress. 11 Then the king of the south, moved with rage, shall come out and fight against the king of the north. And he shall raise a great multitude, but it shall be given into his hand. 12 And when the multitude is taken away, his heart shall be exalted, and he shall cast down tens of thousands, but he shall not prevail. 13 For the king of the north shall again raise a multitude, greater than the first. And after some years he shall come on with a great army and abundant supplies. 14 “In those times many shall rise against the king of the south, and the violent among your own people shall lift themselves up in order to fulfill the vision, but they shall fail. 15 Then the king of the north shall come and throw up siegeworks and take a well-fortified city. And the forces of the south shall not stand, or even his best troops, for there shall be no strength to stand. 16 But he who comes against him shall do as he wills, and none shall stand before him. And he shall stand in the glorious land, with destruction in his hand. 17 He shall set his face to come with the strength of his whole kingdom, and he shall bring terms of an agreement and perform them. He shall give him the daughter of women to destroy the kingdom, but it shall not stand or be to his advantage. 18 Afterward he shall turn his face to the coastlands and shall capture many of them, but a commander shall put an end to his insolence. Indeed, he shall turn his insolence back upon him. 19 Then he shall turn his face back toward the fortresses of his own land, but he shall stumble and fall, and shall not be found. 20 “Then shall arise in his place one who shall send an exactor of tribute for the glory of the kingdom. But within a few days he shall be broken, neither in anger nor in battle. 21 In his place shall arise a contemptible person to whom royal majesty has not been given. He shall come in without warning and obtain the kingdom by flatteries. 22 Armies shall be utterly swept away before him and broken, even the prince of the covenant. 23 And from the time that an alliance is made with him he shall act deceitfully, and he shall become strong with a small people. 24 Without warning he shall come into the richest parts of the province, and he shall do what neither his fathers nor his fathers' fathers have done, scattering among them plunder, spoil, and goods. He shall devise plans against strongholds, but only for a time. 25 And he shall stir up his power and his heart against the king of the south with a great army. And the king of the south shall wage war with an exceedingly great and mighty army, but he shall not stand, for plots shall be devised against him. 26 Even those who eat his food shall break him. His army shall be swept away, and many shall fall down slain. 27 And as for the two kings, their hearts shall be bent on doing evil. They shall speak lies at the same table, but to no avail, for the end is yet to be at the time appointed. 28 And he shall return to his land with great wealth, but his heart shall be set against the holy covenant. And he shall work his will and return to his own land. 29 “At the time appointed he shall return and come into the south, but it shall not be this time as it was before. 30 For ships of Kittim shall come against him, and he shall be afraid and withdraw, and shall turn back and be enraged and take action against the holy covenant. He shall turn back and pay attention to those who forsake the holy covenant. 31 Forces from him shall appear and profane the temple and fortress, and shall take away the regular burnt offering. And they shall set up the abomination that makes desolate. 32 He shall seduce with flattery those who violate the covenant, but the people who know their God shall stand firm and take action. 33 And the wise among the people shall make many understand, though for some days they shall stumble by sword and flame, by captivity and plunder. 34 When they stumble, they shall receive a little help. And many shall join themselves to them with flattery, 35 and some of the wise shall stumble, so that they may be refined, purified, and made white, until the time of the end, for it still awaits the appointed time. 36 “And the king shall do as he wills. He shall exalt himself and magnify himself above every god, and shall speak astonishing things against the God of gods. He shall prosper till the indignation is accomplished; for what is decreed shall be done. 37 He shall pay no attention to the gods of his fathers, or to the one beloved by women. He shall not pay attention to any other god, for he shall magnify himself above all. 38 He shall honor the god of fortresses instead of these. A god whom his fathers did not know he shall honor with gold and silver, with precious stones and costly gifts. 39 He shall deal with the strongest fortresses with the help of a foreign god. Those who acknowledge him he shall load with honor. He shall make them rulers over many and shall divide the land for a price. 40 “At the time of the end, the king of the south shall attack him, but the king of the north shall rush upon him like a whirlwind, with chariots and horsemen, and with many ships. And he shall come into countries and shall overflow and pass through. 41 He shall come into the glorious land. And tens of thousands shall fall, but these shall be delivered out of his hand: Edom and Moab and the main part of the Ammonites. 42 He shall stretch out his hand against the countries, and the land of Egypt shall not escape. 43 He shall become ruler of the treasures of gold and of silver, and all the precious things of Egypt, and the Libyans and the Cushites shall follow in his train. 44 But news from the east and the north shall alarm him, and he shall go out with great fury to destroy and devote many to destruction. 45 And he shall pitch his palatial tents between the sea and the glorious holy mountain. Yet he shall come to his end, with none to help him. The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), Da 11:1–45.

Adelaide’s scientific community wades into the global conversation about de-extinction as Associate Professor Bastien Llamas from the University of Adelaide’s School of Biological Sciences and the Australian Centre for Ancient DNA brings cool-headed expertise to recent claims about dire wolves being “brought back from extinction.” What began as scientific curiosity became urgently relevant when Steve overheard his teenage daughters excitedly discussing how “wolves aren’t extinct anymore and mammoths will be back soon” – highlighting the real-world consequences of misunderstood science. The SA Drink Of The Week segment isn’t included in this episode, as our focus remains squarely on the fascinating scientific ground being covered, from the definition of true extinction to the uncomfortable realities of dropping long-gone predators into modern ecosystems. In the Musical Pilgrimage, we’re treated to Professor Flint’s Rumble Rumble, a song about the Permian extinction that carries a message of both disaster and hope – perfectly complementing our exploration of extinction, science communication, and the resilience of nature given sufficient time. You can navigate episodes using chapter markers in your podcast app. Not a fan of one segment? You can click next to jump to the next chapter in the show. We’re here to serve! The Adelaide Show Podcast: Awarded Silver for Best Interview Podcast in Australia at the 2021 Australian Podcast Awards and named as Finalist for Best News and Current Affairs Podcast in the 2018 Australian Podcast Awards. And please consider becoming part of our podcast by joining our Inner Circle. It’s an email list. Join it and you might get an email on a Sunday or Monday seeking question ideas, guest ideas and requests for other bits of feedback about YOUR podcast, The Adelaide Show. Email us directly and we’ll add you to the list: podcast@theadelaideshow.com.au If you enjoy the show, please leave us a 5-star review in iTunes or other podcast sites, or buy some great merch from our Red Bubble store – The Adelaide Show Shop. We’d greatly appreciate it. And please talk about us and share our episodes on social media, it really helps build our community. Oh, and here’s our index of all episode in one concisepage. Running Sheet: Making De-extinction Claims Extinct 00:00:00 Intro Introduction 00:00:00 SA Drink Of The Week No South Australian Drink Of The Week, this week. 00:02:52 Assoc. Prof. Bastien Llamas Winter isn’t just coming, apparently it arrived in October last year when Colossal Biosciences announced they’d successfully “de-extincted” the dire wolf after a 10,000-year absence. Now, for anyone watching the news or scrolling through social media lately, you might think you’ve stepped into an episode of Game of Thrones—and the connection is no coincidence, with George R.R. Martin himself serving as a “cultural adviser” to this company. I first caught wind of this story through our good mate Michael Mills, better known to many South Aussie school kids as Professor Flint, who was absolutely scathing about these claims. And I’ll admit, I thought exploring this topic might be a bit of scientific curiosity until I was driving my teenage daughters recently, and overheard them chatting excitedly about how “cool it is that wolves aren’t extinct anymore” and that “mammoths will be back soon too.” That’s when I realised we needed some cool-headed expertise on the subject. With us today is Associate Professor Bastien Llamas from the University of Adelaide’s School of Biological Sciences and the Australian Centre for Ancient DNA. Bastien’s work on ancient DNA and human adaptation to environmental and cultural stressors puts him in the perfect position to help us understand what’s actually happening with these de-extinction claims. Welcome. The interview opens amid the cultural echoes of Game of Thrones, with Steve noting how Colossal Biosciences has seemingly found a “middle ground” in the stark binary of winning or dying in the game of thrones – by claiming to resurrect dire wolves after a 10,000-year absence. This connection is no coincidence, with George R.R. Martin himself serving as a cultural advisor to the company. “If it looks like a dire wolf and it howls like a dire wolf, it’s… well, a dire wolf for the sake of PR purposes,” Steve observes, setting the stage for Bastien to methodically dismantle the scientific validity of these claims. The discussion begins with fundamentals, as Bastien explains what extinction actually means from a scientific perspective: “The extinction process is really the total disappearance of a particular species from the surface of the earth.” The conversation takes a fascinating turn when Bastien addresses the technological impossibility of true de-extinction: “To de-extinct means literally bringing back individuals from that very species to life… if that extinction happened hundreds or thousands of years ago, it means that we would need to have intact cells from these particular individuals. And through some cloning technologies, be able to create an embryo… Now we’re talking about science fiction.” When pressed on the ecological reality of reintroducing extinct species, Bastien paints a vivid picture of the challenges: “If a species got extinct in the first place, it’s very likely because there were some factors — environmental change or human overkill — that means the world has slowly changed to the point where that species was not adapted to their environment.” His specific example about dire wolves resonates with practical concerns: “A nice big cow would probably be a great prey for that wolf. And I am just waiting for the reaction of the farmers.” The scientific breakdown of Colossal’s claims is particularly enlightening, with Bastien revealing that dire wolves and grey wolves split evolutionarily 5.7 million years ago: “For 5.7 million years, they evolved differently. Dire wolf became those big whoopy canid, um, you know, hypercar, the gray wolves were more adaptable, uh, smaller size, and a diet that was a little bit more diverse.” This evolutionary divergence created approximately 12.5 million genetic differences, yet Colossal made only 20 genetic changes to grey wolves. “Twenty changes out of 12.5 million is nothing,” Bastien emphasises. The interview takes a philosophical turn when Steve asks about the one motivation that might have ethical value – atonement for human-caused extinctions. Bastien thoughtfully responds, “Even atoning for that doesn’t mean that we’re going to change our behaviors,” noting that such technology might create a dangerous sense of complacency about current conservation challenges. Perhaps most powerfully, Bastien offers an analogy that crystallises the issue: “If we take a chimp and we introduce 20 changes in the genome of the chimp, so it loses the hair, for example, and the shape of the skull is modified… would we consider that genetically engineered chimp a human?” The answer is clearly no, undermining the claim that genetically modified grey wolves are actually dire wolves. The conversation closes with wisdom about critical thinking, with Bastien suggesting that while we should allow ourselves to be amazed by scientific headlines initially, we must follow with critical reflection: “You need to let it go. At first you need to be amazed. You need to be curious. You need to be dreaming a little bit. But then once that first phase is over, you need to sit down a little bit and think about really what the information is about.” 00:51:09 Musical Pilgrimage In the Musical Pilgrimage, we feature Rumble Rumble by Professor Flint. This is a song about the Permian extinction, known as The Great Dying, in which 96% of all life was wiped out. It reminds us of the fragility of nature, and the impermanence of all things. It also reminds us of nature’s resilience. While it took millions of years to recover, given the chance, and time, nature was able to recover, and we enter the remarkable Age of Dinosaurs. The death of some, allows for the evolution of others. Michael Mills, the man behind Professor Flint and HeapsGood Music, is highlighted as someone gaining popularity by “staying true to the science” – a refreshing counterpoint to the misleading headlines discussed throughout the episode. Steve shares exciting news about Michael’s upcoming performances at the Lyme Regis Fossil Festival in the UK (making history as the first Australian to grace that stage), as well as his Commonwealth National Science Week grant supporting “The Ammonites,” an all-female dinosaur-loving supergroup touring across Australia this August.Support the show: https://theadelaideshow.com.au/listen-or-download-the-podcast/adelaide-in-crowd/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

When David sends a merciful diplomatic contingent to Ammon, his kindness is met with violence. David seeks to cover the shame of his men while also seeking justice against the Ammonites who have defied him. As Ammon strengthens its position through menacing mercenaries, David sends Joab, whose wisdom and trust in God leads to success. After the Ammonite threat against Israel ends, David ensures that Syria too will no longer trouble the people of God. Even as David continues to succeed militarily, his weaknesses begin to show in this chapter, particularly in his absence from an initial battle.  Rev. Nate Hill, pastor at St. Michael's Lutheran Church in Winchester, TX, joins host Rev. Timothy Appel to study 2 Samuel 10:1-19.  "A Kingdom Unlike All the Nations” is a series on Sharper Iron that goes through 1-2 Samuel. This time in Israel's history has its highs and lows, but the LORD's faithfulness never wavers. He provides His Word to be proclaimed faithfully through prophets like Samuel and Nathan. Even as princes like Saul and David sit on an earthly throne, the LORD remains King over His people, even as He does now and forever through the Lord Jesus Christ. Sharper Iron, hosted by Rev. Timothy Appel, looks at the text of Holy Scripture both in its broad context and its narrow detail, all for the sake of proclaiming Christ crucified and risen for sinners. Two pastors engage with God's Word to sharpen not only their own faith and knowledge, but the faith and knowledge of all who listen. Submit comments or questions to: listener@kfuo.org

Further reading: Reconstructing fossil cephalopods: Endoceras Retro vs Modern #17: Ammonites Hammering Away at Hamites An endocerid [picture by Entelognathus - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=111981757]: An ammonite fossil: A hamite ammonoid that looks a lot like a paperclip [picture by Hectonichus - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=34882102]: Show transcript: Welcome to Strange Animals Podcast. I'm your host, Kate Shaw. When you think about cephalopods, if that's a word you know, you probably think of octopuses and squid, maybe cuttlefish. But those aren't the only cephalopods, and in particular in the past, there used to be even more cephalopods that are even weirder than the ones we have today. Cephalopods are in the family Mollusca along with snails and clams, and many other animals. The first ancestral cephalopods date back to the Cambrian, and naturally we don't know a whole lot about them since that was around 500 million years ago. We have fossilized shells that were only a few centimeters long at most, although none of the specimens we've found are complete. By about 475 million years ago, these early cephalopod ancestors had mostly died out but had given rise to some amazing animals called Endocerids. Endocerids had shells that were mostly cone-shaped, like one of those pointy-ended ice cream cones but mostly larger and not as tasty. Most were pretty small, usually only a few feet long, or less than a meter, but some were really big. The largest Endoceras giganteum fossil we have is just under 10 feet long, or 3 meters, and it isn't complete. Some scientists estimate that it might have been almost 19 feet long, or about 5.75 meters, when it was alive. But that's just the long, conical shell. What did the animal that lived in the shell look like? We don't know, but scientists speculate that it had a squid-like body. The head and arms were outside of the shell's opening, while the main part of the body was protected by the front part of the shell. We know it had arms because we have arm impressions in sections of fossilized sea floor that show ten arms that are all about the same length. We don't know if the arms had suckers the way many modern cephalopods do, and some scientists suggest it had ridges on the undersides of the arms that helped it grab prey, the way modern nautiluses do. It also had a hood-shaped structure on top of its head called an operculum, which is also seen in nautiluses. This probably allowed Endoceras giganteum to pull its head and arms into its shell and use the operculum to block the shell's entrance. We don't know what colors the shells were, but some specimens seem to show a mottled or spotted pattern. The interior of Endoceras giganteum's shell was made up of chambers, some of which were filled with calcium deposits that helped balance the body weight, so the animal didn't have trouble dragging it around. 3D models of the shells show that they could easily stick straight up in the water, but we also have trace fossils that show drag marks of the shell through sediment. Scientists think Endoceras was mainly an ambush predator, sitting quietly until a small animal got too close. Then it would grab it with its arms. It could also crawl around to find a better spot to hunt, and younger individuals that had smaller shells were probably a lot more active. We talked about ammonites way back in episode 86. Ammonites were really common in the fossil record for hundreds of millions of years, only going extinct at the same time as the dinosaurs. Some ammonites lived at the bottom of the ocean in shallow water, but many swam or floated throughout the ocean. Many ammonite fossils look like snail shells, but the shell contains sections inside called chambers. The largest chamber, at the end of the shell, was for the ammonite's body,

Introduction: 1 In the spring of the year, the time when kings go out to battle, David sent Joab, and his servants with him, and all Israel. And they ravaged the Ammonites and besieged Rabbah. But David remained at Jerusalem. 2 It happened, late one afternoon, when David arose from his couch and was…

Today's readings are Judges 9-11, Ruth 4, and Psalm 137. In the reading from Judges, we hear about the rise and fall of Abimelech, as well as the misguided and heartbreaking vow Jephthah makes to God in return for victory over the Ammonites. We also conclude the book of Ruth with the marriage of Boaz and Ruth. For the complete reading plan, visit ascensionpress.com/bibleinayear. Please note: The Bible contains adult themes that may not be suitable for children - parental discretion is advised.

Deuteronomy 2 continues Moses' recounting of Israel's long journey through the wilderness as they approach the Promised Land. This chapter is rich with themes of divine timing, obedience, respect for boundaries, and God's sovereign control over nations and territories. Overview of the Chapter Verses 1–3: Wandering Ends Moses recalls how God instructed the Israelites to turn northward after years of aimless wandering around Mount Seir. This signals a divine shift—God is now ready for them to make progress toward their inheritance. “You have circled this mountain long enough; now turn north.” (Deut. 2:3) This verse reflects a spiritual pivot point. Often, people dwell too long in seasons of delay, fear, or disobedience. God's word here is a clear command: stop circling and start advancing. Verses 4–23: Boundaries and Respect God gives specific instructions not to provoke or engage in battle with certain nations- Edom (descendants of Esau): Israel is told to pass through peacefully and even purchase food and water. Moab (descendants of Lot): Again, they must not fight or take their land. Ammon (also Lot's descendants): God emphasizes that He has given land to other nations as well, and Israel must respect that. This teaches respect for God's allotment—not every place or position is meant for us. God has ordered and distributed nations and territories according to His purposes. Spiritual Reflection: There's a time to advance, but also a time to respect boundaries God sets. Not every battle is yours to fight. Verses 24–37: Victory over Sihon Finally, the Lord instructs them to engage in battle: “See, I have begun to deliver Sihon and his land over to you. Begin to take possession, that you may occupy his land.” (v. 31) Unlike earlier nations, Sihon king of Heshbon opposes Israel. Here, God hardens his heart so that judgment may come through Israel's conquest (v. 30). This echoes God's actions with Pharaoh in Exodus. Israel defeats Sihon's army, takes the cities, and fully conquers the region. However, God again commands restraint—they are not to go near the Ammonites, maintaining the earlier instructions. Key Themes 1.Obedience and Timing: God determines when we move forward. Israel's success begins when they act at God's word, not before. 2.Divine Justice: God gives and takes land according to His righteousness and purposes. Sometimes judgment comes through conquest, but always under God's control. 3.Respect for Others: Even in victory, Israel must respect other nations that God has protected. Obedience includes honoring God's justice for others. 4.Spiritual Progress: The end of wandering begins with heeding God's direction. Wandering seasons end when we are ready to listen and obey fully. Life Application Are you circling a mountain too long? Are you ready to obey God's direction even when it seems delayed or unclear? Are you respecting the boundaries God has placed in your life and the lives of others? Sometimes the breakthrough isn't about fighting—it's about listening, trusting, and waiting for the divine “Now, move.”Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/sendme-radio--732966/support.

In this Bible Story, Jephthah makes a promise to God that he would sacrifice the first thing he saw after his battle. Little did he know it would be his daughter. So Jephthah mourned, and was remembered for his foolishness. This story is inspired by Judges 10:6-11:40. Go to BibleinaYear.com and learn the Bible in a Year.Today's Bible verse is Judges 11:34 from the King James Version.Episode 65: After 18 Years of oppression by the Ammonites and the Philistines, the people of Israel once again cry out to God for rescue. Answering in accordance with their constant rebellion and refusal to learn, God says they should ask their gods, the idols they are worshiping to save them. But when they show true repentance, God shows up and chooses an outcast named Jephthah to lead them into victory and relief from their enemy.Hear the Bible come to life as Pastor Jack Graham leads you through the official BibleinaYear.com podcast. This Biblical Audio Experience will help you master wisdom from the world's greatest book. In each episode, you will learn to apply Biblical principles to everyday life. Now understanding the Bible is easier than ever before; enjoy a cinematic audio experience full of inspirational storytelling, orchestral music, and profound commentary from world-renowned Pastor Jack Graham.Also, you can download the Pray.com app for more Christian content, including, Daily Prayers, Inspirational Testimonies, and Bedtime Bible Stories.Visit JackGraham.org for more resources on how to tap into God's power for successful Christian living.Pray.com is the digital destination of faith. With over 5,000 daily prayers, meditations, bedtime stories, and cinematic stories inspired by the Bible, the Pray.com app has everything you need to keep your focus on the Lord. Make Prayer a priority and download the #1 App for Prayer and Sleep today in the Apple app store or Google Play store.Executive Producers: Steve Gatena & Max BardProducer: Ben GammonHosted by: Pastor Jack GrahamMusic by: Andrew Morgan SmithBible Story narration by: Todd HaberkornSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Pastor Maritza Gutierrez brings this week's message, “Turn Up the Volume." 2 Chronicles 20.1-15 ESV: “After this the Moabites and Ammonites, and with them some of the Meunites, came against Jehoshaphat for battle. Some men came and told Jehoshaphat, “A great multitude is coming against you from Edom, from beyond the sea; and, behold, they are in Hazazon-tamar” (that is, Engedi). Then Jehoshaphat was afraid and set his face to seek the Lord, and proclaimed a fast throughout all Judah. And Judah assembled to seek help from the Lord; from all the cities of Judah they came to seek the Lord. And Jehoshaphat stood in the assembly of Judah and Jerusalem, in the house of the Lord, before the new court, and said, “O Lord, God of our fathers, are you not God in heaven? You rule over all the kingdoms of the nations. In your hand are power and might, so that none is able to withstand you. Did you not, our God, drive out the inhabitants of this land before your people Israel, and give it forever to the descendants of Abraham your friend? And they have lived in it and have built for you in it a sanctuary for your name, saying, ‘If disaster comes upon us, the sword, judgment, or pestilence, or famine, we will stand before this house and before you—for your name is in this house—and cry out to you in our affliction, and you will hear and save.' And now behold, the men of Ammon and Moab and Mount Seir, whom you would not let Israel invade when they came from the land of Egypt, and whom they avoided and did not destroy— behold, they reward us by coming to drive us out of your possession, which you have given us to inherit. O our God, will you not execute judgment on them? For we are powerless against this great horde that is coming against us. We do not know what to do, but our eyes are on you.” Meanwhile all Judah stood before the Lord, with their little ones, their wives, and their children. And the Spirit of the Lord came upon Jahaziel the son of Zechariah, son of Benaiah, son of Jeiel, son of Mattaniah, a Levite of the sons of Asaph, in the midst of the assembly. And he said, “Listen, all Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem and King Jehoshaphat: Thus says the Lord to you, ‘Do not be afraid and do not be dismayed at this great horde, for the battle is not yours but God's.” Sermon Topics: Worship, Battles, Faith If you enjoyed the podcast, please subscribe and share it with your friends on social media. For more information about PNEUMA Church, visit our website at mypneumachurch.org.  Connect with Us: Instagram: https://instagram.com/mypneumachurch YouTube: https://youtube.com/mypneumachurch Facebook: https://facebook.com/mypneumachurch Time Stamps: 00:00 - Introduction 00:30 - Welcome 07:41 - 2 Chronicles 20.1-15 ESV 11:51 - Turn Up the Volume

A Sermon for the Fourth Sunday in Lent Galatians 4:21-31 by the Rev'd Dr. Matthew Colvin Our epistle lesson this morning comes from Galatians 4. I know that Pastor Bill preached on it just recently, but I would like to look at it too, from a different angle. It is one of the most controversial chapters in the NT, both for its view of Judaism and for its hermeneutical maneuvers. Paul is concerned for Christians in Galatia. The Judaizers were taunting Gentile Christians with the manifest visible superiority of Judaism: its splendid temple; its priesthood; its Torah; all the society's esteem and honor. And against this, what did Christians have to show? They were hiding for fear of the Jews; they were subjected to persecution and arrest; they had been kicked out of the synagogue and subjected to the ban, excommunication. Above all, there was the disgrace of worshipping a criminal who had been killed by the most shameful sort of execution, crucifixion by the Romans. All this was exploited by Paul's enemies in Galatia, the Judaizers or the circumcision party. Their strategy was to exalt themselves by trying to get the Gentiles to envy them - “They zealously court you, but for no good; yes, they want to exclude you, that you may be zealous for them.” – The verb zeloō means both to be zealous and to be jealous. Paul's enemies are behaving like spiteful middle school girls — not like the righteous women of this church, but like the ones I knew when I was in school — trying to exclude a hated rival by social shunning, in order to magnify their own status. To stop them and shut them down, Paul needs to do more than just answer their case logically. He also needs to undermine their ethos; he needs to subvert the system of value that makes their case so plausible at first glance. They are counting on Paul's readers sharing their value system. Paul wants to make sure his readers do not share it. It is a task that he undertakes in many of his letters. In Romans he addresses the Jews as those who “rest on the law, and make your boast in God, and know His will, and approve the things that are excellent, being instructed out of the law, and are confident that you yourself are a guide to the blind, a light to those who are in darkness, an instructor of the foolish, a teacher of babes, having the form of knowledge and truth in the law.” He is setting forth the Jewish system of value, the grounds of their boasting. And it was a very good grounds for boasting. The longest book in the Bible, Psalm 119, is one continuing paean of praise to the Law, the Torah. It is full of statements like, “I love thy commandments above gold and precious stones” and “The law of thy mouth is dearer unto me than thousands of gold and silver.” But Paul rips this point of boasting away by asking, “Yes, the Law is wonderful — but do you actually obey it?” In Philippians 3, Paul gathers together all the things that he could have been proud of as a Jew: “If anyone else thinks he may have confidence in the flesh, I more so: circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of the Hebrews; concerning the law, a Pharisee; concerning zeal, persecuting the church; concerning the righteousness which is in the law, blameless. But what things were gain to me, these I have counted loss for Christ. Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ and be found in Him, not having my own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith;” That stuff that the Jews think is so valuable? Their circumcision, their membership in one of the two faithful tribes (Benjamin and Judah)? Their zeal, their lawkeeping? It's all worthless. In fact, it's so worthless that I threw it all away. I have something of real value that none of that stuff can give you. In the book of Hebrews, Paul or someone from his circles who thought an awful lot like him has the difficult task of undermining Jewish boasting about the Temple, the priesthood, and the sacrifices — a task that might seem impossible, since these things were instituted by God and everybody knew it. The temple was imposing, gleaming with gold. Paul calls it a “tent”, the sort of makeshift, flimsy structure that you go camping in, and you lie down in it, and there's nothing but a thin layer of cloth between you and the outside, and if it's too windy, the thing is in danger of collapsing; and anyway, it's that way because you're going to take it down and pack it up anyway. That's what he thinks of your fancy temple. Besides, the real temple is in heaven. Your tent is made by human hands; the only Temple worthy of the name is made by God. The priests' ministry was observable; they were dressed in robes; everyone could see their work, and that they had been instituted by God. Paul says, “They keep on dying, which is proof that their work isn't much good. And they have to offer sacrifices for their own sins, not just the people's.” The sacrifices were there for all to see: they had been commanded by God himself. The blood of the sacrifices flowed continually at the temple, on a daily basis. Paul says, “See how they have to do it over and over again? That's because it doesn't really work. They need Jesus. That's the only sacrifice that works, and that's why Jesus only needed to be sacrificed once.” Yes, Paul is a genius at overthrowing his opponents' strongest arguments. He loves to take their most powerful evidence and use it against them. He is a master of rhetorical jujitsu, throwing his opponents to the mat by using the momentum and force of their own attacks. He is like Elijah in the contest with the prophets of Baal, one man against 450, “And he put the wood in order, cut the bull in pieces, and laid it on the wood, and said, “Fill four waterpots with water, and pour it on the burnt sacrifice and on the wood.” Then he said, “Do it a second time,” and they did it a second time; and he said, “Do it a third time,” and they did it a third time. So the water ran all around the altar; and he also filled the trench with water.” In Galatians 4, it is a terribly difficult rhetorical task that Paul faces: his opponents appear to have the Torah, the OT, on their side. It does, after all, command circumcision; it does prohibit the eating of unclean foods; it does tell the stories of Ishmael, Moab, and Ben-Ammi, the ancestors of the rival nations surrounding Israel, all of whom are deprecated as the offspring of incest, slave marriage, or concubinage. These stories account for the origins of the Gentiles around Israel. Israel itself, however, was descended from Isaac, the legitimate son and heir of Abraham. These stories underscore the chosenness of Israel, and the fact that these other nations were not chosen. “Jacob have I loved, and Esau have I hated” was not just a statement about two sons. It was a statement about two nations: the Edomites and Israel. It says that Israel is the covenant people that God loves, and Edom is not. So it is Paul's opponents, not Paul, who have the easier case to make here: Jewish people are (most of them) descended from Jacob (Israel) and Gentiles are not. And they might have made this case most plainly from the story of Isaac, Abraham's son miraculously conceived by the power of God in Abraham's old age. This is strong rhetorical ground for the circumcision advocates in Galatia. Circumcision is commanded in the Torah for God's people. It is breathtakingly audacious for Paul to argue that a proper understanding of the Torah will lead you to the conclusion that circumcision doesn't matter. Paul calls the Torah a yoke of bondage. I'm not sure we appreciate how bold a move this is. The exodus was Israel's independence day. It's when they came out of slavery in Egypt and became a free nation. Paul says that the circumcizers advocating Torah-obedience in Galatia are like those who wanted to go back to Egypt. It would be like an American saying that the Declaration of Independence is the document in American history that made everyone slaves. But that is what Paul says about the Torah, given on Mount Sinai: that covenant has led to the present state of affairs: Jerusalem that now is, and is in bondage with her children. Now, we know from elsewhere in Paul's letters, especially Romans, that he considered the Law a good gift of God and the reason why the Law was now leading to slavery was because Israel was using it wrongly, not because the Law was bad. The slavery results from Israel's sinfulness, not something wrong with the Law. But here, he doesn't go into that, because he is focused not on the Law as it was given by God, but on the Law as it was used rhetorically by his opponents. You have heard the expression, “He is wrapping himself in the flag”? That is what the Judaizers in Galatia are doing with the Torah: using it as a uniform to distinguish true, Jewish Christians from second-rate, Gentile Christians. And Paul says: You think that you look cool with your bling; but it's really chains to keep you enslaved. Above all, Paul takes the bull by the horns and uses an audacious maneuver to deal with the Judaizers' most powerful weapon: the taunt of illegitimacy. That is the point of the Ishmael story as used by Jews: the Ishmaelites, the Arabs, are illegitimate offspring of Abraham, just as the Moabites and Ammonites were stigmatized as the offspring of Lot's daughters after the destruction of Sodom. Only Jews were the children of Isaac; they had been called into existence by the power of YHWH himself. They were not the product of an ill-conceived attempt at surrogate pregnancy, and with a slave wife. Be aware that the Judaizers have centuries and centuries of social and legal precedent for their view. That line that Paul quotes from Sarah — “Cast out the bondwoman and her son, for the son of the bondwoman shall not be heir with the son of the freewoman” — that was a line that Paul's opponents loved to quote. When Sarah said it to Abraham, she wasn't just being mean. The lawcodes of Ur-Nammu and Lipit-Ishtar, from around the same time as Abraham, contained rules about exactly this sort of situation, and they are formulated with exactly the same sort of phrasing: “If a man has a wife a free woman who has born children to him, and he takes a slave wife and she also bears children to him, the children of the slave wife shall not share in the inheritance with the children of the free wife.” Sarah is saying, “Husband, you know the law from when we lived in Ur. This is what we have to do.” And the heretics in Galatia were taking up this two-thousand year tradition of legal and social stigma against children of slavery, and applying it to Gentile Christians. It's a powerful tool of shaming and social marginalization, and it is based on a very foundational text of the covenant: the story of the birth of Isaac. Both the Judaizers and their Galatian Gentile victims believed this text was the word of God. Both believed that the Jews were descendants of Isaac. Paul knows all this. He has chosen to fight them on their strongest ground; he gives them home field advantage. He pours water so that it fills up the trench. And then he incinerates their whole argument like Elijah. The stigma of illegitimacy? He turns it back on the Judaizers. They are the bastards now, the “children of the flesh”; they are “in bondage” with their slave-mother. The Gentile Galatian Christians? They are “children of the promise.” And just as it was back then, the child of the slave woman is persecuting the child of the promise. The two sons are marked not by their circumcised or uncircumcised status but by the slave/free polarity that distinguishes their mothers. Paul has to reach a little bit here. The LXX Greek translation that Paul used here doesn't actually say, “persecuting”. What the LXX says is that Sarah “saw the son of Hagar the Egyptian who had been born to Abraham playing with her son Isaac (paizonta meta Isaac tou huiou autes).” That's the most straightforward way to take it. But the word “playing” can also mean “mocking”. And that's probably how Paul took it. And then he magnifies it into the sibling rivalry from hell by glossing “mocking” as “persecuting”. Where did he get this from? It is transferred from the situation between the Judaizers and the Gentile Christians in Galatia. By casting the rivalry as a conflict between the flesh and the promise, Paul undercuts the Judaizers' use of the Torah. That is why he says, “These are two covenants” — the boldest piece of clever interpretation in the Bible. It is all part of his rhetorical strategy concerning the Torah that he has laid in the previous chapter, Galatians 3. The two covenants are NOT the Old and the New. They are the Torah covenant and the covenant with Abraham (which turns out to find its fulfillment in Christ). And the covenant with Abraham is more original, more foundational, more important, more primary. The law was added 430 years later. The Torah was a stop-gap measure to keep things under control until the fulfillment of the covenant with Abraham. And for Paul, Gentile Christians are that fulfillment: “in you, all the nations — the ethnê — shall be blessed.” This aligns the Gentile Christians with the whole purpose of the Covenant with Abraham, and means that Paul can cast them as the true children of the promise. They are citizens of the only Jerusalem that counts, the “Jerusalem above”. And by citing the line of Sarah, “cast out the bondwoman and her son, for the son of the bondwoman shall not be heir with the son of the free woman”, Paul makes clear what the stakes are here: the Judaizers and those who trust in the Torah to be their badge of membership in the covenant are not merely mistaken. They are Ishmaels and they will not inherit. They will be cast out. The Gentile Christians — and faithful Jewish Christians who did not pressure them to get circumcized — will be counted as true members of the covenant with Abraham, and the Judaizing circumcision-pushers will not. Who are the bastards now? Paul revels in what God has done. It is perfectly in accordance with his way of working: "He catches the wise in their own craftiness, and the counsel of the cunning is brought to a quick end.” (Job 5). The Judaizers have fallen into the pit that they have dug: their taunts of illegitimacy rebound on their own heads; the glory of the title of “true children of Abraham” is wrapped around the Gentile believers whom they had stigmatized. Paul's jujitsu victory is complete and total, because it is the victory of Christ, who led captivity captive and triumphed by being crucified. In the end, Paul's fierce warfare over the Galatians has to do with vindicating the honor of Christ, with proving that He has really accomplished all that Paul says he has; with showing that the covenant with Abraham is truly fulfilled in Jesus, because he is the yes and amen. To go back to the Torah is to turn the clock back and engage in historical reenactment; to live a life of live-action-role-playing instead of reality. It is a costly and foolish attempt to gain privilege and honor by denying the completeness and finality of Jesus' work, and attempting to supplement it with another identity in terms of the Torah. The true Exodus is via Christ, not via the Torah. That is part of the meaning of our gospel lesson this morning from John 6. Here the true bread from heaven, Jesus, works a miraculous feeding like the manna of old. But he does it not in order to cause the crowd to envy his disciples; he has no desire for his followers to act like the Judaizers, zealous courting others to provoke them envy. No, his disciples are to be the means by which the bread of life is given to the multitudes — and the two small fish, symbol of Gentiles and of fishing for men, of the fulfillment of Jeremiah 16:16: “Behold, I am sending for many fishers, declares the Lord, and they shall catch them.” In the end, the nations are to be blessed through the disobedience of Israel. Our time is short, so I will not try to prove this exhaustively, but I want you to see the pattern: Joseph's brothers disobey and sell him into slavery, so that he is carried off to a Gentile land, Egypt, and becomes assimilated to Egyptian ways. But God works it all out so that Joseph's imprisonment in an Egyptian prison works out for the salvation of Joseph's brothers and all Egypt, “to save many alive.” When Jesus touches dead bodies, a woman with a 12 year flow of bleeding that made her unclean, or a leper, what happens? The usual laws of uncleanness work backward: rather than becoming unclean, Jesus makes these people clean. That is the way God has designed the exile of Israel to work: rather than the exiled members of Israel becoming lost and destroyed, they have mingled with the nations and thereby brought it about that in order to keep His promises to Israel, God will save the Gentiles as well. As a result, “In Abraham's seed, all the nations shall be blessed.” Isn't it funny how Satan's schemes always backfire? He is truly the Wile E. Coyote of the Bible. He will have his church be Israel for the sake of the world; thus we are to be true heirs of Abraham, fulfilling the purpose for which He was called. Amen.

YOU'D THINK that being anointed king over the northern tribes because of Solomon's disobedience to God would have caused Jeroboam to be more careful about his theology. We follow up last week's study with the consequences of Jeroboam's decision to set up altars with golden calves. Contrary to some who teach that the golden calves were idols representing God, we believe the locations—Bethel (“House of El”) and Dan, at the foot of Mount Hermon—point to the Canaanite father-god El, whose main epithet was “Bull El.” Mount Hermon was El's “mount of assembly,” which is one of the reasons we argue that El was Shemihazah, leader of the sons of God who rebelled in Genesis 6:1–4. Because Jeroboam drew the northern tribes back into the worship of El, who was known as Dagon to the Philistines and Milcom (Molech) to the Ammonites, God sent a prophet to decree that a future king named Josiah would desecrate Jeroboam's altars by sacrificing the priests of the high places and burning human bones on them. Bear in mind that Jeroboam began his reign over the northern kingdom in 930 BC and Josiah would not become king of Judah until 640 BC, 290 years later! Question of the week: Is there a difference between the terms “Jesus Christ” and “Christ Jesus”? Sharon's niece, Sarah Sachleben, was recently diagnosed with stage 4 bowel cancer, and the medical bills are piling up. If you are led to help, please go to GilbertHouse.org/hopeforsarah. Our new book The Gates of Hell is now available in paperback, Kindle, and as an audiobook at Audible! Derek's new book Destination: Earth, co-authored with Donna Howell and Allie Anderson, is now available in paperback, Kindle, and as an audiobook at Audible! If you are looking for a text of the Book of 1 Enoch to follow our monthly study, you can try these sources: Parallel translations by R. H. Charles (1917) and Richard Laurence (1821) Modern English translation by George W. E. Nickelsburg and James VanderKam (link to book at Amazon)Book of 1 Enoch - Standard English Version by Dr. Jay Winter (link opens free PDF)Book of 1 Enoch - R. H. Charles translation (link opens free PDF) The SkyWatchTV store has a special offer on Dr. Michael Heiser's two-volume set A Companion to the Book of Enoch. Get both books, the R. H. Charles translation of 1 Enoch, and a DVD interview with Mike and Steven Bancarz for a donation of $35 plus shipping and handling. Link: https://bit.ly/heiser-enoch Follow us! • X: @gilberthouse_tv | @sharonkgilbert | @derekgilbert• Telegram: t.me/gilberthouse | t.me/sharonsroom | t.me/viewfromthebunker• YouTube: @GilbertHouse | @UnravelingRevelation• Facebook.com/GilbertHouseFellowship JOIN US AND SPECIAL GUEST CARL TEICHRIB IN ISRAEL! Our next tour of Israel is October 19–30, 2025 with an optional three-day extension to Jordan. For more information and to reserve your place, log on to GilbertHouse.org/travel. Thank you for making our Build Barn Better project a reality! We truly appreciate your support. If you are so led, you can help out at GilbertHouse.org/donate. Get our free app! It connects you to these studies plus our weekly video programs Unraveling Revelation and A View from the Bunker, and the podcast that started this journey in 2005, P.I.D. Radio. Best of all, it bypasses the gatekeepers of Big Tech! The app is available for iOS, Android, Roku, and Apple TV. Links to the app stores are at www.gilberthouse.org/app/. Video on demand of our best teachings! Stream presentations and teachings based on our research at our new video on demand site! Gilbert House T-shirts and mugs! New to our store is a line of GHTV and Redwing Saga merch! Check it out at GilbertHouse.org/store! Think better, feel better! Our partners at Simply Clean Foods offer freeze-dried, 100% GMO-free food and delicious, vacuum-packed fair trade coffee from Honduras. Find out more at GilbertHouse.org/store. Our favorite Bible study tools! Check the links in the right-hand column at www.GilbertHouse.org.

[2 Chronicles 20:1-4] After this, the armies of the Moabites, Ammonites, and some of the Meunites declared war on Jehoshaphat. [2] Messengers came and told Jehoshaphat, "A vast army from Edom is marching against you from beyond the Dead Sea. They are already at Hazazon-tamar." (This was another name for En-gedi.) [3] Jehoshaphat was terrified by this news and begged the LORD for guidance. He also ordered everyone in Judah to begin fasting. [4] So people from all the towns of Judah came to Jerusalem to seek the LORD's help.The ________________ you are facing is not yours to ________________.The moment you __________________, God steps in and fights for you.[2 Chronicles 20:15] He said, "Listen, all you people of Judah and Jerusalem! Listen, King Jehoshaphat! This is what the LORD says: Do not be afraid! Don't be discouraged by this mighty army, for the battle is not yours, but God's.God never meant for you to fight ________________.[2 Chronicles 20:17a] But you will not even need to fight. Take your positions; then stand still and watch the LORD's victory.Victory doesn't come from ________________ harder; it comes from ________________ more![2 Chronicles 20:21-22] After consulting the people, the king appointed singers to walk ahead of the army, singing to the LORD and praising him for his holy splendor. This is what they sang: "Give thanks to the LORD; his faithful love endures forever!" [22] At the very moment they began to sing and give praise, the LORD caused the armies of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir to start fighting among themselves.________________ is a ______________ in spiritual battles.There is _______________ on the other side of your praise.[Romans 8:35, 37] Can anything ever separate us from Christ's love? Does it mean he no longer loves us if we have trouble or calamity, or are persecuted, or hungry, or destitute, or in danger, or threatened with death [37] No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us.We don't fight _______ victory; we fight _________ victory!

YOU'D THINK that being anointed king over the northern tribes because of Solomon's disobedience to God would have caused Jeroboam to be more careful about his theology. We follow up last week's study with the consequences of Jeroboam's decision to set up altars with golden calves. Contrary to some who teach that the golden calves were idols representing God, we believe the locations—Bethel (“House of El”) and Dan, at the foot of Mount Hermon—point to the Canaanite father-god El, whose main epithet was “Bull El.” Mount Hermon was El's “mount of assembly,” which is one of the reasons we argue that El was Shemihazah, leader of the sons of God who rebelled in Genesis 6:1–4. Because Jeroboam drew the northern tribes back into the worship of El, who was known as Dagon to the Philistines and Milcom (Molech) to the Ammonites, God sent a prophet to decree that a future king named Josiah would desecrate Jeroboam's altars by sacrificing the priests of the high places and burning human bones on them. Bear in mind that Jeroboam began his reign over the northern kingdom in 930 BC and Josiah would not become king of Judah until 640 BC, 290 years later! Question of the week: Is there a difference between the terms “Jesus Christ” and “Christ Jesus”?

"The sound of modern humyns chipping away at solid rock searching for ancient organisms that have been turned to stone through pressure and time... the percussion of tool use was the perfect place to start, maybe the use of tools is where the idea of instrumental music came from in the first place... thoughts of musical evolution as humyns evolved with as much slowness as the forces that turned those organisms into solid rock... gradually multiplying percussion lines are kinda like the evolving complexity of life. 66 million years is an inconceivable length of time. at one point in the recording, you can hear a humyn voice, so i isolated that voice and stretched it out and used it as a melody line... as humyn voices mix with percussion, thoughts of the primal nature of percussion and voice, how ancient is this kind of humyn sound? sonic heritage indeed.  "The piece ended up having three movements: the first is the percussive rhythmic stomp of humyn activity... i pictured more and more humyns adding their particular rhythm to the party. the second is the collapse and fragmentation of the rhythms, kinda mirroring the fracturing of the stone but also could be a metaphor for the energy of life ending, crossing the threshold of life and death, turmoil, the forces that end one branch of the evolutionary tree, the extinctions that are a necessary part of evolution, the end of living that meant we can find these organisms turned to stone millions of years later. the third and final part is the stretching and distorting of time and sediment as the sound becomes crushed beneath its own increasing weight, the forces that fossilise... petrifying flattening denseness... and the piece is over." Lyme Regis beach reimagined by The Fruiting Body. ——————— This sound is part of the Sonic Heritage project, exploring the sounds of the world's most famous sights.  Find out more and explore the whole project: https://www.citiesandmemory.com/heritage

The Old Testament gives us the history of God's people, the Israelites, before the coming of their long-awaited Messiah, Jesus Christ. And throughout their history they had good times and bad times—times when they obeyed God and times when they went far astray. Eventually, they split into two nations, Israel and Judah, with ten of the tribes forming the Israel nation and two forming the nation of Judah. I want to focus your attention to one of the most wonderful chapters in the Bible, in my opinion, 2 Chronicles 20, which tells us about Jehoshaphat, king of Judah. Jehoshaphat was one of the godly kings who obeyed the Lord and led his people to follow Yahweh. But they were a small nation, not well fortified, and therefore very vulnerable to their enemies. In chapter 20 of 2 Chronicles, Jehoshaphat finds himself and his nation in a truly frightening predicament. Here are the first four verses of that chapter: After this, the Moabites and Ammonites with some of the Meunites came     to make war on Jehoshaphat. Some men came and told Jehoshaphat, "A vast army is coming against you from Edom, from the other side of the Seas. It is already in En Gedi.” Alarmed, Jehoshaphat resolved to inquire of the Lord, and he proclaimed a fast for all Judah. The people of Judah came together to seek help from the Lord; indeed, they came from every town in Judah to seek him. Jehoshaphat is faced with a grave dilemma. His entire army and his entire country could be wiped out by this enemy army. And he is alarmed. Who wouldn't be? But notice what Jehoshaphat does in his alarmed condition: He resolves to inquire of the Lord. He could have inquired of his political advisers. They would have undoubtedly told him to try to make a peace treaty with this vast enemy and save their necks, even if it meant giving up the land. He could have inquired of his military advisers, who would have told him to retreat and get out as fast as possible, because there was no way they could defeat this great military army coming against them. But Jehoshaphat didn't inquire of people or counselors or advisers. He inquired of the Lord. Where have you been running for answers as you face your impossible situation? Is the Lord the first one you turn to? Amazing how often we do everything else except inquire of the Lord. This should be the first thing we do when we don't know what to do: Inquire of the Lord. Notice that Jehoshaphat resolved to inquire of the Lord; he set his will to do it. I can imagine his feelings were taking him in different directions. I can believe he wanted to start running fast and take some kind of action immediately. But he knew he would only find answers by inquiring of the Lord, so whether he felt like it or not, he resolved to do that. Many times, we run with our emotions when we're up against impossibilities. And our emotions take us to hasty action, to running away, to seeking advice from the wrong people, etc. If we would first inquire of the Lord, sit down with his Word and ask for direction, spend time in prayer to listen to his voice, we would find the answers we need. I remember at one point in my life, many years ago now, when I was suddenly faced with what seemed at the time to be a potentially disastrous situation, and I truly didn't know what to do. So, what did I do? I picked up the phone to call my best friend and ask her what to do! Now, there's nothing wrong with seeking godly advice from trusted advisors, but that's not the first place we should go, is it? Well, wouldn't you know she wasn't there. This was long before we all had cell phones, and so I couldn't reach her. I just kept redialing and redialing her number, pacing the floor, and becoming angry with her for not being there when I needed her. It was one of those teaching moments in my life, when I could hear the voice of God in my head clearly saying to me, “Why would you call her before you call me?

“Then David confessed to Nathan, ‘I have sinned against the Lord.’ Nathan replied, ‘Yes, but the Lord has forgiven you, and you won’t die for this sin.’” (2 Samuel 12:13 NLT) You could argue that, aside from Adam and Eve’s eating of the forbidden fruit, no sin has gotten as much press as David’s adulterous affair with Bathsheba. It seems like everyone has heard the story. In 1 Corinthians 10:12, the apostle Paul writes, “If you think you are standing strong, be careful not to fall” (NLT). So if you read David’s story and think, I would never do anything like that, you’re missing the point. A better response would be, “God, help me not to make those kinds of decisions. Instead, help me stay close to You.” The story in 2 Samuel 11 begins with David in the wrong place at the wrong time. He was on the roof of his palace in Jerusalem when he should have been with his army, battling the Ammonites. From his roof, he saw an extraordinarily beautiful woman taking a bath. It was Bathsheba, the wife of Uriah the Hittite, one of David’s loyal soldiers. David sent for her and slept with her. And Bathsheba became pregnant with his child. At that point, David could have repented and faced the consequences. Instead, he tried to cover it up. He arranged for Uriah to be sent home from the front. He wanted Uriah to sleep with Bathsheba so that Uriah and everyone else in Israel would assume that her baby was his. But Uriah refused to enjoy the pleasures of home while his fellow soldiers were still fighting. Instead, he slept outside the palace gates. So David took a more sinister approach. He sent Uriah back to the front with a letter for Joab, his commander. In the letter, David ordered Joab to station Uriah where the battle was fiercest and then pull back the rest of his forces. In other words, he wanted Joab to make sure that Uriah was killed in battle. (David probably didn’t sign that letter, “A man after God’s own heart.”) This time, his plan worked. Uriah was killed, and David immediately took Bathsheba as his wife so that her pregnancy would seem legitimate. For a moment, he might have thought he’d gotten away with everything. But there was one problem: “The Lord was displeased with what David had done” (2 Samuel 11:27 NLT). Twelve months later, God sent the prophet Nathan to confront David. To his credit, David immediately admitted his guilt. David and Bathsheba’s child died, and they had to live with that loss for the rest of their lives. But, as devastating as his sin was, David made a comeback. He faced repercussions, but ultimately his life ended well. Remember, David came from Bethlehem. And that’s where Jesus was born. Why? Because Jesus was the offspring of David through the bloodline of Mary and the lineage of Joseph. That’s why Joseph and Mary went to Bethlehem to be taxed. Want to know who else made it into the messianic line of Jesus Christ? Bathsheba. She repented, too, and was included in the most exclusive genealogy in human history. When you look at the family line of David, you find not only Bathsheba but also two other women, Tamar and Rahab, both prostitutes who turned to the God who gives second chances. The ideal, of course, is obeying Him in the first place. We need to understand that God’s plans are better than ours. Having said that, it does not mean that they are always the easiest plans or even the most appealing at the moment. There are times when we are going through life that we might not like the plan of God. But God’s plans are always better for us in the long run. Reflection question: What God-given second chance are you most thankful for? Discuss Today's Devo in Harvest Discipleship! — Listen to the Greg Laurie Podcast Become a Harvest PartnerSupport the show: https://harvest.org/supportSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Overcoming Impossible “I slipped out during the night, taking only a few others with me. I had not told anyone about the plans God had put in my heart for Jerusalem. We took no pack animals with us except the donkey I was riding. After dark I went out through the Valley Gate, past the Jackal's Well, and over to the Dung Gate to inspect the broken walls and burned gates. Then I went to the Fountain Gate and to the King's Pool, but my donkey couldn't get through the rubble.” ‭‭Nehemiah‬ ‭2‬:‭12‬-‭14 -In chapter 2, we read of 43 different groups who took responsibility for a section of the wall. It starts and finishes at the Sheep gate. -2 1/2 miles of wall which translates to 13,200 feet  Expect Opposition “Sanballat was very angry when he learned that we were rebuilding the wall. He flew into a rage and mocked the Jews, saying in front of his friends and the Samarian army officers, “What does this bunch of poor, feeble Jews think they're doing? Do they think they can build the wall in a single day by just offering a few sacrifices? Do they actually think they can make something of stones from a rubbish heap—and charred ones at that?” Tobiah the Ammonite, who was standing beside him, remarked, “That stone wall would collapse if even a fox walked along the top of it!” ‭‭Nehemiah‬ ‭4‬:‭1‬-‭3‬ ‭ Expect Fatigue “Then the people of Judah began to complain, “The workers are getting tired, and there is so much rubble to be moved. We will never be able to build the wall by ourselves.”” ‭‭Nehemiah‬ ‭4‬:‭10‬ ‭  Expect to finish with God's help “So on October 2 the wall was finished—just fifty-two days after we had begun. When our enemies and the surrounding nations heard about it, they were frightened and humiliated. They realized this work had been done with the help of our God.” ‭‭Nehemiah‬ ‭6‬:‭15‬-‭16‬ ‭ -What should have taken 10 years to finish, was completed in a mere 52 days. -Hard work by the people + God's divine protection and empowerment = a victory every time. -There is power in a Spirit-led community of believers-in our case Kingdom Writers-coming together to rebuild what the enemy has broken down.  This is how we overcome impossible!   Resources: If you're ready to take a step of faith and finally finish your book we have a few ways we can help you.  1. Free Writing Week Challenge: Create a Writing Habit in 15-Minutes a Day Even if you feel overwhelmed or stuck in procrastination, sitting down to write for just 15 minutes a day is the best way to finally reach your writing goals. Most writers think they need hours of uninterrupted time to make progress in their writing. However, in this free challenge, we will show you how much you can accomplish in just 15 minutes of focused writing. Click here to create a consistent writing habit this week.   2. Book Writing Lab Workshop - Map Out Your Book in Just 90 Minutes If over the last year, you've struggled to get your book written, this workshop is for you. Choose your book topic, write an outline, and create a writing plan in just 90-minutes! Finally, feel confident that you will actually finish your book. Get started now for just $27 3. Want More Support? Join Christian Book Academy Most writers stay stuck and never finish their first draft. Inside Christian Book Academy, we help you partner with God to write your book so you can become a published author. Finally, ditch your self-doubt and take a step of faith so you can finish your book. Join Christian Book Academy (coupon code PODCAST) Get 50% off your first month by using the coupon code PODCAST at checkout.  

Leviticus 18 is a pivotal chapter, delineating specific prohibitions concerning sexual behaviors deemed unacceptable for the Israelites. This chapter is part of the broader “Holiness Code” (Leviticus 17–26), which emphasizes the distinctiveness and sanctity expected of God's chosen people. Historical Context: The Book of Leviticus, traditionally attributed to Moses, is believed to have been composed during the Israelites' sojourn in the wilderness, approximately in the 15th century BCE. Leviticus 18 addresses practices prevalent among neighboring cultures, particularly the Egyptians and Canaanites, from whom the Israelites were to distinguish themselves. The chapter commences with a divine injunction against adopting the customs of these nations, underscoring the imperative for Israel to maintain a unique identity rooted in holiness. Key Prohibitions in Leviticus 18: 1.Incestuous Relationships: •Verses 6–18 enumerate forbidden sexual relations with close kin, including parents, siblings, grandchildren, aunts, and in-laws. These prohibitions aim to preserve family integrity and societal stability.  2.Adultery: •Verse 20 explicitly forbids sexual relations with a neighbor's spouse, underscoring the sanctity of marriage and trust within the community.  3.Child Sacrifice to Molech: •Verse 21 prohibits offering one's offspring to the deity Molech, a practice associated with certain Canaanite rituals. This underscores the value placed on human life and the rejection of idolatrous customs.  4.Same-Sex Relations: •Verse 22 states, “You shall not lie with a male as with a woman; it is an abomination.” This verse has been traditionally interpreted as a prohibition against male homosexual acts. However, some scholars suggest it may specifically address certain exploitative or idolatrous practices rather than consensual same-sex relationships.  5.Bestiality: •Verse 23 forbids sexual relations with animals, emphasizing boundaries between humans and other creatures. Archaeological Insights: •Molech Worship: •Archaeological excavations, particularly in Carthage (a Phoenician colony), have uncovered burial sites containing the cremated remains of infants and young children. These findings suggest that child sacrifice was practiced in certain ancient cultures, corroborating biblical references to such rituals.  •Canaanite Practices: •Artifacts and texts from ancient Canaanite sites reveal religious practices involving fertility rites and ritual prostitution. The prohibitions in Leviticus 18 against various sexual practices can be seen as a direct counter to these customs, aiming to set the Israelites apart from their neighbors.  Key Terms and Concepts: •“Abomination” (Hebrew: To'evah): •This term is used to describe actions considered detestable or repugnant, often in a ritualistic or moral sense. In Leviticus 18, certain prohibited sexual acts are labeled as abominations, indicating their severity. •“Uncover Nakedness”: •A euphemism for engaging in sexual relations, this phrase is recurrent throughout the chapter to describe forbidden interactions. •“Molech”: •A deity associated with child sacrifice, particularly among the Ammonites and Canaanites. The Israelites are expressly forbidden from participating in such rites. Theological Significance: Leviticus 18 serves as a foundational text emphasizing the importance of holiness, not merely in ritual practices but in ethical and moral conduct. By adhering to these prohibitions, the Israelites were to reflect the sanctity of their covenant with God, distinguishing themselves from surrounding nations. The chapter underscores that holiness encompasses all aspects of life, including intimate relationships, and that the community's moral fabric is integral to its identity as God's people. Contemporary Reflections: The interpretations and applications of Leviticus 18 have evolved over time. While traditional readings have viewed these prohibitions as universal moral directives, modern scholarship often considers them within their historical and cultural context. Debates continue regarding the relevance of these laws today, particularly concerning topics like same-sex relationships. Some argue for a re-examination of these texts in light of contemporary understandings of sexuality and ethics, while others uphold them as enduring moral standards. In conclusion, Leviticus 18 provides profound insights into the values and societal norms of ancient Israel, reflecting a commitment to holiness that permeates both communal and personal spheres. Its directives were designed to cultivate a distinct identity for the Israelites, rooted in ethical monotheism and a rejection of practices deemed incompatible with their covenantal relationship with God.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/sendme-radio--732966/support.

3/2/2025 Paul Bang Nehemiah 4:7-23 7  But when Sanballat and Tobiah and the Arabs and the Ammonites and the Ashdodites heard that the repairing of the walls of Jerusalem was going forward and that the breaches were beginning to be closed, they were very angry. 8 And they all plotted together to come and fight against Jerusalem and to cause confusion in it. 9 And we prayed to our God and set a guard as a protection against them day and night. 10 In Judah it was said, “The strength of those who bear the burdens is failing. There is too much rubble. By ourselves we will not be able to rebuild the wall.” 11 And our enemies said, “They will not know or see till we come among them and kill them and stop the work.” 12 At that time the Jews who lived near them came from all directions and said to us ten times, “You must return to us.” 13 So in the lowest parts of the space behind the wall, in open places, I stationed the people by their clans, with their swords, their spears, and their bows. 14 And I looked and arose and said to the nobles and to the officials and to the rest of the people, “Do not be afraid of them. Remember the Lord, who is great and awesome, and fight for your brothers, your sons, your daughters, your wives, and your homes.” 15 When our enemies heard that it was known to us and that God had frustrated their plan, we all returned to the wall, each to his work. 16 From that day on, half of my servants worked on construction, and half held the spears, shields, bows, and coats of mail. And the leaders stood behind the whole house of Judah, 17 who were building on the wall. Those who carried burdens were loaded in such a way that each labored on the work with one hand and held his weapon with the other. 18 And each of the builders had his sword strapped at his side while he built. The man who sounded the trumpet was beside me. 19 And I said to the nobles and to the officials and to the rest of the people, “The work is great and widely spread, and we are separated on the wall, far from one another. 20 In the place where you hear the sound of the trumpet, rally to us there. Our God will fight for us.” 21 So we labored at the work, and half of them held the spears from the break of dawn until the stars came out. 22 I also said to the people at that time, “Let every man and his servant pass the night within Jerusalem, that they may be a guard for us by night and may labor by day.” 23 So neither I nor my brothers nor my servants nor the men of the guard who followed me, none of us took off our clothes; each kept his weapon at his right hand.

Leviticus 20: A Call to Holiness and Consequences for Sin Leviticus 20 is one of the most significant chapters in the Torah, outlining God's moral and judicial laws for Israel. These laws emphasize holiness, justice, and obedience, with a focus on punishments for various sins, particularly those related to idolatry, sexual immorality, and defilement. This chapter demonstrates God's expectation for Israel to be distinct from the surrounding nations, setting a standard of purity that would ensure their survival and relationship with Him. Historical and Cultural Context of Leviticus 20 The laws in Leviticus were given to the Israelites during their time at Mount Sinai, around 1446–1406 BC, as part of God's covenant with them after their exodus from Egypt. Israel had just left behind a society steeped in idol worship, sexual immorality, and child sacrifice. The Canaanites, whom they were about to encounter, practiced many of these detestable customs, including offering their children to the god Molech, engaging in temple prostitution, and committing incestuous relationships. These laws were not just about morality but also about preventing Israel from adopting Canaanite and Egyptian customs. God repeatedly warns the Israelites not to imitate the sinful ways of the nations they would dispossess (Leviticus 18:3, 24-30). The punishments for disobedience were severe because violating these laws threatened the spiritual purity and survival of Israel as a nation. Key Themes in Leviticus 20 1. Judgment Against Idolatry and Molech Worship (Leviticus 20:1-5) “Anyone who sacrifices his child to Molech shall be stoned to death by the people of the land. I Myself will set My face against him and cut him off from his people, for by giving his child to Molech, he has defiled My sanctuary and dishonored My holy name.” (Leviticus 20:2-3) One of the most abominable practices in ancient Canaan was child sacrifice to Molech, a god associated with the Ammonites and Phoenicians. Archaeological discoveries, including tophets (sacrificial burial grounds) in Carthage, confirm that child sacrifice was a real and horrific practice in the ancient world. Molech worship involved burning infants alive in fire as an offering to secure favor from the gods. God declares this practice a capital offense, requiring the community to execute offenders. If the people failed to act, God Himself would intervene and cut off the guilty party, ensuring that Israel remained holy. This law was meant to prevent Israel from following the same gruesome religious customs as their neighbors. 2. The Consequences of Consulting Mediums and Spiritists (Leviticus 20:6) “I will set my face against anyone who consults the spirits of the dead and mediums, and I will cut them off from their people.” Ancient Near Eastern cultures, including Egyptians and Babylonians, practiced necromancy and divination—attempting to speak with the dead or predict the future. Some cultures believed that the dead had insight into the future and could be called upon for guidance. God strictly forbade such practices because they opened people up to demonic influences and diverted them from trusting in Him alone. Consulting the dead violated Israel's faith in God's sovereignty over life and the future. The punishment for this was being “cut off” from the community, meaning exile or even divine judgment. 3. Punishments for Sexual Sins (Leviticus 20:10-21) Leviticus 20 lists severe penalties for sexual immorality, including adultery, incest, homosexuality, bestiality, and other forbidden relationships. These sins were common in pagan societies, but Israel was called to be different. Some of the prescribed punishments included: •Adultery (20:10) – Both the man and woman were to be put to death. In ancient Israel, marriage was sacred, and adultery not only betrayed trust but also threatened the integrity of family and inheritance laws. •Incest (20:11-12, 17-21) – Various forms of incest were strictly forbidden and carried punishments ranging from death to being “cut off” from the community. Incest was common among the royal families of Egypt, Assyria, and Babylon, often used to keep power within the family. •Homosexuality (20:13) – The law condemns homosexual relations as an abomination, prescribing death as the penalty. While the surrounding nations engaged in temple prostitution and same-sex rituals as part of their religious practices, Israel was to uphold sexual purity. •Bestiality (20:15-16) – Those who engaged in sexual relations with animals were to be put to death, as this was considered an extreme form of defilement. These laws reinforced that marriage and sexuality were sacred gifts from God, meant to be preserved within His design. 4. Holiness and Separation from the Nations (Leviticus 20:22-27) “You must keep all My decrees and laws and follow them, so that the land where I am bringing you will not vomit you out.” (Leviticus 20:22) God reminds Israel that obedience to His laws determines whether they can remain in the Promised Land. The phrase “vomit you out” is significant—just as the Canaanites were being removed for their detestable sins, Israel would face the same fate if they followed in their ways. In verse 26, God gives one of the most defining commandments: “You must be holy because I, the Lord, am holy. I have set you apart from the nations to be My own.” This principle of holiness (being set apart) is repeated throughout Leviticus. Israel was called to be distinct from the world, not blending in with Canaanite, Egyptian, or Babylonian customs. Historical Impact and Later Biblical References 1.Israel's Failure to Obey – Sadly, despite these strict warnings, Israel later fell into the very sins God condemned. By the time of the kings, child sacrifice to Molech, idolatry, and sexual immorality became rampant, leading to God's judgment through the Babylonian exile (2 Kings 21:6, Jeremiah 32:35). 2.Jesus and the Fulfillment of the Law – In the New Testament, Jesus Christ fulfills the law by calling people to holiness not just outwardly, but in heart and spirit (Matthew 5:27-28). While believers today are not under the Old Testament judicial system, the moral principles of holiness, purity, and obedience to God remain (1 Peter 1:15-16). 3.The Early Church Reaffirmed Holiness – Paul's letters warn against sexual sin, idolatry, and occult practices, reinforcing that God's standards have not changed (1 Corinthians 6:9-11, Galatians 5:19-21). Conclusion: Lessons from Leviticus 20 Leviticus 20 provides a strong call to holiness in a world filled with moral corruption. It reminds us that: 1.God's people must remain distinct from sinful cultures. 2.Idolatry and moral decay lead to divine judgment. 3.God desires a holy people who reflect His character. Though we live under grace through Christ, the principles of Leviticus 20 remain relevant—God calls His people to reject sin, live pure lives, and be set apart for Him.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/sendme-radio--732966/support.

When the Ammonites renew their enmity with Israel at Jabesh-gilead, the news eventually gets to King Saul, who is plowing with his oxen. The Spirit of God rushes upon Saul, and in anger, he calls Israel to come out and fight, lest they face his sword. The army musters at Saul's command, and he leads the people to victory over the Ammonites. Saul rightly puts aside any desire for personal vengeance, and Samuel leads the people in worship before the LORD. Finally, Saul's reign over Israel has been solidified.  Rev. David Vandercook, pastor emeritus attending Trinity Lutheran Church in Garden City, KS, joins host Rev. Timothy Appel to study 1 Samuel 11:1-15.  "A Kingdom Unlike All the Nations” is a series on Sharper Iron that goes through 1-2 Samuel. This time in Israel's history has its highs and lows, but the LORD's faithfulness never wavers. He provides His Word to be proclaimed faithfully through prophets like Samuel and Nathan. Even as princes like Saul and David sit on an earthly throne, the LORD remains King over His people, even as He does now and forever through the Lord Jesus Christ. Sharper Iron, hosted by Rev. Timothy Appel, looks at the text of Holy Scripture both in its broad context and its narrow detail, all for the sake of proclaiming Christ crucified and risen for sinners. Two pastors engage with God's Word to sharpen not only their own faith and knowledge, but the faith and knowledge of all who listen. Submit comments or questions to: listener@kfuo.org

2/23/2025 Paul Bang   Nehemiah 4:1-6   4  Now when Sanballat heard that we were building the wall, he was angry and greatly enraged, and he jeered at the Jews. 2 And he said in the presence of his brothers and of the army of Samaria, “What are these feeble Jews doing? Will they restore it for themselves? Will they sacrifice? Will they finish up in a day? Will they revive the stones out of the heaps of rubbish, and burned ones at that?” 3 Tobiah the Ammonite was beside him, and he said, “Yes, what they are building—if a fox goes up on it he will break down their stone wall!” 4 Hear, O our God, for we are despised. Turn back their taunt on their own heads and give them up to be plundered in a land where they are captives. 5 Do not cover their guilt, and let not their sin be blotted out from your sight, for they have provoked you to anger in the presence of the builders. 6 So we built the wall. And all the wall was joined together to half its height, for the people had a mind to work.

This chapter highlights Saul's defeat of the Ammonites.

In Genesis 19:30-38 is a strange passage for several reasons. First, the passage is about things which naturally make us uncomfortable: Lot has an incestuous relationship with his daughters that causes the ancestors of the Moabites and Ammonites to be born. Second, this is the last time we see Lot in Genesis. Why leave us on such a negative note? Ultimately, we are to recognize that Lot's salvation, like Noah's, points to another which is greater. Lot did not receive the ultimate salvation, therefore, we are taught that it is still in the future. The definitive salvation is that which Christ accomplished.

Nehemiah 2:11-20 So I went to Jerusalem and was there three days. 12 Then I arose in the night, I and a few men with me. And I told no one what my God had put into my heart to do for Jerusalem. There was no animal with me but the one on which I rode. 13 I went out by night by the Valley Gate to the Dragon Spring and to the Dung Gate, and I inspected the walls of Jerusalem that were broken down and its gates that had been destroyed by fire.14 Then I went on to the Fountain Gate and to the King's Pool, but there was no room for the animal that was under me to pass. 15 Then I went up in the night by the valley and inspected the wall, and I turned back and entered by the Valley Gate, and so returned.16 And the officials did not know where I had gone or what I was doing, and I had not yet told the Jews, the priests, the nobles, the officials, and the rest who were to do the work. 17 Then I said to them, “You see the trouble we are in, how Jerusalem lies in ruins with its gates burned. Come, let us build the wall of Jerusalem, that we may no longer suffer derision.” 18 And I told them of the hand of my God that had been upon me for good, and also of the words that the king had spoken to me. And they said, “Let us rise up and build.” So they strengthened their hands for the good work. 19 But when Sanballat the Horonite and Tobiah the Ammonite servant and Geshem the Arab heard of it, they jeered at us and despised us and said, “What is this thing that you are doing? Are you rebelling against the king?” 20 Then I replied to them, “The God of heaven will make us prosper, and we his servants will arise and build, but you have no portion or right or claim in Jerusalem.”

Exodus 7 verses1-13 describe Moses' and Aaron's next encounter with Pharaoh, who was the embodiment of supremacy over all Egypt's gods. The Almighty had told his representatives that Pharaoh would mightily resist until God's signs and wonders had been multiplied in Egypt and Yahweh shown to be superior and incomparable in all the earth. The demand for proof of the authority of Yahweh's envoys was made and the sign of the supreme serpent devouring staff was demolished. The magicians (Jannes and Jambres were put to shame (2 Timothy 3 verses 8-9). The first plague followed with the life blood of Egypt, the Nile river, being made death to the Egyptians. Chapter 8 tells of the second plague quickly following. Pharaoh asked his magicians to replicate the plague, which they endeavoured deceitfully to do. Eventually Pharaoh seems to relent and when asked of Moses to name the timing of the frogs' departure from his land, he said, make it tomorrow. As soon as Pharaoh was granted respite from the frogs he hardened his heart. The record tells us that Pharaoh hardened his own heart and it also tells us that God hardened Pharaoh's heart. Both are true for God had raised up a stubborn resistant man to rule over Egypt at this time in order that Yahweh's might and magnificence might be evident (Romans 9:16-18). Next followed the third plague of swarming gnats, whose annoyance was vast. The magicians failed to copy this miraculous sign; and they acknowledged before Pharaoh, "This is the finger of God". From now on says Moses to Pharaoh Yahweh's people will not feel the effects of the plague; in order that you may know the One who is bringing these plagues; and He is telling you to yield and let His people go. The fourth plague of blood sucking flies came next. And as promised Israel were exempted from this plague. Pharaoh momentarily relents and says that only the adult males can sacrifice in the nearby wilderness. Moses warned Pharaoh to cease with his deceitful cheating; and, if he did, Moses would beseech his God to remove the flies. But once more Pharaoh lied and turned away from the agreement once he had respite. Psalm 60 is another Michtam of David. David deserved to die for his adultery with Bathsheba and his murder of Uriah, from the commands to Joab. Joab had previously smitten Rabbah (the Ammonite capital). These events meant that David had effectively ceased to be king. Joab effectively usurped the kingly authority; and had become the defacto ruler. God's wrath had been upon Israel and its king, who was defiantly acting selfishly. Israel in battle had been at the precipice of defeat. This Psalm was written primarily to commemorate Joab's victory over the Edomites. Petra, the Edomite capital, appeared impregnable. The LORD had stood by His people and eventually granted victory to His people over their foes; as this Psalm proclaims. Psalm 61 is a plea from David to find support and stability for His turning to his God; as the only dependable constant in a troubled and vexatious life. It had all been David's fault; yet his Sovereign had not forgotten, nor forsaken, him. God had proven Himself to be David's fortress and consolation. David says that he has learned a reverence for Yahweh and would promote this attitude in all the faithful. Those learning these lessons would become the citizens of Jerusalem in the Kingdom Age (Psalm 15). CONT reading https://christadelphianvideo.org/thoughts-on-the-readings-for-february-2nd-exodus-7-8-psalms-60-61-romans-12/

In this Bible Story, Lot's daughters trick their father into sleeping with them in order to carry on the bloodline. These children would eventually become the Moabite and Ammonite nations. This story is inspired by Genesis 19:30-38. Go to BibleinaYear.com and learn the Bible in a Year. Today's Bible verse is Genesis 19:30 from the King James Version. Episode 13: Lot and his daughters have escaped the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah by God's grace and kindness, but, as they hid in the cave at Zoar, wickedness was not far behind. Lot's daughter's longing for children, stuck in a cave, decided to get their father drunk enough that they could each take turns sleeping with him. Their plan worked, but the sons they bore became enemies of Abraham's descendants for generations to come. Hear the Bible come to life as Pastor Jack Graham leads you through the official BibleinaYear.com podcast. This Biblical Audio Experience will help you master wisdom from the world's greatest book. In each episode, you will learn to apply Biblical principles to everyday life. Now understanding the Bible is easier than ever before; enjoy a cinematic audio experience full of inspirational storytelling, orchestral music, and profound commentary from world-renowned Pastor Jack Graham. Also, you can download the Pray.com app for more Christian content, including, Daily Prayers, Inspirational Testimonies, and Bedtime Bible Stories. Visit JackGraham.org for more resources on how to tap into God's power for successful Christian living. Pray.com is the digital destination of faith. With over 5,000 daily prayers, meditations, bedtime stories, and cinematic stories inspired by the Bible, the Pray.com app has everything you need to keep your focus on the Lord. Make Prayer a priority and download the #1 App for Prayer and Sleep today in the Apple app store or Google Play store. Executive Producers: Steve Gatena & Max Bard Producer: Ben Gammon Hosted by: Pastor Jack Graham Music by: Andrew Morgan Smith Bible Story narration by: Todd HaberkornSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Daily Dose of Hope January 15, 2025 Day 4 of Week 42   Scripture:  Jeremiah 47, 48, 49; Psalm 80; 2 Peter 2   Welcome to the Daily Dose of Hope, the devotional and podcast that complements the New Hope Bible reading plan.  It's Wednesday and that mean Recharge day!  Yeah!!!  I hope to see you tonight in the Garage for a time of fellowship, worship, prayer, and small community.   We head back to Jeremiah for our Old Testament Scripture for today.  God's judgment is coming to the pagan nations – to the Philistines, to Moab, and to the Ammonites.  Just as God used Babylon to punish Judah, he would do the same for these nations.  They are being punished for their idolatry, for their sinfulness, for their support to other sinful cities, for arrogance, and for stealing land from Israel.    Our New Testament Scripture for today is 2 Peter 2.  In this chapter, we see Peter elaborating on the concept of false prophets and false teachers. In verse one, Peter is referring to the false prophets found in the Old Testament. These would have been individuals who claimed to speak for Yahweh but really were not sent by Yahweh at all. Think of the four hundred prophets (I Kings 22) who were summoned by King Ahab to speak on behalf of the Lord. But they were on the king's payroll and clearly didn't speak on behalf of the one true God.   Peter is saying that just as there were false prophets, there will also be false teachers among you. These are people who are already part of the Christian community but have left the true faith. Peter warns that these false teachers will bring in teachings from the outside world, teachings that will create conflict and division among the body of believers. These are teachings that lead people astray and away from the true faith founded in Jesus Christ. By moving away from the faith, these people are actually bringing destruction and grief on themselves, as well as the church. The thing about false teachings is that they are fairly similar to the true faith. The false teacher uses elements of Christian faith to make their doctrine seem solid and sound.   Think of the Mormon faith. They believe in Jesus. They read the Bible. Thus, someone unsuspecting or not firm in their Christian walk might be easily swayed. But they also believe things that are clearly opposed to orthodox Christian teachings. How have false teachings infiltrated the church in our day? Be on guard, my friends, and well-rooted in God's Word so that you will be grounded in Jesus and not be swayed.   Blessings, Pastor Vicki  

Judges 10-11. God raises Israel's 8th judge to deliver the Israelites from the Ammonites.   Website: https://www.papasbiblestories.com   Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/papasbiblestories/   Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/papasbiblestories/   Email: papasbiblestories@gmail.com   If you would like to support this ministry, donation options can be found here:  https://www.papasbiblestories.com/support/   Looking for an episode transcript? https://www.papasbiblestories.com/63   

Who were the Ammonites? Well, they're one of the many “ites” mentioned in the Bible. But who were these people?

In this upcoming episode of Blurry Creatures, we're thrilled to welcome Fritz Zimmerman, renowned author and expert on ancient mysteries and hidden histories. Fritz dives deep into his new book, where he explores the strange and shadowy figures associated with the mounds scattered across America. In this episode, he makes a bold connection between these mysterious mounds, paranormal phenomena, and his intriguing theory that the Ammonites—an ancient, elusive civilization—were actually responsible for their construction. This episode is sponsored by: https://rocketmoney.com/blurry — Cancel unwanted subscriptions with Rocket Money. The average person saves up to $740 a year! COSTA RICA TICKETS! https://www.eventcreate.com/e/costarica2025 You can get our book of Enoch here: https://amzn.to/3xriiUB Support the show! www.blurrycreatures.com/members Socials instagram.com/blurrycreatures facebook.com/blurrycreatures twitter.com/blurrycreatures Music Kyle Monroe: tinytaperoom.com & Parker Mogensen Outro Song: On the Run by TimeCop1983 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices