Podcasts about Aphrodite

Introduction: Know Your Salvation (1 Corinthians 1:1-9) GRACE. (v4) Ephesians 2:8 – For by grace you have been saved through faith. GIFTED. (v5-7a) Ephesians 6:19 – also for me, that words may be given to me in opening my mouth boldly to proclaim the mystery of the gospel... GUILTLESS. (v7b-9) 2 Corinthians 5:21 – For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. Sermon Notes (PDF): BLANKHint: Highlight blanks above for answers! Small Group DiscussionRead 1 Corinthians 1:1-9What was your big take-away from this passage / message?If the Bible is so clear that we are saved by grace (Ephesians 2:8), why do so many people insist on earning your salvation or hold the idea that good people go to heaven?Explain 1 Cor 1:5 in your own words. How does this apply to your personal walk with Christ?What does 1 Cor 1:8 say about the doctrine of eternal security (once saved, always saved)?Why do you think Paul starts this letter by calling them sanctified (1 Cor 1:2) and reminding them of their salvation (1 Cor 1:4-6)? BreakoutPray for one another. AUDIO TRANSCRIPT Today is our ministry year kickoff and that also means that today is our anniversary.So today we are celebrating 14 years of Harvest Bible Chapel and we're like alot of 14 year olds. We've come a long way but we have a long way to go.Right? What kind of church is this? We sit on four pillars we have from thebeginning. We've proclaimed the authority of God's Word without apology. That'swhat kind of church this is. We lift high the name of Jesus in worship. That'swhat kind of church this is. We believe firmly in the power of prayer. That's whatkind of church this is. And we share the good news of Jesus with boldness. Thoseare the four pillars this church was resting on when it was planted by God'sgrace. Those are the four pillars today. It may it always be. So I want you to openup your Bibles to 1 Corinthians and we're just going to pause. I want you to justplease pray for me to be faithful to communicate God's Word and I will prayfor you to have a heart open to receive what it is the Lord wants to teach ustoday. Alright? Let's just take a moment.Father in heaven as we get into your Word now I pray that your Spiritwould work with your Word in the hearts of every person here. In the hearts ofevery person that is streaming or going to be listening to this podcast later.Father thanks to the technologies we have in our day. This goes out to somany people all over the planet and we thank you that you've given usopportunity and we want to use that opportunity to exalt your Word, to exaltyour Son. Father has to start right here.Father incline our hearts towards nothing but your glory. We pray in Jesus' name.All of God's people said amen. Amen. A couple of decades ago Aaron and I weredoing foster care and for about a year and a half we had a brother and sister.They were five and seven and it was at the time it was the worst case of childabuse in Butler County. I don't know if that's still the case but it was at thetime. But the five-year-old boy was pretty broken when he came to us. Hecouldn't even talk really and we tried our hardest to give them somesemblance of a normal childhood. You know? Well one of the things that we did tothat end was we signed our five-year-old, his name is Walter. We signed him up forsoccer and I played soccer in high school and in college so I was asked tohelp coach the team. Now anybody ever coach five-year-olds in soccer? It's areal hoot because coaches have to be on the field with the kids. Okay, not on theside shouting instructions. "Will, you're standing on the field with the kids andyou have to run." And did you ever see five-year-olds play soccer? Okay, it's notlike World Cup where they're all like spread out and passing. It's just thiswave of kids chasing the ball. Well we were really trying to get really tryingto get Walter to embrace this, right? It was a big part of my childhood. Justwasn't clicking. The kids would run by with the ball. We're like, "Walter, get theball! Get the ball!" And Walter would run a couple of steps and he'd go, "They're toofast." Like, "Walter, no, come on, come on, get the ball! They're too fast." And then hewould get increasingly frustrated. Walter's big insult for people was tocall them naked. So the kids would run by, I'm like, "Walter, get the ball!" He goes,"They're naked! They're naked! They're naked!" And I'm like, "Actually, they'reclothed, but we need you to hustle, right?" And I don't know if this is greatparenting or not. Probably not. But at one point, Aaron and I offered Walter 25cents for every time he even touched the ball. We paid up zero. Well the othercoach, she was the mom of the goalie. Before the first game, she pulled measide. She goes, "I just want to warn you. I can't remember her son's name. We'll callhim Joey." She goes, "I just want to warn you." She goes, "Joey doesn't like gettingscored on." I'm like, "Well, that makes sense." She goes, "No, he really, reallyoverreacts." Like, well, good to know. Well, sure enough, we got scored on. To saythat the kid lost his mind as an understatement, he started ripping hisclothes like trying to rip his jersey off. And it was this scene. It was likehe was turning into the Hulk. And I'm watching this. I'm like, "Oh, man, what isgoing on here?" And then all of a sudden, I realized, "Wait a minute. Where didWalter go?" All of a sudden, I lost the foster kid. You don't want to tell theagency that. I'm like, "Where did he go? Where is he? Where?" Then I looked down.Walter is celebrating with the other team. Hugs and high fives and...This unity on the soccer team, it was funny. But you know, when there's thisunity in the church, it's not so funny. Let's be honest, we're a lot like thosekids in the soccer team sometimes, aren't we? Irrationally losing our minds overstupid things, calling people names, not wanting to participate. That's the themeof this first stretch in 1 Corinthians. You're gonna be hearing this a lot,because it's important to the heart of God, so it's important to the heart ofthe leaders in this church. Get unified. Church, we need to get unified.1 Corinthians was written to the church in Corinth, and you have tounderstand a little bit about their background. The city of Corinth wascorrupt. Like, how corrupt were they? They were so corrupt that the city's veryname became synonymous with immorality.They were known for their temple to the false goddess Aphrodite, the goddess oflove, and they had about a thousand priestesses who served as prostitutes.So you can imagine what passed for worship in Corinth.Well, it's in that backdrop that the Apostle Paul planted a church. You can readabout this, little homework assignment for you. Acts chapter 18. Go home and read it.Not right now, but go home and read it, and you'll see how the church was planted.So you have this church planted in this horrible city, and the church, the churchitself, was absolutely perfect. They just had two problems. Bad doctrine and badbehavior. Other than that, they were perfect. What the Corinthian church neededwas unity and purity. Look at chapter 1 verse 1. Paul called by the will of Godto be an apostle of Christ Jesus and our brother Sostenes to the church of Godthat is in Corinth, to those sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saintstogether with all those who in every place call upon the name of our LordJesus Christ, both their Lord and ours. Grace to you in peace from God, ourFather, and the Lord Jesus Christ. This church had a lot of problems, and we'regoing to be getting into that. And if you're familiar with God's word at all,you know. And it's so interesting to me that Paul starts this letter saying, hey,you Christians, those of you in Christ Jesus, you are sanctified. That word meansholy, I mean set apart. And then he goes, he calls them saints. Again, the wordmeans holy. Saint is a name for all true Christians, by the way. And when you lookat this little introduction, you're like, wow, Paul, that's quite a thing to saywhen you consider the rest of the book. And we're going to see as we go throughthis, but these Christians were worldly, and they were divisive, and there wassexual sin, and the list goes on and on and on. They were just, they were somessed up in so many ways. And why in the world would Paul kick this letter up bysaying you sanctified saints you? Like, why would he start that way?What, was it to butter them up? Like, I'm about to lay the hammer down, so I'm justgoing to make you feel good on the front. That wasn't it. Was Paul justignoring all their problems? Like, maybe if I don't mention it, they'll go away.No, that's certainly not it. So why did he start by calling them sanctifiedsaints? Why? Because it was true. Wait, wait, wait. How can they be holy and stillstruggle with being holy? Well, biblically, when we talk about holiness,holiness is two things. There's positional holiness, and there is practicalholiness. Positional holiness is when you receive Jesus Christ as your Lord andSavior, when you believe in Him, when you are born again, God pronounces you holy.In God's eyes, He's looking at you through the lens of Jesus Christ, and from God'sperspective, He says you are perfectly holy. We're going to talk more about thatin just a couple of minutes. So while we are positionally holy, practicalholiness, that is the growing, living like Christ, growing in Christ'slikeness, doing the things that honor the Lord, growing in maturity as a Christian.Put it this way, the Christian life is growing to be what God already pronouncedyou to be. That's what the Christian life is. It's growing to be what Godalready pronounced you to be. It's like joining the army. When you enlist in thearmy, as soon as you enlist, you are a soldier. So why go to boot camp? Why doyou go to boot camp? So they make you a soldier. You're like, "Wait, I thought Ialready was." You are. That's what the army does. They're making you what they'vecalled you to be. That's what God does in holiness. He's pronounced you holy andJesus, and your sanctification, your growth, your maturity. He is making you whatHe's already pronounced you to be. So now do you understand why Paul started theletter this way? Paul says, "Granthians, this is who you are. This is your identity.You are holy people." So we're going to get to this down the road. Paul's saying,"If you're holy, why are you acting unholy? Sin is inconsistent with who youare." So if we, Corinthian church, if we harvest Bible chapel, if we are going tobe unified and purified, it has to start here. You have to know your salvation.That's where Paul starts. So on your outline, I want you to draw three wordsdown. Know your salvation. Now this passage we're looking at today says somuch in just a few short verses. It says so much about salvation. The Bibleitself says so much about salvation, but you're going to see here in this passageknowing salvation is really knowing three G's. Your cell phone might needfive G's, God only needs three. Know your salvation. Three G's, it's allstraight from the text. Here's what you have to know about your salvation.If you're going to grow in unity and purity, here's what you have to knowabout your salvation. Number one, write this word down. Grace.Look at verse 4. "I give thanks to my God always for you, because of the grace ofGod that was given you in Christ Jesus." And I get to tell you as a pastor, I lovethat. He says, "I give thanks for you." Again, the church had so many issues thatPaul needed to deal with, but notice he didn't see them for where they are. Hesaw them for who they are. It's like, "I give thanks for you." Why? They were given.Actually, that word in the Greek refers to being given something at a moment oftime in the past. You know, I'm thankful for you because at one point in your past,you were given one of the most beautiful words in the whole Bible. The word isgrace. You were given grace. You know, that's a word that we throw around a lotin church. Sometimes we don't wrestle down what exactly it means.You look up a theology textbook, grace is unmerited favor. It is undeservedkindness. But you know, the best definition of grace I've ever heard isthis, grace is God giving to you what He requires from you. That's grace. Godgiving to you what He requires from you. What does God require from you?Holiness, righteousness, perfection. God requires that. We don't have it. Grace isGod giving that to us in Jesus Christ. Sometimes we mix up grace with otherconcepts in the Bible like long suffering and mercy and things like that. Myfavorite illustration, some of you have heard this before. You're going to hear itagain. It helps me to really understand what grace is, is this. Imagine that youhave a teenage son. Some of you do and some of you did. Some of you will andsome of you can use your imaginations. But imagine you have a teenage son andyour teenage son goes to a party. And at this party there's another boy, same ageas your son, who hates your son. Something stupid probably, a girl andmurders your son. Cold-blooded murder, unprovoked murder. This other kidmurders your son. Now, if you track that kid down that murders your son, if youtrack him down and you kill him, that is called vengeance. But if you track himdown and you help the law, you help the police get him arrested, that's calledjustice. But if you track him down, help the police get him arrested and you showup at his court date and somehow, somehow, you're able to convince the judge tojust let him go. Like just let him go. That's called mercy. But you help thepolice track him down, arrest him and you show up at his court date and somehow,somehow, you convince the judge to allow you to adopt that kid as your own andraise him as your own son. That's called grace. And understand that's what God hasdone for us in the Gospel of Jesus Christ. We have sinned against him and wekilled his son. And what's God's response to that? God's response is, "I want toadopt you." That is grace. The Bible tells us, Ephesians chapter 2, "For by grace youhave been saved through faith." By grace we have been saved, we've been adopted, we'vebeen regenerated, we've been sanctified. It's all grace. Grace isn't withheldbecause of our sin. God is able to be gracious to us because Jesus Christ tookaway our sin. Our part is faith. That's our part. Faith is believing in Jesus.It's believing Jesus is who he said he is. He is God in the flesh. It's believingthat Jesus accomplished what he said he would accomplish. That his death on thecross was to pay the penalty for my sin and for your sin. He rose from the dead togive us eternal life. It's believing that. It's receiving that. Our part is faith.God has done all the work in Christ. That's His grace.Now, this is so fundamental.But at the same time, it's so hard to believe. It's so hard to believe becauseevery single area of our lives are performance-based. Every single one. Right?My boss is happy with me when I perform. My teacher at school is happy with me whenI perform. My family is happy with me when I perform. Every area of life it's justI gotta do stuff to make somebody happy and we bring that thinking into thechurch. Like what do I have to do to make God happy? This is salvation is notbased on your performance. It's based on Jesus Christ's performance.So as we start this stretch, as Paul starts this stretch in 1 Corinthianstelling the Corinthian church, telling Harvest Bible Chapel today, get unified.You have to know your salvation and you have to understand grace because it'sonly when you understand this that you take the first step to unity. What doesthis have to do with unity? Grace puts us all on the same level.We don't have time to do this but I'd sure like to. I'd like to get everyChristian to line up here like we do for communion. We will be doing that. I'dlike to get every Christian line up here. Just have testimony time. How were yousaved? By grace? Not because you were special or you worked for it? Oh that'sawesome, me too. Next. How were you saved? Oh by grace? Not because you were specialor did anything to earn it? Oh me too. Next. Do you see what that does?None of us deserve to be saved. None of us. None of us are any better thananother.We're not going to get unified until we come to grips with that. We're all onthe same level. We all, in Christ, are recipients of grace.It's the first thing you need to know about salvation. The second one, number two,write this word down. Gifted. Gifted.Look at verse 5 through the first part of verse 7.Paul says that in every way you were enriched in him in all speech and allknowledge, even as the testimony about Christ was confirmed among you, so thatyou are not lacking in any spiritual gift.You are not lacking in any spiritual gift. You see grace speaks to the past.That's what was received. Gifted speaks to the present. You are saved to serve.Notice Paul says you are enriched. You are not lacking any gift. Jesus,Paul is telling us here, Jesus has gifted you everything that you need to serve him.You're like, well, can you be more specific? He was more specific actually.Do you notice that? What is that? Verse 5, all speech and all knowledge.These are two of the gifts that he highlights here. First of all, you weregifted with all speech. You were gifted with the ability to speak the truth.All knowledge. You were gifted with all knowledge. That doesn't mean you knoweverything. That means you know everything that you need to know pertaining to the gospel.So here's what Paul is saying. Listen, church, you have been gifted to speak and you have beengifted with knowing what to say. So the question is, how are you using that?You have the gift if you're a Christian. How are you using that?Here at this church, it can be used in teaching and preaching.All speech, all knowledge. It can be used in Harvest Academy,teaching the kids back there while we're teaching in here. It can be used in small group.It can be used in youth group, in conferences, in prayer services, in workshops, in precepts,in our witnessing.You've been given a gift. How are you using it?Because the reality is the biggest problem with most Christians is not that we don't know what to say.Our problem is just opening our mouths and saying.I hear that all the time when it comes to witnessing. Well, I don't really witness becauseI don't know what to say. If you don't know enough to share, then you probably don't know enough to be saved.Look what Paul says in Ephesians 619.He's talking about prayer. He says, "Praying also for me that words may be given to me in openingmy mouth boldly to proclaim the mystery of the gospel." You see that? Paul didn't say,"Pray that I can't speak or pray that I would know what to say." He says, "I need boldness."Our fourth pillar, sharing the good news of Jesus with boldness. That's what we need to be praying for.Boldness isn't jerkiness. It's not obnoxiousness. It's just confidence in God's calling and God'sgifting. It's just confidence to say, "Look, God gave me a message and he gave me the knowledgeof what I'm supposed to say, so I'm just going to open my mouth and I'm going to say it."And again, if you know enough to be saved, then you know enough to share.Share what you know. Look at verse 6 again. I love as he says, "Even as the testimonyabout Christ was confirmed among you." What's he saying? He's saying the people of Jesus usingthe gifts of Jesus is confirmation that Jesus is at work in the church.When I was little, my dad, for Christmas one year, he wanted magnifying goggles.Because he was going to undertake this hobby of putting boats and bottles. Have you ever seenthese things where you have like a bottle and there's like a boat inside? You know what I'mtalking about? Okay, my dad was going, "I'm going to make those and I need magnifying goggles."Like I said, I was just a little kid. I'm like, "I'm going to get those for dad."Now listen, I can tell already you're not impressed. So I'm going to remind you of something.This was pre-Internet. I know right now you can get on your phone and get on Amazon's orEtsy or whatever. I don't know. But you can eBay, you can get on there and you can probably rightnow find me 500 pairs of magnifying goggles. This was pre-Internet. This was pre-smartphone.This was pre-cell phone.All right? So I'm like, "I'm going to find those for him." And you know, it took me forevermaking phone calls and going to different stores and talking to people and tracking.And do you know, I found a pair of them. I went to a jewelry repair storeand I found them and I saved my money. Those weren't cheap. I saved my money,especially for a little kid. I saved my money and I bought those magnifying goggles.I bought them for dad for Christmas. I got to tell you, I can't think of a gift that I was moreexcited to give in my life. See, one of them, I couldn't get them, but I tracked them down.And I was so, I was so proud to give dad those magnifying goggles for Christmas.Well, my father died in 2003. And you know, when somebody passes away and you start tokind of go through their stuff and figure out what to do with all that,found those magnifying goggles, still in the box, never used.And I wonder, church,when Jesus returns, how many boxes of magnifying goggles is he going to find?I wonder when Jesus returns, how many of his gifts that he gave to his people,is he going to return and find? Oh, we had them. We didn't use them.We didn't use them. You have been gifted so much. And we're going to talk about this later,the gifts of the Holy Spirit. We're going to talk about this later in 1 Corinthians.But have you been using the gifts that God gave you?Listen, if your mindset is this, you know what, Pastor Jeff, I just attend church.My spiritual gift is attendance. My spiritual gift is warming a seat. And you know, I just leavethe ministry to the professionals. I don't really have a gift. That's bad news. Because not havinga gift means you're not saved, because he tells us right here that Jesus' people are enriched in him.Paul is saying, church, you have everything you need. Everything has been gifted to you,to minister to each other, and to reach the world.So look, there's no bench warmers on this team.On this team, listen, if you're saved, you're starting.All right? Don't call the other players naked. All right? If you're saved, you're starting.Get unified. Get unified. You know, the biggest unity killer in the church is selfishness.My wants, my desires, my preferences, especially in this culture where we are right now,right here geographically where we are, this is a horrible place. Because the mindset of mostchurchgoers in this area is church is the place that I go to get. And I'm going to this churchbecause they have better coffee, and I'm going to this church because, you know, they have a zipline for their youth group, and I'm going to this church because they have fog machines and laserlights. And we have this idea that church is the place that I go to get. And that is completelyforeign to the Bible. Church is not the place you go to get. Church is the place you go to get.And anything you receive here is bonus. The mindset has to be church is the place I go to get.You're expected to. It's why you're saved, and it's why you have been gifted.Know your salvation. Three Gs, grace, gifted, one more.Guiltless.Guiltless. Pick up second part of verse seven,where he says, "As you wait for the revealing of our Lord Jesus Christ."That Greek word for wait means to wait eagerly. Right? I don't have to tell you on that.There's a big difference between the way a kid is waiting to open his birthday presentsversus the way that kid's dad is waiting at the DMV. Right? This is wait eagerly. It's this idea ofanticipation like, "Oh, he's coming. He's coming. I can't wait. I cannot wait. Jesus is coming, and Icannot wait." Do you see that? What are we waiting for? He tells us the revealing of our Lord JesusChrist. I don't know if you noticed, but Jesus Christ is mocked now. He's about to show up.And he's going to make everything right. And he's going to make everything new.Are you excited for that? I sure am.In the verse eight, he says, "Who will sustain you to the end? Who will sustain you to the end?If you believe that you can lose your salvation, I want you to explain that verse to me.Will sustain you to the end?" Did you ever wonder if you're going to make it?Did you ever wonder,am I going to make it to the end? Loving Jesus, following Jesus, serving Jesus, am I going to make it?Listen, if you are legitimately born again in Christ, you will make it.On the authority of the Word of God, you are going to make it.Because you didn't work to earn your salvation, and you can't work to keep your salvation.And here very plainly, God's Word tells us that Jesus will sustain you to the end.How? That's His responsibility. He's going to get you there.You're like, okay, well maybe He's going to get me there, Pastor Jeff, but I got a lot to answer for.When I stand before God, He's going to tell me how disappointed He is in me.God's going to tell me how upset He is with me. And I've had people tell me, Pastor Jeff,you know what, when we're like in line to get to heaven, don't be standing behind me.Because God is, He's got a lot of stuff that He's going to, He's really going to let me have it.You don't want to stand behind me in line to get to heaven.Well, let's keep reading, shall we? Who will sustain you to the end? Look at this.Guiltless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.Guiltless.In that day, when you stand before Christ, it is not going to be for Himto tell you how badly you messed up. In Christ, what does your Bible say? You have no guilt.2 Corinthians 5.21 says, "For our sake, God He made Him Jesus."God made Jesus to be sin, who knew no sin, so that in Him we might become the righteousnessof God. There's a trade that's going on here. Jesus took our sin on Himself, on the cross,to the point that somehow He is personified sin here.He took our sin. What did He give us in exchange? So that in Him we might become the righteousnessof God. Do you see that this grace, it didn't just take away your sin. God's gracemade you as righteous as God Himself is. And look, you can talk to me about the trinityand creation and predestination, and I've never lost a moment's sleep over any of those things.To me, this is the most baffling doctrine in the entire Bible, the fact that God would takea piece of dirt, sinner like me, and because of Jesus Christ, He would pronounce me as righteousas He is. I don't even have the ability to explain how awesome that is.Guiltless. He's going to sustain you until the day that you stand before Him when Hepronounces you guiltless. You're like, "You sure about that?"Well, look at verse 9, "God is faithful, by whom you were called into the fellowshipof His Son, Jesus Christ, our Lord." Yeah, I am sure about that, because it's not basedon my ability, and it's not based on my integrity. It's based on God's ability,and it's based on God's integrity. He called you to this, the fellowship of His Son.You've got to know your salvation.And you see, it's past, present, and future, right? It's justification, sanctification,glorification. It's just in this particular passage, it's grace, gifts, and guiltless.And for them then, and for us now, this isn't new information.But these are foundational truths that we seem to forget about over time.Because church harvest Bible chapel like the Corinthians over time, we tend to forget aboutour identity in Jesus Christ. We forget that we were lost, hellbound sinners saved by His grace.We forget that we are here to serve, not to be served. We forget that Jesus Christ is comingsoon, and we forget that this is Jesus' church, not our church.And when we forget these things, unity goes out the window, because we start to thinkthat church is about us. Know your salvation. It's Jesus. It's Jesus. It's His grace. It's His gifts.It's His fellowship. So our worship team makes their way forward in our communion servers.You know, Jesus gave us a way to remind us of all these truths that unite us in Him.That's what I love about the Lord's table. Jesus said, "Do this in remembrance of Me."This keeps bringing us back when we are tempted to think this is about us, when we are tempted tothink that we are contributing to our salvation. When we are tempted to thinkthat God doesn't love us and we need to figure stuff out, this brings us back to the foundationaltruths of the way God purchased your salvation and what it means for us today.

full episode info: https://www.bestdrumandbass.com/podcast563/What a week its been my friends! We are climbing up the charts with our new release (currently #33) and a MASSIVE thank you to everyone supporting it. Also we have a debut mix from Mattmattik in the guest spot, and all the tunes you need to fill your weekend with DNB goodness. Lock it in, the weekend has begun!Subscribe to the podcast: bestdnb.com/podcast TRCD ft Kryptomedic – Nowhere To Run VIP / Lose Control (Bad Syntax & FauxRealz RMX) [OUT NOW on Abducted LTD]Download / Stream: bestdrumandbass.com/altd128/Supported by: Black Sun Empire, Gydra, Figure, Eatbrain, Aphrodite, Stonx, Nemean, Sindicate, Bytecode, 2Whales, Bad Ace, MV, X.Morph, Transforma, Jane Doe DNB, Nightstalker, Direct shift, Scout 22, Korax, Subcat, Ari-On, Nox and More!Catch Bad Syntax alongside some of the largest names in the game in Atlanta for Jungle Bells 2025! Click the image for more info!

[00:00] A warm welcome to listeners around the globe (still waiting for Antarctica!)[02:00] The stressful lead-up to moving from New Jersey to Florida[08:00] How their Great Pyrenees, Aphrodite, became the unlikely guide to the right home[15:00] Grief and trust: losing Aphrodite just months after moving[20:00] Recognizing God's orchestration in life's chaos[27:00] Why kindness to yourself matters in seasons of stress[35:00] Journaling, scripture, and prayer as tools for realignment[42:00] Living Isaiah 55:8–9: learning God's thoughts and walking in His waysScripture Reference: Isaiah 55:8–9Key Takeaway: Even when the world feels chaotic, God's vision is higher and His plan is greater than what we can see.

In our latest tribute, Janet, John, (and Pen) celebrate the life and career of a revered Greek musician and composure who found success  across many different genres... Vangelis! His career began in rock bands,  where with Aphrodite's Child he helped create the album 666, which would become a progressive-pyschadelic rock classic. He continued to find success in the music industry before transitioning to scoring films with Charitos of Fire in 1981, for which he would win Best Original Score at the Academy Awards. His career was launched to new heights and would continue making music for classic moves movies such as Blade Runner (1982), Missing (1983), Antarctica (1983), The Bounty (1984), 1492: Conquest of Paradise (1992), and Alexander (2004). His career in music spanned over 50 years, making him one of the most important figures in modern film music.  To learn more about this episode and others, visit the official Cinema Sounds & Secrets website!

Listen alongs as we continue through the book of Acts. Notes//Quotes: Acts 15:22-41 2 Timothy 2:22  “Cheap grace is the preaching of forgiveness without requiring repentance, baptism without church discipline, Communion without confession, absolution without personal confession. Cheap grace is grace without discipleship, grace without the cross, grace without Jesus Christ, living and incarnate.” - Dietrich Bonhoeffer  Grace is not opposed to effort, it is opposed to earning. Earning is an attitude. Effort is an action. Grace, you know, does not just have to do with forgiveness of sins alone. - Dallas Willard “They dwell in their own countries, but simply as sojourners. As citizens, they share in all things with others, and yet endure all things as if foreigners. Every foreign land is to them as their native country, and every land of their birth as a land of strangers. They marry, as do all; they beget children; but they do not destroy their offspring. They have a common table, but not a common bed. They are in the flesh, but they do not live after the flesh. They pass their days on earth, but they are citizens of heaven. They obey the prescribed laws, and at the same time surpass the laws by their lives. They love all men, and are persecuted by all. They are unknown and condemned; they are put to death, and restored to life. They are poor, yet make many rich; they are in lack of all things, and yet abound in all; they are dishonored, and yet in their very dishonor are glorified” Epistle to Diognetus (2nd Century) Matthew 23:1-12 The early church understood well the powers at work in the Roman Empire. There were many gods who ruled and oppressed its citizens. Among them were Aphrodite (goddess of sex), Hephaetus (god of technology), Mars (god of war), Ploutos (god of wealth), and Bacchus (god of pleasure). At the top of the ladder, and unifying them all, was political power, deified in the Caesar, and nourished by the Imperial theology and religious practice. The powers and gods were the forces that most determined and shaped their lives. The church understood the oppressive and intrusive influence of evil. They understood the comprehensive scope and spiritual power of these cosmic powers to tyrannize their lives. Perhaps we shake our heads at the primitive and childish worldview that could ever conceive of a world populated by powers. After all, science has liberated us from such nonsense. Yet when we see millions addicted to pornography, it seems the goddess of sex is not dead. When we see millions of lives trivialized and emptied of significance by addiction to technology, we observe that the god of technology still wields power. When we experience the seductive power of a consumer society that inflames us with a desire for the senseless consumption of goods and experiences, we must grant that the gods of wealth and pleasure are alive and well. And the billions of dollars spent annually on arms betray our enslavement to the gods of war and national security. Economic forces, political powers, sexual addiction, technological seduction: it seems we are helpless before these powers. All scientific attempts to control them have failed. - Mike Goheen “God is always trying to give good things to us, but our hands are too full to receive them.” Augustine

Tracklist and more info: https://www.bestdrumandbass.com/podcast562/ITS RELEASE DAY! We are celebrating the EPIC new single from TRCD which includes a remix from myself and FauxRealz. Also in the guest mix, we have the debut of NADNB artist Cleansweep, so lock it in and rock it out. Your weekend has begun!Subscribe to the podcast: bestdnb.com/podcast TRCD ft Kryptomedic – Nowhere To Run VIP / Lose Control (Bad Syntax & FauxRealz RMX) [OUT NOW on Abducted LTD]Download / Stream: bestdrumandbass.com/altd128/Supported by: Black Sun Empire, Gydra, Figure, Eatbrain, Aphrodite, Stonx, Nemean, Sindicate, Bytecode, 2Whales, Bad Ace, MV, X.Morph, Transforma, Jane Doe DNB, Nightstalker, Direct shift, Scout 22, Korax, Subcat, Ari-On, Nox and More!Catch Bad Syntax alongside some of the largest names in the game in Atlanta for Jungle Bells 2025! Click the image for more info!

Luke's HAARP Time Warp: Part 1 A cosmic catastrophe. Based on a post by somethin fishy, in 15 parts. Listen to the Podcast at Explicit Novels. Chapter 1. Luke MacDougall was stretching out in his tent after his hunting the Brooks Range in Alaska. He had been hunting moose earlier this week, He bagged a bull moose on his first day up north, and his work horse of a snow machine was vital to hauling the beast back to the truck. By the time he got back to his house in the outskirts of Anchorage, It was just after the evening rush hour. This was too easy. His neighbor's butcher shop was impressed when he drove up to drop off the field dressed carcass. “1022 pounds!” Mike told him when the winch scale steadied. “I didn't expect you til Friday!” Mike loves the outdoors and in addition to hunting, he also loves fishing and seeing the beauty that is Alaska. “I think I'll take my Polaris up the river to the east and see what's out there, before the melt floods out the pass.” I'm going to make the most of my week off! Luke said, But Mike was busy rolling the hoist rack over to the meat locker. Luke owned his own engineering firm that worked all over the world, mainly for the chemical industry. Luke had master's degrees in chemical and mechanical engineering plus a bachelors in metallurgy. He had been in the Marine corps, but a combat injury had forced him out. While in the corps he had been a combat engineer and he still did engineer consulting work for the Marines. He stood six foot eight and weighed two hundred and sixty pounds, and even though he did mostly desk work he was by no means out of shape. Not only was he very strong, but he was a hand-to-hand combat expert while in the corps, was one hell of a shot, and had gotten his black belt in martial arts after he had gotten out. He had thought about trying out to be a sniper, but figured that his size would give him away and therefore be a threat to his team mate, this he couldn't live with. He had light brown hair that was kept in a crew cut and piercing blue eyes. Although he looked to be very definition of a hard ass, he was actually extremely considerate to those around him and always took the extra second to consider how his actions would affect the people around him. While he didn't have a family, his older sister Mackenzie, did. Her husband, Dan, was one of Luke's oldest childhood friends and they had two kids. Luke always made sure to spoil them rotten. Since he didn't have anyone to spent money on, he had set up trust funds for both kids over his sister's objections. His sister still lived on the same ranch that they had grown up on in Wyoming. Their parents had been killed when Luke was sixteen and Mackenzie was eighteen. Mackenzie, without thinking about it; cancelled going to college and stayed on the ranch to take care of Luke so that he wasn't taken by the state. Luke's mom had been a geologist and his dad had been a part time jeweler and worked the ranch in his spare time. Tonight, Luke had another reason to be happy. He had gotten the jewelry done for his niece's birthday and had sent it to her the day before he left for his trip. Since he lived in Anchorage, Alaska it took some time to get there. He had made her a handmade necklace out of gold that he found in some of Alaska's streams. In the pendant he had a large sapphire set in it, her birth stone. He had gotten that while working on one of his overseas jobs and upon smuggling it into the U S, had cut it to maximize its beauty. It had been in rough form when he smuggled it in. Luke's jewelry making was a hobby of his to relax after a hard day in the office and actually knew how to cut and grind gemstones thanks to not only his dad but his mom as well. Going to sleep that night, he never in a million years would guess that his life was about to change completely. Luke's Spring trip up the Matanuska River to the glacial basin, before the dangerous spring thaw, and flow.; was going to be a 4-day run via snow machine. He made great time and decided to extend his trip northeastward past Lake Tazlana, and perhaps even Mount Sanford. Having made great time getting to the headwaters, he continued east toward the Gakon River. At Glenallen he stopped for fueling up at a trading post; and for updates on the Mount Sanford melt. The locals told him to Stay on the north side of the Gakon River and he'd be safe. Continuing northeast, Luke was now in unfamiliar territory, so he focused on landmarks and wildlife. He watched two Grizzlies kill a yearling moose. He finally pitched camp due northwest of Mount Sanford; Just east of Gakona, and on the north side of the flooding river that rushed down from the high mountain peaks. His chart showed he was near the research facility known as the High-frequency Active Auroral Research Program (HAARP). Global rumors and conspiracy theories abounded, regarding the mega-high voltage compound, guarded by a very sophisticated security system and plain-clothes security people. The security protocols were strikingly identical to the Central Intelligence Agency's standard operating procedures. Luke had heard that tonight might be an amazing display of the Aurora Borealis; or northern Lights. What Luke didn't know was that he was closer to the security fence than he knew. Just one ridge of trees blocked his view of the high fencing. During the night, while Luke slept in blissful ignorance, a cosmic disaster struck. At one point Luke stirred a bit as a sound similar to a P A system having a feedback loop, was flaring. As it did, the waves and arcs of the northern lights danced radically across the sky. The sound and lights were clearly synchronized and getting brighter. But Luke uncharacteristically slept like a baby. This was a weird one, for the only known person immediately affected was Luke. Suddenly the sound was silent and the area was black. Pitch black. Again, Luke slept. And when the black hole sucked him, tent and all, Luke was sound asleep. This unexplained phenomena transported Luke across space and time. When Luke woke up the first time; he noticed was that it was a lot more humid and warmer than it had been when he had gone to bed. He then noticed that the bird sounds were different as well. ‘Okay this is weird' he thought. He stuck his head out of his little tent and his confusion deepened for around him was a wild forest of deciduous trees. When he went to bed, he had been surrounded by scrub land with stunted aspen trees. ‘I must be dreaming, and if this is a dream, damn.' “Well, I guess I better have a look around” he said to himself. He spent the rest of the morning looking around his “dream world” wondering when he was going to wake up. His Polaris Snow Machine was no longer parked next to the south end of the tent. It wasn't anywhere. Not that it would be all that helpful in this mild summer-like weather. He noticed that the sun was almost straight overhead and he had an idea. He would check the time on his phone and use that to figure out about where he was at. When he did it, he got an even bigger shock, his phone was nine hours behind. That combined with the tree species around him, put him in… ‘Hell, is this England?' The weather plus the state of the leaves on the trees likely put it in late spring. “Well fuck me!” exclaimed Luke. For the rest of the day, he stayed near his 2-man tent. He found a stream nearby to get water and fish from. Hopefully he would wake up from this nightmare soon. When he woke up the next morning, he was starting to realize that something was truly fucked up with his world. He was still in the same spot. Figuring out that he was fucked, he did an inventory of his gear. He had his tent, sleeping bag, backpack, and camo clothes. He had his 9mm sig and his .338 rifle that his had picked up while in the Marines, and he had plenty of ammo for both. In his backpack he had is laptop and solar powered charger, one M R E, plenty of survival straws, matches, his extra canteen, and extra fire starters. Of course, he had his travel rod, a selection of terminal tackle, and some lures. He had re-spooled the reel right before going to the Brooks Range. All in all, he was in good shape. What really bothered him was that he couldn't get any satellite lock or cell signal at all. After his inventory, he figured that he probably should get moving, so he packed everything up. While he was packing, he had water boiling over the fire to fill his canteens up. Checking his compass he decided to start moving East. He walked carefully through the woods for the rest of the day, stopping with about an hour of daylight left, at another stream, to make camp. First thing he did was get a fire going and got himself more water. He had managed to catch some fish and frogs for supper. Early the next morning he again topped off his canteens and started moving again, still heading East. The way he figured it, one of three things could be going on: one this was all some weird dream; two somehow, he had traveled through space and time; or three he was in an alternate universe. He was hoping that this was a dream. About midday he paused and rested for a bit for it was a warm, humid day. As he was getting up from a short nap, he heard shouting nearby. It sounded like English, well sort of. Now Luke was curious, for he had also heard metal on metal contact, so he headed toward it. Within a minute he came up to a dirt road. Looking North, Luke saw six men on horseback riding around a stopped carriage. On the ground were several dead men, all wearing armor. As Luke watched, two men burst out of the carriage and were quickly cut down there was nothing that Luke could do for them because he was too far away. The men on horseback now dismounted and approached the carriage. The next sound made Luke's blood chill for it was a female scream. Not one but two. Two young women were yanked from the carriage. One had golden blond and wore a blue dress, while the other one wore a green dress and had brown hair. The younger one looked to be about eighteen or nineteen while the other looked to be slightly older. Two men grabbed each woman and pulled them in front of what Luke assumed to be the commander. While the men were occupied, Luke quickly closed the distance. As he got to within thirty yards, he heard something about the men having some fun with the woman. That was enough for Luke, he slipped off his backpack. He was still in his camo clothing and had carefully modified it into a ghillie suit. He stepped out into the road, mad sure to have his handgun ready and yelled; “Halt, Drop Your Weapons!” Chapter 2. Marion of York was pissed to put it mildly. She hadn't wanted to come along, with her older sister, Cecilia, and father, Charles, to London. Normally she loved traveling to London, but this time it was for Cecilia's engagement and her fiancé, John of Sussex, gave Marion the creeps. They had spent almost a week in London getting the wedding contract ready. When they were married, John would become the lord of Charles's land and the land would then stay in the family. Marion would continue to live in the castle until she was married. Charles was making these arrangements to avoid a situation with his greedy neighbor who had been eyeing his land and daughters for years, and Charles knew that his health was failing and that he wouldn't be long for this world. After the contract had been signed, John decided to travel back with them, as much to check out his new land as to check out Marion and the other woman of his soon to be castle. They had been traveling for three days when they were ambushed. Their guards were cut down within minutes, because although these men were very experienced, loyal, and brave; they had been caught by surprise. Soon all six men were dead. Three were John's and three had been Charles's. They had managed to cut down four of their attackers though. Soon the remaining six attackers were circling the carriage. Marion recognized the colors that the men wore. They belonged to their greedy neighbor, Richard. One of them, Marion personally recognized as Richard's son, William. The same man that her father had kicked out of their castle when he had persuaded relations with Cecilia. This wasn't good. Soon her father and John decided that their only chance was to try and kill the men attacking them. They both knew that if they surrendered, they would be killed anyway. They burst out of the carriage and were quickly cut down without achieving anything. This left the ladies defenseless. William ordered them to be pulled from the carriage. They were brought before him where he then told them; “Well bitches, we're going to have some serious fun then you'll both have to die. However, I will give you a choice. If you cooperate your death will be quick and painless, if you don't well…” Both ladies started turning white for this was their worst nightmare come true. Both despised William, his father, and all the people loyal to them. As William was cutting the dress from Cecilia, they heard a booming male voice: “Halt, Drop Your Weapons!” The voice echoed through the forest and the trees even seemed to move at the sound of it. Although the words themselves were weird, the point was clear. The ladies looked up hopefully and the men spun around. There thirty paces in front of them was a massive humanoid creature. It was dressed with leaves and small branches and not a single patch of skin was visible. In one hand was a small black object, but it didn't have any armor or any weapons for that matter. Then William spoke up; “Says who? A stupid, unarmed swamp thing?” His men snickered. Apparently, the humanoid had understood him. “'Says who? I'll tell you; I am your worst nightmare come to life. A man that can kill you where you stand and you won't be able to do a thing about it. Now this is how things are going to be. I am going to count to five. If you fuckers are not out of here by then, or I will kill you all.” The humanoid made this threat in a way that seemed like it might have ordered food, not facing six heavily armed men. William snorted; this was going to be too easy. Looking at his men: “Lads, time for some more entertainment. Kill that thing.” The ladies knew the stranger was dead. Suddenly the humanoid couched slightly and brought the small black object up to a horizontal position. The next thing the ladies knew there was a sound like thunder, the small black object jumped around in the humanoid's hand, and a quick jet of flame shot out the end of the object. The men around them started falling with blood and meat exploding from their necks. Within seconds, only William was left and he was using a now nearly nude Cecilia as a shield. Cecilia was nearly nude because William had just finished cutting her dress when the humanoid interrupted. “So, I see mister tough guy in armor is actually just another coward that uses an innocent woman as a shield, how pathetic.” The humanoid stood very still for a short time as though he was debating something. “Get out of here, beast. Nothing here concerns you” commanded William. Marion thought this was a stupid move on William's part but then again, he wasn't known to be the sharpest tool in the shed. Her thoughts were confirmed within a second. “Beast is it now? Well tell you what is going to happen. You let that lady go and I'll put my weapon away. Then we can see who is the better in a real man's fight.” Luke knew this course was a bit dumb but one he didn't want to risk hurting the lady even though the chances of that were slim. The other reason that he did this was that he wanted a bit more fun from this engagement. “Deal” said William and he released Cecilia and Luke put away his gun. As he released her, her dress fell away but this was the least of her concerns at the moment. She ran to Marion and embraced her. Then Marion asked the stranger: “Where is your sword, kind stranger?” “Sword?” snorted the stranger “Never used one and won't be needing one.” ‘This man was more arrogant than most nobles. What kind of word is “won't”? He is doomed.' thought Marion. She had good reason to doubt the stranger would live for although William was an idiot, he was very noted swordsman. William made the first move toward the stranger. The stranger didn't move until William was almost upon him, then with absolutely amazing speed the stranger side-stepped William's attack and grabbed his right wrist. The stranger then took his other hand and struck William in the elbow snapping it and bending it completely the other way. William though, didn't have time to register the pain for the stranger then grabbed William's head and with a quick motion of his hands, snapped William's neck with a loud crack; snapping it just as easily as someone would snap kindling for a fire. The stranger then moved quickly to check on the other men. For those attacking, to make sure that they were dead and for the attacked to see if he could give any of them aid. All of them were dead. The entire time the ladies cautiously watched his, Cecilia not even realizing that she was naked. When the man finished, he walked up to the ladies with his hands stretched out and with his palms faced the ladies so they could see that he wasn't armed. As he passed the wagon, the man looked in a trunk and found another dress for Cecilia. He also removed the strange outer clothes that he was wearing. Luke was now dressing in a t-shirt and camo jeans. Finally arriving in front of the ladies, Luke handed the dress to Cecilia who quickly put it on. Marion was stuck by this act of kindness on the man's part, for he at first seemed to be utterly ruthless. Something else Marion noticed was just how damn handsome the stranger was. He was clean shaven, with a strong chin. His blue eyes were lit with the look of not only intelligence but also concern. His shoulders were broad and his bare arms had well defined muscles on them. Marion could almost imagine those arms wrapped around her and this thought caused her heart to flutter and for moisture to form in between her thighs. No other man she had ever met had caused her to have thoughts like this and she had even met the current king of England, Edward the Confessor. Walking up to the ladies, Luke was having a hard time deciding on which one was better looking. Cecilia, the older of the two, had long and almost Chestnut colored hair, her skin had a very light tan, few freckles on her face, and warm brown eyes. Of course, the rest of her body was really good too, with about C cup tits plus large pink nipples. Her stomach had a little bit of fat on it but not bad, Luke liked his ladies with a little meat on them. He hated when women were so skinny that their bones showed. The worst thing from his perspective about her was that her pussy was a jungle, in fact he had never seen a bush that thick. He had been to some of the world's most remote jungles and her pussy hair was thicker. The younger one though was stunning as well, although she wasn't naked so Luke couldn't make a direct comparison. She was slightly taller than the older one, probably about five foot ten or so. Her hair looked to be the color of twenty-four caret gold, and her eyes looked to be sapphires. Her skin, at least what Luke could see, was a pure white. To top things off she had nice full lips, a very cute nose and a perfectly oval face. “Good afternoon, ladies.” Seeing the fearful look on their faces, Luke continued: “You have nothing more to fear, for I will not harm you.” Cecilia was still in a state of shock, but Marion had recovered for the most part. “We thank you kind sir. I do not want to think what would have happened to us if you had not stepped in.” Luke gave her a slight nod “What be your name kind stranger?” “Luke. What be your name and the name of your companion here?” “I am Marion of York and this is my older sister Cecilia.” Marion was starting to relax a bit; however, Cecilia wasn't, but this was normal for them. Marion had always been faster to react to changes. “So, tell me, Marion, what happened here? Why were you attacked?” “The men that attacked us belonged to a neighboring earl, Richard. He was been lusting after my father's lands for years now.” Marion broke down a little, thinking about her father. “Sorry, Richard was furious when he heard that Cecilia here was to be married to John of Sussex. This would have kept our lands out of Richard's hands. His men were waiting in ambush for us, and they caught our guards by surprise. Our father and John were in the carriage with us. They decided to rush out and attack the remaining men, once the guards were slain. They were killed without achieving anything. William was Richard's son and the man you killed with your bare hands. He told us, once we had been pulled from the carriage that they were going to have fun with us and that we would be killed. How we died would have our choice, if we cooperated then death would have been quick and if we did not cooperate then we would have faced a long and painful death. William has killed many people before and he was addicted to killing, so I have no doubt that you saved us from a horrible death at William's hands.” Marion finished, and broke down in tears. Luke kneeled in front of her and put one his large hands on her cheek. He then pulled Marion in and held her tight. As he did, he whispered to her, “You have no need to worry further for I will now be protecting you, that is if you want me to.” She pulled away slightly and looked into his eyes with a hopeful look on her face. She then launched herself back into his arms: “Thank you, Luke. But are you sure, we have nothing of value for I am sure that Richard has taken over our home?” “If I was not sure of it, Marion, I would not have made the offer. You two will have to do something for me, though.” Both ladies instantly stiffened and gained hard looks on their faces. “You two will have to learn how to defend yourselves In case I am not nearby when you are attacked next. Because, I am sure of this; when Richard does not hear back from his men, he will send more men to look for them and by extension you two.” Both ladies relaxed a bit, but were a bit confused for this was the last thing they had expected. “But we are ladies, we cannot fight” stated Cecilia. She had finally gotten over her paralysis. Hearing this, Luke's face went from a concerned caring, to one of extreme anger. The ladies were completely taken back by this and instantly became fearful again. They didn't even realize what they had done to change his mood so suddenly. But they quickly learned. “Let Me Get Something Straight With You Two, Right Now!” growled Luke as the ladies shrank from his fury. “You both Will learn how to defend yourself, for I will teach both of you how. This is the price for me staying with you. If you are not willing to at least try to learn then I shall take my leave of you.” At this Luke spun around on his heel and started walking away. He was a firm believer in woman being capable, despite their physical differences. He wasn't however going to fight for his life to defend these ladies, if they were not at least willing to learn how to defend themselves. Sure, he would feel a bit guilty about leaving them but that was life. Luke figured that with the loot from the dead men around plus a couple of their horses, he could go anywhere. Luke hadn't taken more than three steps when Marion cried out: “Wait! God, please wait?” Luke stopped but didn't turn around. “If you are willing to teach us how to defend ourselves, then we would be deeply in your debt, kind sir.” “Never call me sir again, and you will not be in my debt. You're learning how to defend yourselves will be enough payment for not only rescuing you, but also further defending you” stated Luke. “Do we have a deal?” he asked still with his back to the ladies. The ladies looked at each other and then back to Luke, “We have a deal, Luke” They said together. Luke turned back around, wearing a soft, warm smile. “First thing we need to do is to collect all the weapons, armor, and anything else useful from the dead. Then they will need to be buried for the last thing we need is obvious evidence of what happened here. After all that is done, it will probably be about time to set up camp for the night. Tomorrow morning your lessons start.” The ladies looked at him with confused looks “What ladies, I don't want any arguments, get moving now” Luke snapped at them. Chapter 3. This got the ladies moving. Over the next few hours, they worked harder than they ever had in their lives, the dead were stripped of anything useful, even their clothes. All the loot was put in the carriage for transport. While the ladies were busy with the dead, Luke rounded up some of the horses. They had enough for each of them to ride their own horse and to have a spare apiece. On William they found a number of gold coins and some silver ones as well. This was added to the money that was being carried in the carriage. After Luke rounded up the horses, he began to dig a mass grave for the dead and place them in it. He had also policed his brass shell casings. He thought that with his knowledge that he might be able to make reloads, plus he wanted to leave as little evidence as possible. Finally, everything was finished and they still had about two hours before nightfall, so Luke set up camp away from the road, in a clearing next to a clear stream. As he began to set up, Cecilia and especially Marion were immensely curious. They had never seen gear like this before. Sure, they had seen satchels and tents before, but never made of this strange cloth. Luke got a fire going, and then started boiling water that he collected from the stream. Now the lady's curiosity overrode their lingering fear. “Why are you boiling the water, Luke?” asked Marion. “Just making it safe to drink. By boiling the water you kill off the microorganisms, in the water, that can make you sick.” “Microorganisms?” asked Cecilia “Yep, microorganisms are organisms that are too small to be seen by the naked eye, but make no mistake they are there and the wrong ones can kill you” explained Luke. “Sounds like you speak witchcraft or heresy” stated Cecilia. She was devotedly religious. “God alone decided who dies and who lives.” Through this Marion wasn't sure who to believe. Although the things that Luke said made absolutely no sense to her; what reason would he have of lying to them over something like this. Luke must have been in a good mood however for he wasn't offended by Cecilia's rebuttal. He actually looked amused. “Well, Cecilia go ahead and drink the water straight from that stream then, and when you do eventually get dysentery don't complain to me about it. As far as witchcraft is concerned, stop being insulting, for there is nothing magical about anything I do for I am an engineer.” “You're that confident that we would get sick from that water?” “Maybe not the water from that stream but why take the risk.” “I have a couple of questions for you Luke.” Marion continued when Luke nodded toward her “what does “don't” mean, and what is an engineer?” “Oh, sorry about that. It is a speech difference from my homeland. Sometimes we would take two words and make them one. Doing this makes speaking more efficient. Don't is actually do not. When this is done it's called a contraction. It's; is actually it is.” “Wow that is more efficient.” “And an engineer is someone who designs things to be made, or figures out why something failed, or figured out how to make things easier, mechanically” “Interesting, I have never heard of an engineer. So, another question for you, where is your homeland?” Marion was determined to learn everything that she could about Luke. “Well, originally I came from an area called Wyoming, but now I live, well lived in an area called Alaska.” “I have never heard of either of those places.” “That doesn't surprise me for they are very far away. Across the western sea. The Viking raiders know of it. It is past Iceland and Greenland. ” “Father may have known about those lands, but it's not something he felt women should bother with.” Marion wasn't sure of what to ask next. She wanted to know everything about this man but she could sense that he was hesitant to talk about himself. She sat next to him by the fire and like him just stared into the flames. Cecilia had started her evening prayers by now. “Are you going to say your evening prayers, Luke?” asked Marion. Luke gave her a weak smile. “Sorry, I don't pray.” “You don't believe in God?” “Nice use of a contraction, Marion, and to tell you the truth, no I don't. I never have for I have seen more destruction and suffering caused by differing religious beliefs then you could ever imagine. I do believe that you have the right to believe what you want and you have the right to peacefully practice your beliefs without interference. But I could never take moral guidance from folks that allow innocent children to be tortured and killed of no reason at all, or that preaches that half the human population are inferior because they were born as a woman.” “Maybe their torture was all God's plan for them; and woman are inferior to man. After all, Eve was created from Adam and it was Eve that got them kicked out of the garden.” “Ya sure, “God's plan”. I've been hearing that all my life and every time someone says that, it is usually to cover up for either them not caring or they were the guilty party. Problem with the Adam and Eve theory is that there is absolutely no proof that it happened and I find it ironic that the “first people” had European names. Plus, this sounds just what it is, a story that men use to keep woman subservient to them, makes me sick.” By now Luke had a faraway look in his eye. Marion realized that is his mind, he was somewhere else entirely; and he was. Luke's mind had traveled back to his time spend in Iraq and the death he had seen firsthand that was caused by people's differing beliefs, and these weren't even beliefs in different gods, just different ways of worship. In his mind's eye he also saw women that had been burned with acid or hot oil because they did something to “offend” their family. He saw what happened when men used their position to “marry” young girls and the horror inflicted on the girls. Eventually Cecilia got done with her prayers and came back over. Luke shared some of his food with her. He had lost his appetite. Anything he thought about his time in Iraq he lost his appetite. “Something bothering you?” asked Cecilia “You barely ate anything.” “It's Just some very bad memories of a place that I was in for a time; nothing for you two to be worried about.” Eventually Luke stood up and stretched, Marion and Cecilia were almost asleep sitting by the fire. “Well ladies, you two should get some sleep. You two can sleep in my tent and I will sleep against that tree so I can keep watch.” “But we cannot sleep were you sleep. You need the sleep as well” protested Marion. Luke just gave a look and told her “Shut up and get in the tent, both of you. Make sure to take your dresses off before you lay down so that you don't damage the bedding.” Both Marion and Cecilia knew that they wouldn't win this argument so they did as Luke told them. They were amazed by how soft and comfortable Luke's bedding was. It was simply the most luxurious thing that they had ever laid on. Within minutes both had passed out. Luke sat outside and kept watch all night. He would doze off for ten or fifteen minutes at a time. He would then wake up, look around and then doze off again. Chapter 4. Marion was the first of the ladies to wake up the next morning, Cecilia was really not a morning person. So, Marion carefully got up as to not wake Cecilia, she grabbed her dress, and stepped out of the tent. Luke was up and had the fire going. He had some fresh fish cooking, but he hadn't realized that Marion was up yet. So, she stood quietly and watched him still holding her dress in her hand. The sun was just about to rise as Marion watched Luke cook the fish and boil water for drinking. Finally, she got the courage to walk over to him. As she did, she carefully laid her dress down. Now naked with nothing to hide her body, she walked up behind Luke. “Good morning, Luke. I trust that you slept well last night.” “Good morning, Marion. I slept decent actually. How about you?” “That was the best that I have ever slept. Your bedding is by far the best I have ever felt.” “Thank you, Marion. Breakfast will be ready in a bit. Can you wake Cecilia up?” “Can we talk for a bit first, please. Cecilia actually hates mornings.” “Very well then.” Luke turned around and his jaw almost fell off. Marion was the very definition of a goddess. Her skin was pure white. She had about the same size tits as Cecilia, but Marion's tits were a bit firmer with smaller pink nipples. The flip side was that her nipples were much harder than Cecilia's. Luke's eyes traveled down to her stomach. It was flat, firm, and toned but not thin enough to show any bones. Traveling further south, Luke noticed that Marion's pussy was covered in sparse light blond hair. He could see her pussy lips sticking out slightly and the there was a small gap between her legs, caused by Marion's hips flaring out nicely. Her legs were long and strong, and her feet were even beautiful and Luke wasn't a foot guy. Traveling back up north, Luke also noticed that Marion had a graceful neck that seemed to be screaming for him to nibble on. “Well how do I look?” “Are you sure your name isn't Aphrodite? You are by far the most beautiful woman that I have ever met, and I have met some very beautiful woman before.” Marion smiled. From the sudden heat in her cheeks, she was sure that she was blushing crimson and she felt a sticky wetness forming between her legs again. Suddenly she was moving like another person. She walked straight up to Luke, reached up to hold his cheek and pull him down so she could kiss him. Kissing him was by far the best thing that Marion had ever felt. Her whole body felt tingly and she actually wondered if she might pass out from the pleasure. This increased when Luke carefully picked her up. Marion then wrapped her strong legs around Luke's body. She could feel his cock getting hard and this only further drove Marion's lust. She might have gone even further, but through her lust-induced trance, she heard the unmistakable sounds of Cecilia starting to get up. Marion and Luke let go of each other and Marion ran over to put her dress on. She got it on in record time and by the time Cecilia came out of the tent Marion was starting to eat on one of the fish that Luke had been preparing. Cecilia was clueless as to what Marion and Luke had been doing, for she just assumed that Luke would want to be with her because she was the oldest and she though the smartest. What she didn't know was that Luke was deeply attracted to intelligence and Marion had her beat badly in this department. As the three of them ate their breakfast, Marion asked about the plans for today. “Well first we need to check out those clothes we got yesterday to see if you two can wear any of it. One; having pants on makes it easier to fight, and two; when we start traveling it will be much easier for you two to hide the fact that you are women.” Marion immediately could see the wisdom in Luke's thinking; by hiding the fact that Marion and Cecilia were in fact women, even if it was only from a distance, then they wouldn't attract as much attention to themselves. It was like Luke's hunting clothes, in the woods, that she learned were colored in a pattern called camouflage. It would make them harder to spot. Cecilia of course was against the idea. She was a lady not some cross dresser, thank you very much, but when it was clear that even her sister supported Luke, Cecilia didn't have much choice. They both found men's clothes that fit them and Luke found some clothes that even fit him. He wanted to be dressed in the same clothes as everyone else so he didn't stand out as much. Plus, by not wearing his modern clothes, he could save them for special occasions. After the three got changed, Luke started going over the ultra-basics of self-defense. Marion threw herself into learning and she learnt fast. She had been almost raped once and she wasn't going to let that happen again if she could help it. Cecilia wasn't really that interested. The way she looked at it, it was Luke's job to protect her, not for her to protect herself. After a couple of hours all three were hungry and tired. Luke got the fire going again and started fixing the last of the food that had been in the carriage. As they ate, Marion sat as close as she could to Luke while not crowding him. Eventually Cecilia excused herself to relieve herself. “Marion, I have a question for you. Now before I ask, know this; know that the question will at first sound very stupid but once I explain I promise that it will make sense. And furthermore, I must insist that you never, ever tell anyone what we are about to talk about. If my secret falls into the wrong hands and used incorrectly the destruction that will fall on the world will cast the Battle of Armageddon in the shade.” Marion nodded nervously, “Okay, what year is this?” “Why this is the year of our lord 1065. Why, and why must it remain a secret” Luke closed his eyes, took a deep breath, held it for a second and slowly let it out. Marion was growing more concerned, she knew that Luke didn't lack anything in the bravery department and yet here he was more nervous than she had ever seen him, and she had seen him take out half a dozen thugs without breaking a sweat. Slowly opening his eyes, Luke looked directly into Marion's eyes and said flatly: “Where I came from it was the year 2021 A D.” “What?” “That's right, Marion. I not only come from a different place but also from a different time. And since I have a decent understanding of my history, I know what the major events that are going to happen for the next almost thousand years and if the wrong people get hold of this then they might try to make short sighted decisions that would spell disaster for them and their people.” Marion was speechless and absolutely stunned after all she had been falling in love with this man and know she felt that she didn't know him at all. Suddenly she stood up. “Marion!” “Get Away From Me You Bloody Devil! I never want to be near you again!” Luke bowed his head, accepting his fate. As Marion ran away, she didn't see that Luke was starting to cry. He had just lost the only woman that he had ever truly loved romantically and this came on top of him losing his entire family and all of his friends. He hadn't cried since he was five, but now he was crying now. Slowly he stood up and started to gather his gear up. Looking up he saw Cecilia coming back. ‘Just fucking great' he thought. “Where's Marion?” Cecilia asked. Knowing that not telling her would turn out badly, Luke decided on telling Cecilia a half-truth; he didn't trust Cecilia. “I told her something about myself that upset her deeply.” “What, are you actually married?” Luke smiled slightly “If it was only that small of a secret, but no, my secret can change the world forever and if it gets used wrong then the horror that would be unleashed is far beyond anything you could ever imagine.” “Then why did you tell Marion, but not me?” Now Cecilia was getting pissed for she didn't like the fact that that Luke trusted her bratty little sister and not her. “Why, because I am finding myself falling in love with her and the last thing, I wanted was to keep my biggest secret from her. Marion, in the meantime was stomping off. She didn't even know where she was going, for she was furious. Eventually she found herself standing in front of her father's grave. Luke had given her father his own grave and had even took the time to make a marker for him. She collapsed in front of the grave and began to weep. She was crying harder than she had ever cried before, the man that she had fallen in love with wasn't even close to the man that she had thought that he was. Finally, she stopped crying and just stared at the marker that Luke had made for her father. Luke had taken her father's sword and broke it in half. He then carved Charles's name on it and had written something else. Then he drove the handle part into the soil at her father's head. It took Marion a while to read the instruction. For one, it was written in an unfamiliar tongue and two her reading was just good enough to be able to slowly make her way through the bible. But eventually she was able to make sense of the writing and once again began to cry for Luke had written: “Here lies a proud, brave man that gave his life so that his family might live. If I, the man who buried his earthly remains, could be even a quarter of the man that this man was then I would be able to die a happy man. Go in peace now Charles of York. I promise that I will do everything in my power to continue to protect your family.” Marion knew what she had to do and she knew what she had done. She was so pissed with herself, for turning her back on Luke, that she could barely stand herself. After all, here was a man that had saved her from being raped and murdered, that had started to train her in self-defense so that if something like that ever happened again, she would be able to defend herself, and most of all here was a man that believed that women are at the very least equal to men. Sure, men are usually stronger and faster, but in mental abilities, where Luke seemed to be most interested in her, he had already stated multiple times that men and women are at least equals and, in some areas, women are for the most part far superior to men. She also knew that Luke would never hurt her and would die to protect her. Finally, she was able to stand up, she wiped her face off, turned around, and ran off to find Luke before he took off. She could only hope and pray that she wasn't too late. Of course, he might turn his back on her and she wouldn't blame him if he did, after all she had already turned her back on him once. Chapter 5. As fast as Marion ran through the woods, her mind was running faster. Would she be able to find Luke and Cecilia again? Would Luke even talk to her if she could find them? And perhaps the most disturbing thought, would Cecilia try to ensnare Luke? This last one was the worst for Marion because Cecilia could never stand to see Marion happy and always went out of her way to make Marion's life as miserable as possible. Now that Marion had for all appearances rejected Luke, would Cecilia try and take Luke before Marion could come to her senses. Is water wet? With this in the front of her mind, Marion pushed herself to run even faster. The brush and branches that slapped her in the face and the thorns that caught her clothes couldn't slow her down for her just had to find Luke before it was too late. Finally, she got to the clearing that they had camped in. Luke and Cecilia were gone. Looking around desperately, Marion found the tracks leading out toward the road. She also found a note written on some strange material. The fact that it was written was enough to prove that it was from Luke, Cecilia couldn't read or write, but Marion would have known it was from him anyway because she recognized his writing style: Marion, “I am deeply sorry that I have angered you. I truly wish that the circumstances were different for I have truly fallen in love with you. I would not blame you if you never talk to me again for, I have realized that I completely overwhelmed you. I am sorry that I have hurt you. I have left, with Cecilia, to get her back home. After that I will be leaving England. I truly hope that you find the happiness and love, in life, that an outstanding woman like yourself deserves. Goodbye, Luke Marion was cursing herself too much to bother crying at the moment. She had turned her back on Luke when he tried to tell her the most important thing about himself. It should have been obvious to Marion, at the time, that Luke didn't like to keep secrets from her, but then again, she had never known anyone that would tell her the simple truth without wanting something in return. Just to make herself feel even better, the one and only time that someone told her the truth without wanting anything in return, she ran away. Now Luke had taken reasonability for angering her, admitted to her that he had fallen in love with her, and told her where he was going. She had to catch him before he left England, at all cost. She knew that with the carriage that Luke would be slowed down a bit. Problem is that she didn't have a horse or any other gear with her, but she didn't care. As Marion began to follow the tracks, she heard a familiar sound coming from the brush. When she looked, she found a horse there with all the gear she would need. In the saddlebags, she found money and food. All this stuff she had seen very recently. It was gear that the three of them had collected from the dead after Luke had saved them. This could only mean one thing; Luke hade left it without Cecilia's knowledge, for if she had known then she would have done everything she could have to prevent Luke from leaving anything for Marion. With the horse and the knowledge of where Luke and her sister were headed, and that Luke wanted her to rejoin him, Marion took off to find them. Once Luke had explained to Cecilia what had happened, leaving out the part about him being from the future, Cecilia pretty much demanded that Luke finish escorting her home. Luke was too broken hearted to care so he finished packing the gear and set off with Cecilia. As they left, Cecilia started pouring on her charm. Despite her many flaws from his point of view, Luke had to at least admit that Cecilia was beautiful and charming. With him being hurt so bad by Marion, Cecilia figured that it would be easy to get her hands on Luke. Still Luke maintained at least some of his wits about him. He wouldn't show Cecilia his computer or rifle, and she wouldn't be able to secretly look at them for Luke had them both locked in their cases, and the locks were highly advanced combination locks. Luke guarding his secrets so closely pissed Cecilia off to no end, but she couldn't let it show, yet. She figured that it would take a few days but she would wear down Luke's resistance to her. After all, she wanted the knowledge that Luke surely possessed for herself. Cecilia and Luke made pretty good time, after they broke camp, traveling until they had to stop and set up camp. Luke still wouldn't take the chance on getting a room at an inn. Cecilia of course wasn't happy about this, but since she had set herself a mission, she wasn't about to complain about it. After Luke got the campsite set up, Cecilia was too much of a lady to help, he went to get some food. While he was gone Cecilia went through his gear and found many clues as to who Luke really was. At least she would have if she could read that is. She decided that when they got home, she would have Luke arrested for something and then take his gear to a monk that she trusted and knew loved to read. Seeing Luke coming back with food, Cecilia continued to pour on the charm. “See unlike my stupid sister, I would never leave you, Luke. She never did care about anyone but herself and you deserve a woman who knows how to pleasure and care for a man. That woman is me.” Cecilia curled up to Luke and began to caress him softly. Luke barely reacted to her, but she had expected that. He had been badly damaged, by her sister, and Cecilia knew from long experience with men that it might take her a little bit longer to get what she wanted from Luke. That evening, Luke again set up the tent. This time, Cecilia insisted that she was terrified of nightmares and was afraid to sleep alone. “It was fine before Marion ran off because there was someone there with me. With her now gone I am terribly afraid that I will start having nightmares.” “Sorry, Cecilia but someone needs to keep watch during the night. If you get nightmares, I will be right out here for you.” Finally, wondering at how Luke could still have the ability to reject her, Cecilia went to bed. Luke sat around for a while and just thought about everything; Him losing his parents, getting a medical discharge from the Marines because of a roadside bomb, losing the rest of everyone he had every known because of some fucking cosmic freak job, killing those men to protect two women who he didn't know Then losing Marion because he had told her the truth, and finally Cecilia's rather obvious and frankly annoying attempts to seduce him. Thing was that the harder Cecilia tried, the more she drove Luke away. She didn't know this of course and Luke wasn't about to tell her. He had promised to get her home and he would. As soon as he did, he would get to a port as fast as possible and get a boat to the continent. Finally, he fell into a fitful slumber. Marion drove her mount as hard as she could to make up some time. As she went, she would ask people coming from the other direction if they had seen a carriage with more horses then would normally be around and was headed in the same direction she was. A few people had and she had learned that she was about a half day behind. If she got what she thought was truthful information, she would pay the person who had given her the info. As it got dark, Marion continued to travel until she couldn't see anything anymore. When at last she had to stop, she took care of her horse for without it she wouldn't have a chance to catch Luke, then she ate some of the food that Luke had left her, and finally dozed off to sleep. Before she went to sleep though, her mind drifted back to when she had been naked and had been picked up by Luke. This memory made her wet between her legs and it felt like she was on fire with the fire being centered in her cunt. It didn't take long for her to start rubbing herself with one hand rubbing across her tits and sensitive nipples and the other rubbing between her legs. Since she had never done this before, it took her a few minutes to figure out what felt good. Eventually she found a small bump that when rubbed sent shock waves through her body. The more she rubbed that spot the better it felt, until she started to thrash around and nearly blacked out. As she recovered, she felt several emotions running through her. One was guilt, what she had just done had been preached against as a mortal sin for as long as she could remember and, now she figured that she was going to hell because of it. The second emotion though took some of the guilty edge off for she felt an amazing calm descend on her. She just didn't give a fuck what those priest and nuns said. This feeling was new to her but didn't take her long to figure out that Luke had led her to this feeling and the more she thought about it the more that she realized that Luke had been right. This was after all Her body and what she did with it was Her business. One side effect that she didn't expect was that making herself feel good like that, also helped her get to sleep easily. The next morning, Marion was up before the sun and felt more rested than she had in years. One other affect that Luke had on her was that she just didn't feel any need to pray and definitely didn't feel any need to visit a priest to ask for forgiveness. Quickly she ate a bit and got the horse ready. She knew that Cecilia wasn't a morning person so she figured that she could make some serious ground up. Marion had her dress packed away in a saddlebag and was wearing some of the clothes that they had gotten off the dead guys. At first, she felt bad about this, but seeing the reactions of the people that she met on the road, made her fully realize Luke's wisdom for nobody realized that she was in fact a woman. She had been traveling for a couple of hours when she came upon a campsite that had been recently abandoned. Checking it out, she found a small pouch with some money, a short note, and some food. Again, she recognized the pouch and the writing. This time the note informed Marion that her sister was up to no good. She estimated that she had only missed them by about an hour or so, judging by how much heat was in the embers. She easily got the fire going again and boiled some water. She remembered the warning that Luke had given her about contaminated water. After boiling enough water to refill her canteen and making sure that her horse had gotten enough water and grass to eat, she set out again. Again, she traveled to nightfall, but this time when she stopped, she could see a small campfire in the distance. Now she began to plan what she was going to do when she caught up with Luke and Cecilia. With her sister's two-faced nature, Marion would have a hard time of it just showing back up in camp, but she also really wanted to meet up with Luke and apologize for turning her back on him and running off. Finally, Marion had a plan and she started to rub herself again. This time, she was able to start with what felt the best and within minutes had cum so hard that she saw stars and passed out. The next morning, Marion got up as the sun was coming up and got underway extra quick. Sure enough, the fire that she had seen the night before was from Luke and Cecilia. When Marion came to the edge of the camp, she dismounted and quietly began to investigate. Luke wasn't there, but Cecilia was and was still sleeping. Marion then retreated to a good hiding spot near her horse to watch for Luke. After an hour, Marion began to get worried. There was evidence in the camp to say that Luke was still with Cecilia but Marion hadn't seen Luke anywhere. She was watching so intensely that she didn't hear someone come up behind her. Suddenly a strong hand was across her mouth, and Marion reacted in the way that Luke had taught her, but whoever was behind her was very strong. Marion was now fighting for her life and felt like she was stronger now then she had ever been. Finally, she was able to face who had attacked her and was surprised to be looking into a giant's chest. She glanced up and was astonished to see the person, who had attacked her, was none other than Luke. Without thinking about it, she slapped him hard across his face and then jumped up and grabbed hold of him, and started kissing him fiercely. To be continued in part 2, Based on a post by somethin fishy, for Sex Stories.

Pour cet épisode, placé sous le signe des héros et des dieux grecs, Gagago et Roland reçoivent Adrien (du podcast L'Art des livres) pour parler de ces œuvres inspirées par la Grèce antique.Au programme :00:00:00 Intro00:06:37 Partie I: L'histoire dans la Grèce antique - Alexandre Le Grand00:37:37 Quizz histoire grec00:46:48 Partie II: Les héros dans la Grèce antique - Hercule01:30:13 Quizz héros grecs01:47:18 Partie III: les dieux dans la Grèce antique - Aphrodite 02:03:41 Quizz Les Dieu grecs 02:27:30 Reco02:31:00 Conclusion rejoignez nous sur les réseaux sociaux :⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://linktr.ee/lefreakycast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠le répondeur du Freaky Cast : ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.speakpipe.com/Lefreakycast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠On vous attends sur le discord du collectif ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://discord.gg/NBVPZTFBAJ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Notre site : ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://lefreakycast.transistor.fm/⁠⁠⁠⁠On en parle dans cet épisode:Les dieux de l'olympehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QM8ZAJmpFQc&list=PL3333DA7AA7D5D698Les grands mythe :https://www.arte.tv/fr/videos/080116-018-A/les-grands-mythes-l-odyssee/les liens de notre invité :https://podcast.ausha.co/memo-art-d-adrien-le-podcast-litteraire

Join this channel to get access to perks: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCrQBJayd-dfarbUOFS5m7hQ/join Or join the DAS Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/DarkArtSociety PLEASE LIKE/SHARE/SUBSCRIBE!!! This week I welcome back artist Steve Cleff! We talk about his synesthesia inspired portraiture, his Aphrodite project, how he developed his painting style, the new Devo documentary, the crisis of meaning and the importance of art along with all kinds of other great stuff! Also, a quick art life update. Steve's links: https://www.stevecleff.com www.patreon.com/cleff https://www.instagram.com/stevecleff/ and the movie he's working on: https://www.instagram.com/thevanishingtour/ The Dark Art Society Podcast is produced by Chet Zar. Become an Official Member of the Dark Art Society: https://www.patreon.com/DarkArtSociety Chet's Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/ChetZar Our sponsors: The Skull Shoppe: https://www.SkullShoppe.com ----- The Dark Art Society Podcast is produced by Chet Zar. Become an Official Member of the Dark Art Society: https://www.patreon.com/DarkArtSociety Chet's Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/ChetZar The Dark Art Society Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/darkartsociety Official Dark Art Society Website: https://www.darkartsociety.com The Dark Art Society Podcast is now available in a variety of places, including the following platforms: SoundCloud: @darkartsociety iTunes: https://apple.co/2gMNUfM Stitcher: https://www.stitcher.com/s?fid=134626&refid=stpr Podbay: https://podbay.fm/show/1215146981 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCrQBJayd-dfarbUOFS5m7hQ https://DarkArtSociety.com Copyright Chet Zar LLC 2025

"Saint Helen, the mother of Saint Constantine the Great, when she was already advanced in years, undertook, in her great piety, the hardships of a journey to Jerusalem in search of the Cross, about the year 325. A temple to Aphrodite had been raised up by the Emperor Hadrian upon Golgotha, to defile and cover with oblivion the place where the saving Passion had been suffered. The venerable Helen had the statue of Aphrodite destroyed, and the earth removed, revealing the Tomb of our Lord, and three crosses. Of these, it was believed that one must be that of our Lord, the other two of the thieves crucified with Him; but Saint Helen was at a loss which one might be the Wood of our salvation. At the inspiration of Saint Macarius, Archbishop of Jerusalem, a lady of Jerusalem, who was already at the point of death from a certain disease, was brought to touch the crosses, and as soon as she came near to the Cross of our Lord, she was made perfectly whole. Consequently, the precious Cross was lifed on high by Archbishop Macarius of Jerusalem; as he stood on the ambo, and when the people beheld it, they cried out, "Lord, have mercy." It should be noted that after its discovery, a portion of the venerable Cross was taken to Constantinople as a blessing. The rest was left in Jerusalem in the magnificent church built by Saint Helen, until the year 614. At that time, the Persians plundered Palestine and took the Cross to their own country (See Jan. 22, Saint Anastasius the Persian). Later, in the year 628, Emperor Heraclius set out on a military campaign, retrieved the Cross, and after bringing it to Constantinople, himself escorted it back to Jerusalem, where he restored it to its place." (Great Horologion) A fast is kept today, whatever the day of the week.

The Argonauts have arrived in Colchis, the Golden Fleece is within their reach. But Jason will need the help of the goddess Aphrodite and the sorceress, Medea, to face the challenges ahead. And that help will come at a price. *Sensitive listeners beware - some of this episode is gruesome!* Written and directed by Bibi Jacob. Sound and production by Geoff Chong. Original compositions written and performed by Chloe Dunn - with Louis appearing as Eros.  Featuring: Tom Morton as Aeëtes, Chloe Dunn as Aphrodite, Tercelin Kirtley as Orpheus, Ciaran Cresswell as Jason, Rose Romain as Medea. Sources for this episode include: Apollonius' ‘Argonautica', ‘The Orphic Argonautica', Euripides' ‘Medea', Seneca's ‘Medea', Pinder's 4th Pythian.  The extract from Euripide's ‘Medea' is in a translation by Ian Johnston, Vancouver Island University.

Aphrodite est la déesse de l'amour, de la beauté et du désir. Née de l'écume de la mer, elle charme aussi bien les dieux que les mortels. Son pouvoir est immense : un simple regard d'elle peut faire naître la passion ou la jalousie. Mais derrière sa grâce se cachent parfois des colères puissantes.Hébergé par Audiomeans. Visitez audiomeans.fr/politique-de-confidentialite pour plus d'informations.

Aphrodite est la déesse de l'amour, de la beauté et du désir. Née de l'écume de la mer, elle charme aussi bien les dieux que les mortels. Son pouvoir est immense : un simple regard d'elle peut faire naître la passion ou la jalousie. Mais derrière sa grâce se cachent parfois des colères puissantes.Hébergé par Audiomeans. Visitez audiomeans.fr/politique-de-confidentialite pour plus d'informations.

6/8. Professor Emily Wilson emphasizes the pervasive and often ambiguous role of the gods in The Iliad. They interfere constantly, appearing in various disguises, and hold strong opinions. Though "deathless," gods like Aphrodite and Ares can be wounded and bleed "ichor" rather than blood, revealing their human-like flaws despite divine power. Figures like Hera cleverly outmaneuver Zeus, and Thetis, Achilles's mother, tirelessly advocates for her son, framing much of the poem's plot through her prayers to Zeus.

A Sermon for the Eleventh Sunday after Trinity 1 Corinthians 15:1-11 & St. Luke 18:9-14 by William Klock “Two men went up to the temple to pray,” Jesus said.  The temple was the place where heaven and earth met.  The place where men and women could go to be in the presence of God.  Twice a day the priests would lead the people in prayers, at nine in the morning and at three in the afternoon, but people could go any time to pray. On this day, two men climbed the steps to the temple courts to pray.  “One,” Jesus said, “was a Pharisee.”  A Jew could pray anywhere—at home, wherever.  But if anyone was going to go out of their way to pray at the temple, it was going to be a Pharisee.  The temple was everything to them.  They weren't priests, but they lived their lives as if they were.  So it was natural for a Pharisee to go to the temple to pray. But there were two men this day, Jesus said, who went up to the temple.  “The other was a tax collector.”  If there was a polar opposite of the Pharisee, it was the tax collector.  The Pharisees were devoted to God's covenant and to his law.  They kept every last jot and tittle of it.  But the tax collectors.  When Jesus mentioned a tax collector, his whole audience recoiled.  They were the worst of the worst.  There were “sinners”—that means Jews who made lifestyle that rejected God's covenant with them—but then there were tax collectors.  They were a special kind of sinner.  The scum of the earth.  They got rich sucking up to the gentile dogs while swindling their own people. I expect that as Jesus described these two men, everyone had a similar mental picture.  The Pharisee, dignified, wearing his fine clothes, making his way confidently up the steps to the temple complex, and striding just as confidently through the outer courts.  Everyone knew him, everyone he passed greeted him respectfully as he made his way through the various gates and colonnades, further and further into the temple complex.  But then the tax collector.  Maybe it took him three times to make it up those steps, because twice he turned around, overwhelmed by guilt and shame.  And on the far side of the court of the Gentiles, the soreg, the low wall that marked the boundary between the pure and impure, made him pause.  He didn't belong on the other side.  But he'd already spent weeks tracking down the people he'd fleeced and making restitution to them.  There was no going back.  So he steeled himself and passed through, head down, trying to look unobtrusive, because he knew—he just knew—that everyone recognised him.  And he went to one of the men selling lambs.  And he picked one out, paid for it, took it in his arms—he wasn't used to handling animals—and he got in line in the courtyard outside the sanctuary, waiting for a priest as the lamb struggled.  And finally, a priest motioned him toward the altar.  He presented the lamb, his sin offering, and as the priest held it, the tax collector laid his hands on it and slit its throat.  And the priest collected the blood and poured it out at the base of the altar, then butchered the little lamb and burned its fat.  Now he was pure.  But there was still more to do.  The tax collector went back out to the outer court and this time he bought a ram for a guilt offering.  And a servant helped him with the ram as he, again, went back to stand in line for a priest.  And, again, he placed his hands on the ram as the priest held it.  And he killed it, and as with the lamb, the blood was poured out and the fat was burned.  And his guilt was expiated.  And now he could go and pray.  And there he saw the Pharisee.  The Pharisee had seen him, too.  The Pharisee had seen him all along.  As he'd chatted with a friend, the Pharisee had seen the tax collector buy his lamb.  And he'd seem him again as he bought his ram.  As he stood there praying, he'd seen the sacrifice.  God may have forgiven the tax collector, but the Pharisee sure didn't see him that way.  He took a smug look back at the tax collector and, Jesus says, “he prayed in this way to himself, ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other people: greedy, unjust, immoral, or even like this tax collector.  I fast twice a week.  I give tithes of all that I get.'” And the tax collector.  Jesus says he “stood a long way off, not even wanting to lift his eyes to heaven.  He beat his breast and said, ‘God, be merciful to me, sinner that I am.'”  He'd gone through the formal actions of forgiveness, but he knew that mere formalism would never see him reconciled to God.  And so, after offering his sacrifices, he knelt humbly and prayed the words of Psalm 51: “Have mercy on me, O God—the psalm goes on—according to your steadfast love, according to your abundant mercy, blot out my transgressions.”  He knew.  God isn't a vending machine.  Offering a lamb isn't like pushing B4 and absolution drops into the slot for you to take.  He knew the words of the psalm.  David went on to sing, “The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.”  And so the tax collector knelt—and without any presumption—threw himself on the grace of God.  And, as Jesus has said elsewhere, all of heaven rejoiced over this repentant sinner—even as the Pharisee scowled at him. And Jesus said to the people, “Let me tell you, he—the tax collector—was the one who went back to his home vindicated by God, not the other.”  That had to make some people angry.  It was one thing to grant—even if a little grudgingly—that there was something good about a repentant tax collector.  Okay, he offered his lamb and his ram and his contrition was obviously real.  But dissing the Pharisee?  That was too much.  But you see, this is exactly why Jesus told this story.  Luke introduces this episode saying, “Jesus told this next parable against those who trusted in their own righteous standing and despised others.”  And so Jesus explains: “Don't you see?  People who exalt themselves will be humbled, and people who humble themselves will be exalted.” Going to the temple, standing before the Lord, and singing out a litany of your own pious greatness—that's not pleasing to the Lord.  That's a good way to find yourself humbled on the last day.  And having this in mind that makes this bigger than the Pharisees.  Maybe they were the worst offenders, but Jesus gets to the heart of Israel's problem and exposes it.  They knew they were “in”.  They knew that when the Day of the Lord came, judgement would fall on everyone else and that they would be vindicated and go on to live in his presence in the age to come, they knew this because they faithfully bore all the markers of God's covenant.  They were circumcised, they kept the sabbath, and they ate the right foods—they kept God's law.  That meant they were righteous…or so they thought.  But Jesus sort of asks here: “Where is your heart?” This is what the prophets had been asking Israel—and warning her about—for centuries.  Reminding the people that formalism doesn't cut it.  Yes, God required sacrifices.  He'd given them a law.  But obedience was supposed flow from a humble heart overflowing with gratitude for God's grace.  It was supposed to be rooted in faith—faith in a God who had called a childless pagan named Abram and blessed him beyond anything he deserved; faith in a God who called a sorry and miserable group of slaves out of Egypt and blessed them beyond anything they deserved.  But Israel got complacent, and comfortable, and forgot the source of her blessings.  Instead of trusting God, she trusted in horses and chariots and kings—and even foreign gods.  She thought mere formalism would satisfy God's requirement for holiness.  And her heart became hard, idolatrous, and self-righteous.  So for all their love of torah, the hearts of the Pharisees were far from God—and in that, they represented most of the people in Israel.  They exalted themselves and presumed upon God, when they should have been humble before him, thanking him for his grace.  When judgement day came, they were ready to sing that litany of their righteousness: We're not like other people.  We fast and we tithe.  We're circumcised and we keep the sabbath.  And God would high-five them and the invite them along to go smite the sinners and tax collectors and gentiles.  Their hearts will filled with pride, not faith. Habakkuk was one of those prophets that had warned Israel in the days before the exile.  “Look at the proud!” he said, “His spirit is presumptuous and is not right, but the righteous shall live by faith.”  Pride and faith, Brothers and Sisters, are polar opposites. Habakkuk looked around him lamented to the Lord: O Lord, how long shall I cry for help, and you will not hear? Or cry to you “Violence!” and you will not save? Why do you make me see iniquity, and why do you idly look at wrong? Destruction and violence are before me; strife and contention arise. So the law is paralyzed, and justice never goes forth. For the wicked surround the righteous; so justice goes forth perverted. (Habakkuk 1:1-4) Wickedness, idolatry, injustice—pride.  Judah no longer trusted in the Lord and it showed.  The heart of the people was far from God and those who were humble, who did lean on his grace were trampled under foot.  And Habakkuk knew it couldn't go on like this forever.  He knew the Lord's judgement on a wicked and faithless and proud people had to come soon.  And so he cried out to the Lord and the Lord assured him: “The righteous shall live by faith.”  In other words, the righteous will live the way they always do, regardless of circumstances: by faith in the grace and mercy and goodness of God—not in pride, but by faith.   Pride is insidious.  It can take any form in order to push out faith.  The Pharisees were, in most ways, so close—but in them pride twisted faith itself.  I wonder what Habakkuk would think of our world.  We now have a whole season devoted to pride.  At first it was a month, but now it just seems to go on and on: Pridetide, the unholy parody of Trinitytide.  At least the Pharisees were prideful for their good works.  Today, the wicked and perverted announce their sins with pride and their “ally” lackies signal their virtue as loudly as possible.  And the wealthy and the powerful, governments and corporation and businesses big and small join in the litany of pride and woe to anyone who dares to dissent and on whom the scorn and wrath of the Pride Pharisees falls.  The more things change, the more they stay the same.  The proud are always convinced of their own righteousness and standing before God. And yet Jesus told so many stories in which the proud—so sure of their righteous standing—ended up finding themselves in the outer darkness, weeping and gnashing their teeth, while the tax collectors and sinners—having discovered the mercy and grace of God, having repented in faith—found themselves welcomed into the feast.  Again, pride and faith are polar opposites, mutually exclusive. And I think this is why the church, for the Eleventh Sunday after Trinity, has coupled this Gospel about the Pharisee and the tax collector with St. Paul's affirmation of faith at the beginning of 1 Corinthians 15.  He begins with the gospel, with the good news about Jesus.  He writes: “Let me remind you, Brother [and Sisters], about the good news which I announced to you.”  I love the way it works in Greek.  Paul talks about the gospel that he gospelled to them.  The gospel is the best news ever.  It's the news that changes everything.  It's the news that dispels—or, at any rate, it should dispel—any ideas we have about being proud of ourselves.  Because Paul goes on and says, “You received this good news, and you're standing firm on it, and you are saved through it, if you hold fast the message I announced—I gospelled—to you.  Unless it was for nothing that you believed.” These were men and women who had stood on all sorts of things.  Some of them were Jews and once they had stood on that: on their circumcision, on their sabbath keeping, on their general keeping of torah.  Some of them were Gentiles.  They'd stood on their pagan gods, or on the emperor, or on their philosophies.  But then Paul came and he gospelled the gospel.  He announced the good news and it changed everything.  Or, at least it did for a time.  And then pride started creeping back in.  It's insidious.  And as pride crept in, it pushed faith in the good news out.  And Paul says of that good news: “What I handed on to you at the beginning, you see, was what I received, namely this: The Messiah died for our sins in accordance with the scriptures, he was buried, he was raised on the third day in accordance with the scriptures, he was seen by Cephas, then by the twelve, then he was seen by over five hundred brothers and sisters all at once, most of whom are still with us, though some fell asleep, then he was seen by James, then by all the apostles.” The good news is that Jesus died and Jesus was raised and that it happened just as God had promised in the scriptures.  Jesus led his people in a new exodus and in that exodus he revealed God's mercy and grace and God's power and might and glory.  He revealed God's faithfulness to his promises.  In Jesus' death sins are forgiven and in his resurrection the life of God, his new creation began.  If the exodus from Egypt and all it revealed about God and its annual remembrance every year in the Passover could dispel Israel's pride and fill the people with faith in their God, how much more should this new exodus from sin and death dispel our pride and bring us humbly in faith to God through Jesus?  If we will only believe and trust. That was Paul's problem.  He was filled with pride.  He refused and refused and refused.  He persecuted the church.  But as a testimony to the patient grace of God, Paul goes on.  He writes, “And last of all, as to one untimely born, he appeared even to me.”  It's hard to say exactly what he means here when he says “untimely born”.  The word in question is only used this one time in the New Testament, but it refers to a premature birth.  It could be a miscarriage or premature birth where the baby lives, but it could also refer to a child monstrously deformed by having been born premature.  It may be that some people in Corinth who didn't like Paul called him a monster because of his appearance and Paul is humble owning the accusation.  But the key thing, what Paul's getting at is the risen Jesus—not just a vision of Jesus but the real, live living Jesus—appeared to him last of all and Paul wants to stress that he didn't deserve it.  “I'm the least of the apostles,” he writes.  “In fact, I don't really deserve to be called ‘apostle' at all, because I persecuted God's church.  But I am what I am because of God's grace, and his grace to me wasn't wasted.” Paul has been the epitome of the proud Pharisee.  And then he met Jesus on the road to Damascus and every last bit of his pride came crashing down around him.  Seeing Jesus alive was the proof that the gospel was true and if the gospel was true, none of the things in which Paul had prided himself mattered any more.  The only thing that mattered was faith—faith in Jesus the Messiah who died and rose again.  Paul knew he didn't deserve that vision of Jesus.  He didn't deserve the grace of God.  But there it was.  God had given his son to die, so that Paul, the proud Pharisee could live.  And ditto for everyone in the church in Corinth.  God gave his son to die so that those other Jews there could live.  He gave his son to die so that soldier proud of his devotion to Caesar or the prostitute proud of her devotion Aphrodite or the witch proud of her magic or the philosopher proud of his philosophy could live.  Each one of them, confronted with the gospel had their pride dispelled and that same gospel filled them with faith in the living God and his son who died and rose again.  And forever after they came to him in humility to fall on his grace and to praise him for his merciful lovingkindness.  Even Paul, after all he accomplished as a missionary apostle, writes to them: “I am what I am because of the grace of God, and his grace to me wasn't wasted.  On the contrary, I worked harder than all of them—though it wasn't me, but God's grace which was within me.  So whether it was me or them, that was the way we announced it, and that was the way you believed.”  Paul won't even take credit for what had happened in Corinth as a result of the gospel being preached.  It wasn't Paul's skill or his reasoning or his apologetics.  It was the grace of God. Brothers and Sisters, be captivated by the grace of God on display at the cross.  There God displayed his glory and that glory ought to dispel every last bit of pride we have—whatever it is we take pride in.  The gospel shines so brightly, it exposes the things in which we take pride as filthy rags in comparison.  And when pride is gone, then the gospel—this good news of God's saving grace, this good news about the God who humbled himself to take our form and to die for us so that we, his enemies can be his friends again, good news of the god who gave his own life to forgive our sins, that good news ought to fill us with faith overflowing.  So Brothers and Sisters, hear the good news about Jesus this morning.  How he died and rose again for you.  Not because you are so great, but because he loves you—his precious creation so much—hear that good news in the scriptures and in the liturgy and when you come to his Table.  Let it dispel all pride; be humbled by the gospel, and be filled instead with faith.  In the midst of a broken word, faith in the living God will begin to set things to rights, not pride in ourselves.  Faith in the living God, not pride in ourselves, is our real and lasting source of hope. Let's pray: Lord God, you declare your almighty power most chiefly in showing mercy and pity: mercifully grant to us such a measure of your grace, that we, running the way of your commandments, may receive your gracious promises, and be made partakers of your heavenly treasure; through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord, who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever.  Amen.

Tracklist and more info: https://www.bestdrumandbass.com/podcast558/#NEUROWEIRDO week is here! This week the newcomer ICHOR steps into the guest mix to celebrate his epic debut on Abducted LTD with an absolutely wicked guest mix, and you know as always Bad Syntax is in the resident mix to kick things off proper! LOCK IT IN, AND ROCK IT OUT, your weekend has begun!Subscribe to the podcast: bestdnb.com/podcastICHOR - The Pursuit / Running from Invasion [OUT NOW on Abducted LTD]Download / Stream: bestdrumandbass.com/altd126/Supported by: Ed Rush, Aphrodite, Bytecode, Future Signal, Scout 22, Stonx, Sindicate, Pish Posh, Diode, Jane Doe DNB, Metric, Bad Ace, The Smell of Males, MYGR, Direct Shift, Korax, Lee UHF, Nox and more!

Tracklist and more info: https://www.bestdrumandbass.com/podcast557/ ‎WE ARE BACK FROM THE WOODS! I want to kick off with a MASSIVE thank you to everyone who treked through the NC heat to see us, it was such a wild weekend with friends old and new! This week we have the debut of Conductor, a new up and coming name in the NADNB scene who has been pushing hard through the recent year and making waves. Lock it in, your weekend has begun!Subscribe to the podcast: bestdnb.com/podcast  ICHOR - The Pursuit / Running from Invasion [OUT NOW on Abducted LTD]Download / Stream: bestdrumandbass.com/altd126/Supported by: Ed Rush, Aphrodite, Bytecode, Future Signal, Scout 22, Stonx, Sindicate, Pish Posh, Diode, Jane Doe DNB, Metric, Bad Ace,The Smell of Males, MYGR, Direct Shift, Korax, Lee UHF, Nox and more!

On today's chapter of Dog Days - the twentieth (only 10 more to go!) - Kit is taken, by boat, back to the underground Temple of Aphrodite. Morning is coming, and he hopes his sister, Bel Imperia's prisoner, is still alive.Yet, the court is in a state of jubilation. They believe they have killed 'The Kasal' - the wizard responsible for so many deaths.Though is the severed head on the pike beside the throne the right one?And do curses still work even after the person who wove them has perished?Three Ravens is an English Myth and Folklore podcast hosted by award-winning writers Martin Vaux and Eleanor Conlon.Released on Mondays, each weekly episode focuses on one of England's 39 historic counties, exploring the history, folklore and traditions of the area, from ghosts and mermaids to mythical monsters, half-forgotten heroes, bloody legends, and much, much more. Then, and most importantly, the pair take turns to tell a new version of an ancient story from that county - all before discussing what that tale might mean, where it might have come from, and the truths it reveals about England's hidden past...Bonus Episodes are released on Thursdays plus Local Legends episodes on Saturdays - interviews with acclaimed authors, folklorists, podcasters and historians with unique perspectives on that week's county.With a range of exclusive content on Patreon, too, including audio ghost tours, the Three Ravens Newsletter, and monthly Three Ravens Film Club episodes about folk horror films from across the decades, why not join us around the campfire and listen in?Learn more at www.threeravenspodcast.com, join our Patreon at www.patreon.com/threeravenspodcast, and find links to our social media channels here: https://linktr.ee/threeravenspodcastThree Ravens is a myth and folklore podcast hosted by Eleanor Conlon and Martin Vaux.In each Monday episode we explore a historic county, digging into heritage, folklore and traditions, then we tell a new version of a legend from that county. Bonus Episodes are released on Thursdays and Saturdays.Visit our website Join our Patreon Social media channels and sponsors Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

thanks for spending a few days of my magical week with me! chapters:day one - patreon readings + abundance workings: (0:55)day two - aphrodite + my temple to the greek gods: (9:47)surprise!! unbox a santa muerte package with me: (28:56)day three - italian folk magic + chitchat: (36:19)book a reading with me (mediumship, tarot, italian evil eye, italian cures and more):https://tinyurl.com/4c399c9smy store:luca divina | my italian folk magic storehttps://tinyurl.com/3khs3nbmstyx and bones temple (my temple to the greek gods, our patreon + podcast):https://beacons.ai/styxandbonessfollow me on socials:https://www.instagram.com/highpriestesschelseabusiness inquiries and questions:chelseatheghostwhisperer@gmail.comtags: italian folk magic, italian witchcraft, stregheria, italian american magic, ancestral magic, mediterranean folk magic, catholic folk practices, mediumship, psychic medium, tarot readings, oracle readings, cozy witch vlog, spiritual vlog, mystical week in my life, aphrodite altar, greek gods worship, greek mythology, ancient greek religion, hellenic polytheism, styx and bones temple, goddess worship, modern paganism, pagan spirituality, folk magic traditions

Tracklist and more info: https://www.bestdrumandbass.com/podcast556MY FRIENDS! As you read this I am on a mission across our country to prepare for absolute bassline domination in the woods of North Carolina! DVS joins me this week and together we get this weekend started just right, so tune in and tune out, your weekend has begun! NO SOUNDCLOUD UPLOAD THIS WEEK, SUBSCRIBERS ONLY!LOST IN THE WOODS 2025 IS THIS WEEKEND!CLICK HERE to read more info and buy tickets!Subscribe to the podcast: bestdnb.com/podcast  ICHOR - The Pursuit / Running from Invasion [OUT NOW on Abducted LTD]Download / Stream: bestdrumandbass.com/altd126/Supported by: Ed Rush, Aphrodite, Bytecode, Future Signal, Scout 22, Stonx, Sindicate, Pish Posh, Diode, Jane Doe DNB, Metric, Bad Ace, The Smell of Males, MYGR, Direct Shift, Korax, Lee UHF, Nox and more!

Lauren is going full on lover girl for a summer of love with Phoenicia Rogerson and her second book Aphrodite. They cover thousands of years of mythology guided by a goddess? who admits straight away that she lies. They get into the two origin stories of her and fitting that into an already confusing timeline and theres obvious obligatory spoilersTell us what you've been loving....

The Queen of the Olympian gods is swallowed whole by her father at birth and then marries her brother Zeus, who turns himself into a cuckoo to seduce her. Hera, or Juno to the Romans, has her triumphs. She adds the eyes to the tail feathers of her sacred bird the peacock by plucking them from the hundred-eyed monster Argos. And in the Iliad she dons a magic bra given to her by Aphrodite to persuade Zeus to support the Greeks against the Trojans. Her loyalty to the Greeks begins when Trojan prince Paris doesn't choose her as the most beautiful. She then devotes her life to persecuting him and his people. Perhaps a slight overreaction. But is Hera a monster or just mistreated by the undisputed worst husband of all time?At a packed out solo show recorded at the Hay Festival Natalie puts the case for and against.'Rockstar mythologist' Natalie Haynes is the best-selling author of 'Divine Might', 'Stone Blind', and 'A Thousand Ships' as well as a reformed comedian who is a little bit obsessive about Ancient Greek and Rome.Producer...Beth O'Dea

In this bonus episode, Dr. Christian Körner takes us into the world of Iron Age Cyprus and its city-kingdoms, exploring the foundation myths that shaped their identities. With legendary figures like Pygmalion, who fashioned a statue that came to life; Myrrha, the tragic mother of Adonis; and Teucer, the exiled half-brother of Ajax who is said to have founded Salamis. Other examples include Acamas, son of Theseus, who was linked to the founding of Soli; Agapenor, the Arcadian king who settled in Paphos after the Trojan War; and Kinyras, the mythical king of Cyprus associated with Aphrodite's cult and with musical and priestly traditions that echo Greek heroic ideals. Körner explains how these myths should be seen as intentional histories, crafted to serve political, cultural, or even propagandistic purposes at the time they were written down. While many stories link Cypriot origins to Athenian or Homeric heroes, others, like those of Amathus and Paphos, emphasize local roots. He also highlights how these myths often aimed to explain place names, assert legitimacy, or reinforce alliances—effectively serving as ancient “branding campaigns” for the cities, reinforcing cultural ties while also asserting the island's unique local identity.

Katherine St. Asaph makes her Pop Pantheon debut for the third in our four-part series on Kylie Minogue. Louie and Katherine discuss Kylie's life-changing cancer diagnosis and the celebratory record that followed her public battle with the disease 2007's X. Then they tackle Kylie's later era run of records, from 2010's Aphrodite through to 2020's Disco, when led into her third moment in the American zeitgeist with "Padam Padam" nearly 40 years into her career.Join us next week for part 4, in which we'll debate Kylie's ranking in The Official Pop Pantheon. Listen to our Kylie Minogue Essentials PlaylistJoin Pop Pantheon: All Access, Our Patreon Channel, for Exclusive Content and MoreGorgeous Gorgeous NYC on August 8Shop Merch in Pop Pantheon's StoreFollow Pop Pantheon on InstagramFollow DJ Louie XIV on InstagramFollow DJ Louie XIV on Twitter

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2 Corinthians 13:11-14 - Rejoice, Live in Peace, and Receive God's Grace Please turn to 2 Corinthians 13 verses 11-14. That is on page 1153 in the pew Bibles. It's always bittersweet to finish a sermon series. On the one hand, I wish it wasn't coming to an end because 2 Corinthians has been such a blessing. On the other hand, it's good to move on to other books of the Bible and be blessed and challenged in different ways. So, this will be our last sermon in this series. Next week, we are going to have a missions focused Sunday. And then after that, stay tuned. Let's now come to these concluding words of 2 Corinthians. This is inspired, inerrant God's Word, given through the apostle Paul. Reading of 2 Corinthians 13:11-14 Prayer Every book of the Bible, in different ways, relates to our culture and the church, today. Sometimes, the connection is more direct. Other times it is more indirect. Well, in 2 Corinthians we've seen many direct parallels. I think the reason is that the city of Corinth is like our culture today. It was a confluence of many backgrounds, beliefs, and idols. If you remember, it was a Roman city in Greece. The city had been resettled about 100 years earlier by Julius Ceasar. It therefore boasted of Roman authority and power but being on the Achaia peninsula in Greece, it was still influence by Greek philosophy and gods. The temple of Aphrodite – the goddess of love – overlooked the city. That unholy influence increased the city's sexual promiscuity and prostitution. Furthermore, it was also a major port city. People and goods travelling east and west would travel through Corinth. That made it a desirable place to live for many people from many cultures. You had sea merchants and other traders capitalizing on its primary industry. Other entrepreneurs set up shop to profit off of the all travelers. Since it was a rather new city, Roman and Greek nobles came to fill in the vacuums of political power. Put this all together, Corinth was very cosmopolitan. It was a melting pot of people groups with diverse religious, political, and commercial interests and backgrounds. Sound familiar? I don't think there's any major international city today that doesn't share some of the same characteristics, at least to one extent or another… the Atlanta area included. Think about the effect on the church. The world's philosophies and priorities were pressing in on the church in Corinth. And it wasn't just a single cultural influence; it was a combination of all those influences. That made it even more difficult for the church to filter out truth from error and righteousness from sinfulness. And it's the same thing today. Yes, there are different influences, but they are surprisingly similar. And like every generation in the past, those influences affect the church. Someone asked me the other day whether there was a particular teaching in the church today that 2 Corinthians directly confronts. And the answer is yes. 2 Corinthians directly confronts the Prosperity Gospel. As you know, the prosperity gospel has come up several times over these last few months. It teaches a false theology of suffering, an idolatrous view of money, and a perverted Gospel – a gospel not based on faith in what Christ has done on the cross and in his resurrection, but a false gospel that is socially conceived; focusing on earthly health and wealth and not faith in Christ alone. And, of course, it lines the pockets of the prosperity preachers. So, the false apostles in Corinth, which Paul called “super apostles” are in many ways analogous to prosperity Gospel preachers today. They not only perverted the truth, but arrogantly exalted themselves, their social status, and their worldly credentials. Now, to be sure, it's not a perfect parallel. The church in Corinth had its unique challenges, but the parallels to Prosperity preaching are there. And you can see some of those parallels in the various things that Paul has been addressing in the book. We've come across several of them. In summary, there have been five streams of teaching that have dealt with the issues in Corinth. They include: 1. Number 1, Authentic ministry. Not only has the apostle Paul over and over defended his apostleship, but in doing so, he has laid the foundation to true and authentic ministry. A faithful church and a faithful minister is humble and seeks to reflect Christ. Faithful churches and pastors pursue integrity and sincerity and point to Christ, not themselves. As Paul put it just a couple verses earlier, they build up and don't tear down. Those are the signs of faithful ministries. 2. A second stream that has come up multiple times is strength through weakness. That is, the strength of Christ in the weakness of our human flesh. 2 Corinthians has given us rich truths that we can hold on to in our weaknesses and suffering. Rather than try to summarize it here, let me just remind you of those verses. ·      Chapter 1: “[God] comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God." ·      Chapter 4: “…we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us.” It's speaking about the treasure of the Gospel given to us which we have in our frail bodies. ·      How about this one: “For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen, which are eternal…” ·      And one more, chapter 12… “But he said to me [that is, the Lord said to Paul], 'My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.' Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me.” There are others. What God has done in 2 Corinthians is reorient our doctrine of suffering. God uses our suffering to remind us of his strength that we may rely on him, because when we are weak, then we are strong. 3. Ok, the third stream – God's Covenant promises of old have been fulfilled in Christ – in his Gospel. Through Jesus, the old covenant has been fulfilled. Remember, “For all the promises of God find their Yes in him. That is why it is through him that we utter our Amen to God for his glory.” This one has particular relevance to Corinth given some of the Jewish influences. The false apostles were trying to drag the people back into the forms and practices of the old covenant. But remember, those old forms and practices (like the sacrifices and festivals) were shadows of what was to come. Remember, the moon and planets reflect the sun, which is the source. It's a similar idea. Chapter 3 was all about this correction. The 10 commandments condemn us, but Christ has redeemed us. Chapter 5 gave us amazing truths. Verse 17 “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.” And you've heard me say that 5:21 is in my mind, the clearest single verse that articulates the Gospel. “For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” God made him, that is Jesus, to be sin for us, that we may receive his righteousness. 4. Number 4 – the fourth category. Giving and wealth. The middle chapters, 7-9, spoke of the grace of giving. Paul testified to Corinth that the Macedonians, though they were poor from a worldly standpoint, gave generously out of their poverty. The church has a responsibility to support the church. However, giving is not a means to salvation or a means to a better life, as today's false prosperity teachers say. No, rather, giving is a response to the grace of God in Christ. “For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you by his poverty might become rich.” It's not talking about earthly riches but the riches of grace in Christ Jesus. Salvation and hope in him. The ultimate motivation for our giving is the grace of God in Christ. 5. And then the last thing – the last stream, number 5. Repentance and restoration. The whole letter, in a sense, is a call to repentance. Repentance and restoration have been key themes throughout. That's because the church in Corinth's beliefs and practices and lifestyle looked more like the Roman and Greek culture around them rather than the beliefs and practices and lifestyle that God had revealed to them in his Word and through his true apostles. That message is a message for every church and every believer in every generation. We are all tempted to trust in the things of this world and conform our beliefs to the philosophy of this world, rather than putting our trust in God and seeking to be conformed to him by faith. Chapter 10, we should “take every thought captive to obey Christ” and last week, chapter 13, we should therefore “examine ourselves.” So 5 emphases, 5 streams of correction which broadly speaking, the church in Corinth needed to hear. Not every individual, but the church as a whole, which is why at the beginning of this chapter the apostle warned of judgment if they did not to repent. Paul prayed for and entreated them to repent. The big question is, did the church in Corinth actually repent? Did they return to God in Christ in faithfulness? And I have an answer for you. But you'll have to wait a couple more minutes. First, let's actually get into our text this morning. I know we're more than halfway through our usual time, but I think that review was helpful both as a conclusion to our series as well as context for these final verses. So let's look at them. First look at verse 11. Paul calls them “brothers.” Last week, remember, he had just dropped the hammer of judgment - the warning of judgment. And now he reminds them that they are brothers and sisters in Christ. And I want you to think back on our study of 2 Corinthians. Really, Paul had been writing to two groups in the church. One, the faithful believers. He is thankful that their godly grief has produced repentance. He wrote that in chapter 7. In chapter 8, he called on them to also excel in the grace of giving, just like in other areas. But Paul has also been very direct at times with those who were not walking in godliness and truth. Some in the church were following the false apostles. Remember from chapter 11, some were “putting up with them readily enough.” And in chapter 12, Paul fears that they will not repent. Nonetheless, they are all in the church and they are therefore brothers and sisters. He says, “finally brothers” In other words, listen to me for you are my church family. And then notice that he gives them 5 imperatives in verses 11. That's a lot! Five commands in one verse. And each of them connects in different ways to the rest of the letter. Let's briefly consider these commands. He begins with “rejoice!” That specific Greek word for “rejoice” includes a sense that is not captured in our English word rejoice. It's rejoicing in sadness or suffering. That is how it is used in chapter 6, “though sorrowful, we are rejoicing.” And that particular emphasis of rejoicing in suffering, directly relates to the second command in verse 11. Look at it. “Comfort one another.” That brings us all the way back to chapter 1. Comfort one another in your affliction because you share in both the affliction and comfort of Christ. The next one is also very connected to the rest of the book. “aim for restoration.” It's a recognition that restoration is not always possible. But as much as it depends on you, aim for restoration. Do what you can to restore those who have wandered from God's truth and word. Remember from last week, Paul desired their restoration. Even if one of the so-called super apostles repented, he should be restored to the family of faith. Aim for restoration. The last two imperatives in verse 11 are related. “agree with one another” and “live in peace.” That's one of the things that the church in Corinth struggled with. Unity. Remember, the city had people from all over… people from different cultural backgrounds. Scattered throughout 1st and 2nd Corinthians, we are given glimpses of the makeup of the church. The church had Jewish background believers in Christ. It had gentile believers from both lower classes in society and from wealthy families. It had Greeks, Romans, some from northern Africa (that's where Apollos was from) and likely some people from Asia. Given the diversity, they struggled to get along. They often sinned against one another by quarrelling or slandering or gossip. That struggle has been well documented. And God calls them, through Paul, to agree with one another and to live in peace. Do you see how verse 11 is like a summary? Then after those 5 imperatives, he says, “and the God of love and peace will be with you.” Living in harmony in Christ with one another will bring to bear the love and peace of God. In other words, with all their troubles, the Corinthians were not experiencing God's love and peace. It's not that they didn't have the love of God or peace from God, but all their troubles suppressed that love and peace. It's very difficult to live in a community or family where people are always at odds with one another. I've never experienced that, but I've known plenty who have. It fosters relational sin that at times can spiral out of control if the forgiveness and grace of Christ does not prevail. That forgiveness and grace needed to prevail in Corinth. It needs to prevail in every church. That's a good word for us. And then Paul says, “greet one another with a holy kiss!” This refers to a brotherly or sisterly kind of kiss. Most believe it refers to kissing someone on the cheek – Kind of like in Italy or France today. The point is to show some kind of affection to each other. It's a sign of commitment. Paul desired them to be with one another in person and display love and devotion because they were united together in Christ. You can't do that if you remain in your little tribes and only talk to your people. There's something about being together and displaying your brotherly or sisterly affection to one another that disarms conflict. A parallel today could be communicating in the digital world. You know, we send emails and texts. And sometimes, we inadvertently imply something that we didn't intend. Or someone assumes something based on how we worded something. But when you are in person, many of those opportunities for miscommunication go away. I am not saying that we should only communicate in person. In fact, that's what this letter was, a written word. But Paul was on his way there to be with them in person. And he wanted them to be with present with one another. And he adds, “All the saints greet you.” It was a reminder that all the believers from all the churches are bound together in Christ. We greet one another knowing that we share the amazing promises of God in him. The Corinthians were not alone. No, they shared their faith in Christ with the poor Jewish believers in Jerusalem. And with the churches of north Africa. And with the Macedonians and those in Asia minor. The were all brothers and sisters in Christ. Ok, before we get to this great benediction in verse 14, let's return to the question. Did the church in Corinth repent? Were the false apostles kicked out or even better come to know the truth and grace of Christ? Did those causing division and those living unholy lives return to faithful living in Chist? Did they follow through on their commitment to give to the poor saints in Jerusalem? And the answer is, yes. Or I should probably say all indications are yes, they did. In the beginning of Acts 20 we're told that Paul spent 3 months in southern Greece. There is no mention of conflict in the church. Furthermore, at the end of Romans in chapter 15, Paul confirms that yes, the church in Achaia, where Corinth was, contributed to the saints in Jerusalem. And that is all consistent with the report that Titus brought to Paul earlier in chapter 7 – repentant hearts. The work of the Holy Spirit, through Paul as a true apostle appears to have unified the church in Corinth. As he's writing these final words, Paul doesn't know what will happen… But he nonetheless concludes his letter with a great benediction. It's one of the two most used benedictions in Scripture. The other being the Aaronic benediction from Numbers 6. In fact, 2 Corinthians 13:14 is one of the main trinitarian verses in Scripture. God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ… that is, the grace that saves and the grace that sustains us. It is that grace which has been the central emphasis of every single chapter in this book - the grace found in the cross of Christ, which restores and reconciles. May that grace be the center of our ministry and lives. And may the love of God… that is, the love of God the Father who gave his son for us. A love greater than any love anywhere at any time. It is a love that we did not deserve, but a love which God nonetheless poured out on us. And may the fellowship of the Holy Spirit… that is the unifying work of God through his Spirit who has brought us together in Christ. It is the only thing that can break down the walls of hostility and make us one body, because he has broken down the walls in our hearts and made us one people in Christ. May God who is three in one, in all these ways, bless and keep us, just as he did for the Corinthians. Amen? I want to encourage you to re-read 2 Corinthians this week. I think you'll be blessed to be reminded about all that we've studied.

2 new mishnayot! First, an alternative to taking a graven image to the Dead Sea - grind it off (but then the leavings become fertilizer, which would be getting benefit from it). With a parallel to improper use of that which had been consecrated, including that which emptied into the Kidron Valley (a story of King Asa), where fertilizer was less in use... Also, the story of Rabban Gamliel and the rebuke that comes his way for being in the bathhouse of Aphrodite (he has several defenses).

Emerging from the ancestral depths of the Fourth House, we enter the vibrant, sun-drenched Fifth—a radiant palace where creativity, pleasure, and passion dance freely. This episode invites you into a profound exploration of the Fifth House not merely as astrological territory, but as the sacred space where your most essential self yearns to play.We uncover the distinction between bios (the linear story of life) and zoe (the indestructible life force) that Carl Kerényi elaborates in his work on Dionysus. This eternal flame resonates at the core of the Fifth House—where your capacity for joy and creation remains undimmed despite life's challenges. Like the sun that rises reliably each morning, this inner light represents the persistent heart of your being.Venus finds her joy here, reveling in pleasure without purpose. The Fifth House invites you to create not for acclaim or outcome, but for the pure delight of creation itself. Through exploring myths like Tristan and Isolde's intoxicating romance and Dionysus's wild revelry, we discover how this house beckons us back to the mystery of our sensuous, animal bodies and the timelessness that flows when we're lost in play.What blocks your access to Fifth House treasures? Perhaps family scripts taught that pleasure is selfish, or heartbreak hardened protective layers around your capacity for joy. Through understanding myths like Narcissus, we glimpse how true self-knowledge becomes the path toward authentic expression.Join us for this illuminating journey into your creative core—where your inner child awaits rediscovery, where romance first sparked your heart, and where the process of becoming truly, uniquely yourself begins. Your Fifth House holds the key to reconnecting with that inextinguishable divine spark within—ready to warm not just yourself, but everyone around you.Artwork: La Belle Dame Sans Merci, Frank Dicksee, 1901Dionysos: Archetypal Image of Indestructible Life, Carl KerenyiPodcast Musician: Marlia CoeurPlease consider becoming a Patron to support the show!Go to OnTheSoulsTerms.com for more.

Episode No. 6 of Golf's Next GEN features Aphrodite Deng, two-time Rolex Junior All-American, 2023 Junior All-Star Team member, and the current No. 1 player in the Rolex AJGA Rankings. Aphrodite talks about her path to the top of junior golf, playing alongside Nelly Korda at the Mizuho Americas Open, and competing at events like the Augusta National Women's Amateur and U.S. Girls' Junior. From balancing high expectations to staying grounded through the grind, Aphrodite shares what fuels her both on and off the course.

It is Geraldine's belief that beauty and love are sorely missing from our lives right now, and we could do worse than summon the archetypal energies of  the goddess Aphrodite. Join Geraldine and I for a chat about beauty, powerful women, and her new book - AWAKENING to APHRODITE'S LIGHTLove, Beauty & the Divine Feminine.About Geraldine:As a writer and researcher, Geraldine focuses on the topics of personal and spiritual development, Divine Feminine consciousness, the transformative powers of love and beauty, and mind/body healing. As a psychologist, she takes an integrative approach informed by scientific advances in psychology, as well as the wisdom of many traditional Western and Eastern health disciplines.She received her PhD from the University of British Columbia in Counselling Psychology and has also pursued advanced formal education in Jungian, Transpersonal, and Energy Psychologies, as well as informal studies in a variety of esoteric and holistic health-related subjects. She lives and works in Vancouver, BC.Sign up for Geraldine's free guide "Seven sensuous steps to creating a home for the goddess in you" : https://www.geraldinesbrooks.com/sevenstepsYou can find "Awakening to Aphrodite's Light" in all good online bookstores.✨

Tracklist and more info: https://www.bestdrumandbass.com/podcast552/OH SHIT, its my birthday! Were going in with an extra heavy mix, and we have a top notch guest mix by the man FUTCH to round things out. Thank you to everyone whos reached out, and make sure to lock it in for this one. Your weekend soundtrack has arrived! Subscribe to the podcast: bestdnb.com/podcast  MoteXx ft Xyno & S.I.O.N – Amplifi / Breaking [OUT NOW on Abducted LTD]Download / Stream: bestdrumandbass.com/altd124/Supported by: Bytecode, Aphrodite, Diode, Jane Doe DNB, ABELYN, Manta, MV, Sindicate, FauxRealz, 9thwave, Stonerice, Scout 22, Nightstalker, DJ Mag, Inside Dnb, Nox, Lee UHF and more

Tracklist and more info: https://www.bestdrumandbass.com/podcast551/Back at it with an extra jet fueled pack of goodness! We are celebrating the release of the newest Abducted LTD single by Motexx, and we have a wicked guest mix by AnnGree to get your weekend moving. Lock it in, its time to rock out!Subscribe to the podcast: bestdnb.com/podcast  MoteXx ft Xyno & S.I.O.N – Amplifi / Breaking [OUT NOW on Abducted LTD]Download / Stream: bestdrumandbass.com/altd124/Supported by: Bytecode, Aphrodite, Diode, Jane Doe DNB, ABELYN, Manta, MV, Sindicate, FauxRealz, 9thwave, Stonerice, Scout 22, Nightstalker, DJ Mag, Inside Dnb, Nox, Lee UHF and more

01. Calvin Harris, Camelphat - I'm Not Alone (Record Mix) 02. Axwell - Nobody Else (Record Mix) 03. Gadjo - So Many Times (Record Mix) 04. Fedde Le Grand - Put Your Hands Up For (Record Mix) 05. Bodyrox - Yeah Yeah (Record Mix) 06. David Guetta - The World Is Mine (Record Mix) 07. Pakito - Living on Video (Record Mix) 08. Discobitch - C'est Beau La Bourgeoisie (Record Mix) 09. E-squire, Jolyon Petch - Rhythm Is A Dancer (Record Mix) 10. Avicii, Sebastien Drums - My Feelings For You (Record Mix) 11. Global Deejays - Sound Of San Francisco (Record Mix) 12. DJ Antoine, Beat Shakers - Ma Cherie (Record Mix) 13. Aphrodite, Deadly Hunta, Aj - Ganja Man (Record Mix) 14. Alice Deejay - Better Of Alone (Record Mix) 15. Klubbheads - Here We Go (Record Mix) 16. Barthezz - On The Move (Record Mix) 17. Flo Rida, Pitbull - Can't Believe It (Record Mix) 18. Freaks, Vandalism - The Creeps (Get on the Dancefloor) (Record Mix) 19. Armin Van Buuren - We Are Here To Make Some Noise (Record Mix) 20. Martin Garrix, Usher - Don't Look Down (Record Mix) 21. Faithless - Insomnia (Record Mix) 22. Afrojack, Quintino - Selecta (Record Mix) 23. Player, Remady - No Superstar (Record Mix) 24. Benny Benassi, Gary Go - Cinema (Record Mix) 25. Deadmau5, Gartner - Animal Rights (Record Mix) 26. Hardwell, Chris Jones - Young Again (Record Mix) 27. Ian Carey, Micelle Shellers - Keep On Rising (Record Mix) 28. Olav Basoski, Mitchie One - Waterman (Record Mix) 29. Justice, Simian - We Are Your Friends (Record Mix)

John 19:38-42After these things, Joseph of Arimathea, a follower of Jesus, though a secret one because of his fear of the Jews, came to Pilate and asked if he could take away the body of Jesus. Pilate gave him permission; so he came to remove his body. Nicodemus, who at first had come to Jesus by night also came, bringing with him a mixture of myrrh and aloes weighing about one hundred pounds. They took the body, wrapping it in the spices and linens, according to the Jewish burial customs. Now, there was a garden in the place where Jesus had been crucified and in the garden there was a new tomb in which no one had ever been [buried.] So, because it was the Jewish Day of Preparation, and because the tomb was nearby, they laid the body of Jesus there. “The Primeval Mythology of Genesis: Creation”I've already heard some curiosity – maybe mixed with some cynical suspicion – about the title of this new sermon series: “The Primeval Mythology of Genesis.” Curiosity and suspicion aren't terrible things and I think it's the word “mythology” that stirs the pot for some people, which was kind of our goal. Part of the point with this next round of sermons is to remind ourselves and each other that we're called to read the Bible LITERATELY, not LITERALLY, and to see that its message and good news – its grace, hope, and promise – go deeper and wider when we do.So first, things, first … which is what “primeval” means, sort of … first things; of the earliest ages; the beginning of the beginning, you might say. The first eleven chapters of the Bible's first book are where we will spend our time the next few weeks. The good stuff before the good stuff. The stage-setting. The foundation. The genesis, is where we begin.And the word “mythology” rightly ruffles feathers if we are inclined to equate the foundational narrative of our faith story with the fables, fairy tales, and fictional “myths” of, say, the Greek gods (Zeus, Poseidon, Aphrodite, and the like); or Aesop's fables; or the tall tales of the wonderful world of Walt Disney. But that's not what we're up to.“Myth” and “mythology” can mean something more, something deeper from a theological perspective, which is what we plan to wrestle with. I would contend that, when we limit stories like creation, where we are beginning this morning, to all and only what we can glean from it LITERALLY, that that's precisely how and when we reduce it to something like a mere fable, a fairy tale, a fictional “myth,” rather than when we wonder about the holy, sacred, profound Truths that this story – and the others like it in Scripture – hold for our life and faith in this world. And where better to start than at the very beginning – “it's a very good place to start” – in the beginning, with the fact that, if we're honest, the two very different versions of creation that we just heard – from Chapters 1 and 2 of the same book – make it really hard to take either of them LITERALLY?I mean, those are two very different versions of the same story, right? (Many Bibles, like the ones we read from each Sunday, say it plainly. Chapter 2 is “another story of creation.”) The story in Chapter 1 tells of the day-by-day, very long work-week of the Almighty, who creates first this, and then that, with a break and no small measure of satisfaction between each.“…and God saw that it was good…” “…and God saw that it was good…” “…and God saw that it was good…”“…and there was evening and there was morning, the first day…” “…and there was evening and there was morning, the third day…” “…and there was evening and there was morning, the fifth day…”But Chapter 2 goes down altogether differently. In that version of creation, God – like some sort of holy potter, or divine craftsman, or sacred sculptor – makes a man from the dust, then plants a garden and puts him to work, then decides he could use a companion and some help, so then creates all the rest, and a woman, to boot.In version #2, we don't know which came first or next, on which day. And none of that matters.What matters is that God, something Divine, did something divine – created the heavens, the earth, and all that is in them. What matters is that it was and is good. What matters is that we are part of that goodness – you and I – and all people – created good, by God; and created for good, for God's sake.What matters, if you ask me, is that we stop reducing the Bible to some sort of prehistoric science book – the authors of which never could have known a thing about bunker-busting missiles or atomic bombs; about Gaza or the West Bank, as we know of them today; about electric cars, school shootings, cancer, chemo-therapy, Medicaid or social media. And that's okay. These stories have something to say to all of that – and to all of us – nonetheless.Because what the creation stories tells us – among so many other things – is that we are made in the image of the divine, even though we do so much to make that hard to believe. And we are made in the image of the divine, not just because we have heads, shoulders, knees, or toes……but we are made in the image of the Divine because we are made for community, like God; with the power to create and care about and have compassion, like God; that we have the capacity to do justice, like God; make sacrifices, like God; be generous, like God; forgive, like God; and love one another, like God.Oh, and this is important: the stories of creation make it very clear that none of us IS God and that we shouldn't try to be – which Pastor Cogan will get to next week, I believe.Instead, for now, let's let the stories of creation inspire within us what, I believe they were meant to inspire and to teach and to proclaim all along: a sense of reverence and awe about what God can do; a posture of humility and gratitude for our part in the grand scheme of things; and a response from each of us – and all of us together – that is generous, careful, and full of service that acknowledges our connection to all people and to the grand scheme of things.Because today's good news includes the notion that we are created “just a little lower than the angels” – as the Psalmist puts it – and that God calls us to live differently because of that Truth. God invites us to tend to and care for what belongs to God – the earth and all that is in it. God calls us to replenish what we use up – from the earth and from each other, too; to give more than we take, save, and keep for ourselves.So, what if these primeval creation stories are nothing more – and certainly nothing less – than prehistoric best efforts at describing something that cannot be described; that is too big for words; that are meant to love us and leave us in awe and wonder for what God has done for us – and hopes to do through us – for the sake of the world where we live?What if these primeval creation stories are nothing more – and certainly nothing less – than poetic prose from a prehistoric Mary Oliver, who could marvel at creation as well as anyone, as far as I'm concerned? Her poem Wild Geese, goes like this:You do not have to be good.You do not have to walk on your kneesfor a hundred miles through the desert, repenting.You only have to let the soft animal of your bodylove what it loves.Tell me about despair, yours, and I will tell you mine.Meanwhile the world goes on.Meanwhile the sun and the clear pebbles of the rainare moving across the landscapes,over the prairies and the deep trees,the mountains and the rivers.Meanwhile the wild geese, high in the clean blue air,are heading home again.Whoever you are, no matter how lonely,the world offers itself to your imagination,calls to you like the wild geese, harsh and exciting –over and over announcing your placein the family of things.What if the point of the creation stories is simply, and profoundly, to announce your place – and mine – in the family of things?And what if these primeval creation stories are nothing more – and certainly nothing less – than like clever song lyrics from a pre-historic John Prine, encouraging you, with a wink and smile to…“Blow up your TV, throw away your paperGo to the country, build you a homePlant a little garden, eat a lot of peachesTry and find Jesus on your own.”What if these primeval creation stories are nothing more – and certainly nothing less – than prehistoric pieces of art – trying to capture, with words, something like Van Gogh's “Starry Night”: or Monet's “Water Lilies”: or even Ansel Adams who, like the story tellers of Genesis, certainly had a thing for trees. But, speaking of John Prine, I hope the Gospel reading wasn't too on the nose this morning. But I wanted to connect all of this to Jesus, of course. Because it is as poetic and powerful to me that our faith story begins and ends, in a garden, sometimes.There aren't enough of even the most beautiful words, songs, poems, or prose to adequately convey the power of God's love in creation – or by way of the Word made flesh, in Jesus. And I think the two different versions of creation that we find in Genesis aren't in competition. They're just evidence and acknowledgment of that fact – of how grand and glorious and full of grace this God is that we worship.So I think it's a beautiful thing that both versions of creation's origin story – and the consummation of God's resurrection in Jesus … God's defeat of death … Christ's victory over Sin for our sake … I think it's beautiful that all of that, too, takes place in a garden – where light shines in the darkness; where the goodness of God bears fruit for the sake of the world; where sin never gets the last word; where we are all made and made new in God's image; and where hope rules, in spite of the chaos, because of the grace, mercy, and love of the God we know in Jesus.Amen

Tracklist and more info: https://www.bestdrumandbass.com/podcast550/It's that time of year again — fireworks in the sky and absolute fire in your speakers. The North American Producer Showcase (NAPS) is back for 2025, and we're coming in heavy! This year's edition is mixed by the powerhouse himself, Spiralus, who's stitched together a blazing lineup of tracks from some of the best and brightest across the continent.Packed with unreleased bangers, deep cuts, and relentless energy, this mix is a celebration of everything that makes the North American DnB scene so unstoppable. Lock in, crank it loud, and prepare for a ride — Your weekend has begun!Subscribe to the podcast: bestdnb.com/podcast MoteXx ft Xyno & S.I.O.N - Amplifi / Breaking [OUT NOW on Abducted LTD]Download / Stream: bestdnb.com/altd124Supported by: Bytecode, Aphrodite, Diode, Jane Doe DNB, ABELYN, Manta, MV, Sindicate, FauxRealz, 9thwave, Stonerice, Scout 22, Nightstalker, DJ Mag, Inside Dnb, Nox, Lee UHF and more

Tracklist and more info: https://www.bestdrumandbass.com/podcast549/ ‎WOO BOY! This week we have one hell of an episode for you! Purple Rain makes their debut in the guest mix, and we are prepping for the incoming MOTEXX release in the resident seat. Red hot fire all the way through, lets get the weekend started! Subscribe to the podcast: bestdnb.com/podcast  Anizo - Bunka / Live Again [OUT NOW on Abducted LTD]Download / Stream: bestdnb.com/altd123Supported by: Chris.Su, Eatbrain Radio, Aphrodite, Nuvertal, Bad Ace, Psidream, Doc Scott, 2Whales,Bytecode, Stonx, Sindicate, Insom, Nightstalker, Diode, Jane Doe DNB, Drone, Nox and more!

Today's guest is Kelly Balch—a queer, nonbinary artist, filmmaker, and intuitive storyteller whose work feels like both a mirror and a portal. With over 15 years behind the lens as a photographer and director, Kelly's creates mediums for us to be seen and celebrated. From their mythic fantasy book series Aphrodite's Sister, to their docuseries Beyond the Norms, Kelly weaves stories that celebrate identity and transformation.In this episode, we talk about their journey as a creator, how they channel emotion and authenticity into art, and what it means to live—and create—from a place of truth. So get comfy, stay open, and let's get into it.Follow Kelly Balch:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kellybalch/Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@kellybalchFollow She Comes With Baggage Podcast: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shecomeswithbaggage__Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@shecomeswithbaggage__Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@KirstiePike

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From goddess worship to womb magic, sacred sexuality to Sophia, this ideology isn't sacred - it's satanic. In this episode, I expose the ancient demonic spirits behind figures like Lilith, Isis, Aphrodite, Kali and more that represent the divine feminine embodiment. This is the lie the serpent whispered to Eve in the garden, now repackaged with filters and hashtags. ✨ If you've been drawn to the Divine Feminine, goddess energy, or feminine mysticism - I pray this is your wake-up call.

Tracklist and more info: https://www.bestdrumandbass.com/podcast548/ ‎We keep it moving! This week we welcome the debut of MagickTraxx with a wicked guest mix, and in the resident seat we are rocking out to celebrate the EPIC new Anizo release! Check the links below, and lets get this weekend started!ALSO - I mentioned in the podcast I would not be live next week, but I was incorrect, its the week following. We will be airing our annual NAPS mix that week!Subscribe to the podcast: bestdnb.com/podcast  Anizo - Bunka / Live Again [OUT NOW on Abducted LTD]Download / Stream: bestdnb.com/altd123Supported by: Chris.Su, Eatbrain Radio, Aphrodite, Nuvertal, Bad Ace, Psidream, Doc Scott, 2Whales,Bytecode, Stonx, Sindicate, Insom, Nightstalker, Diode, Jane Doe DNB, Drone, Nox and more!

Achilles. Agamemnon. Odysseus. Hector. The lives of these and many other men in the greatest epics of ancient Greece have been pored over endlessly in the past three millennia. But these are not just tales about heroic men. There are scores of women as well—complex, fascinating women whose stories have gone unexplored for far too long. In Penelope's Bones: A New History of Homer's World through the Women Written Out of It (University of Chicago Press, 2025), award-winning classicist and historian Dr. Emily Hauser pieces together compelling evidence from archaeological excavations and scientific discoveries to unearth the richly textured lives of women in Bronze Age Greece—the era of Homer's heroes. Here, for the first time, we come to understand the everyday lives and experiences of the real women who stand behind the legends of Helen, Briseis, Cassandra, Aphrodite, Circe, Athena, Hera, Calypso, Penelope, and more. In this captivating journey through Homer's world, Dr. Hauser explains era-defining discoveries, such as the excavation of Troy and the decipherment of Linear B tablets that reveal thousands of captive women and their children; more recent finds like the tomb of the Griffin Warrior at Pylos, whose tomb contents challenge traditional gender attributes; DNA evidence showing that groups of warriors buried near the Black Sea with their weapons and steeds were, in fact, Amazon-like female fighters; a prehistoric dye workshop on Crete that casts fresh light on “women's work” of dyeing, spinning, and weaving textiles; and a superbly preserved shipwreck off the coast of Turkey whose contents tell of the economic and diplomatic networks crisscrossing the Bronze Age Mediterranean. Essential reading for fans of Madeline Miller or Natalie Haynes, this riveting new history brings to life the women of the Bronze Age Aegean as never before, offering a groundbreaking reassessment of the ancient world. This interview was conducted by Dr. Miranda Melcher whose book focuses on post-conflict military integration, understanding treaty negotiation and implementation in civil war contexts, with qualitative analysis of the Angolan and Mozambican civil wars. You can find Miranda's interviews on New Books with Miranda Melcher, wherever you get your podcasts. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/new-books-network

Achilles. Agamemnon. Odysseus. Hector. The lives of these and many other men in the greatest epics of ancient Greece have been pored over endlessly in the past three millennia. But these are not just tales about heroic men. There are scores of women as well—complex, fascinating women whose stories have gone unexplored for far too long. In Penelope's Bones: A New History of Homer's World through the Women Written Out of It (University of Chicago Press, 2025), award-winning classicist and historian Dr. Emily Hauser pieces together compelling evidence from archaeological excavations and scientific discoveries to unearth the richly textured lives of women in Bronze Age Greece—the era of Homer's heroes. Here, for the first time, we come to understand the everyday lives and experiences of the real women who stand behind the legends of Helen, Briseis, Cassandra, Aphrodite, Circe, Athena, Hera, Calypso, Penelope, and more. In this captivating journey through Homer's world, Dr. Hauser explains era-defining discoveries, such as the excavation of Troy and the decipherment of Linear B tablets that reveal thousands of captive women and their children; more recent finds like the tomb of the Griffin Warrior at Pylos, whose tomb contents challenge traditional gender attributes; DNA evidence showing that groups of warriors buried near the Black Sea with their weapons and steeds were, in fact, Amazon-like female fighters; a prehistoric dye workshop on Crete that casts fresh light on “women's work” of dyeing, spinning, and weaving textiles; and a superbly preserved shipwreck off the coast of Turkey whose contents tell of the economic and diplomatic networks crisscrossing the Bronze Age Mediterranean. Essential reading for fans of Madeline Miller or Natalie Haynes, this riveting new history brings to life the women of the Bronze Age Aegean as never before, offering a groundbreaking reassessment of the ancient world. This interview was conducted by Dr. Miranda Melcher whose book focuses on post-conflict military integration, understanding treaty negotiation and implementation in civil war contexts, with qualitative analysis of the Angolan and Mozambican civil wars. You can find Miranda's interviews on New Books with Miranda Melcher, wherever you get your podcasts. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/literary-studies

At Styx and Bones, we don't just study the goddesses—we teach how we see ourselves reflected in them, speak their names, and develop archetypes based on their historical epithets to help us reflect, reconnect, and remember.In ancient Greek religion, goddesses weren't abstract. They were complex, multifaceted beings known through their epithets—names like Areia, Paphia, Enodia, or Soteira. These titles held real meaning in temples, rituals, and the lives of worshippers. Today, we research and reconstruct these forgotten threads—not just to recover history, but to reclaim our own stories through them.These archetypes, developed through our research at the temple. are more than categories—they're mirrors. They help us see ourselves reflected in the divine, and understand how each aspect of the goddess teaches us something about power, love, war, beauty, protection, and more.Intro: (0:00)Greek Goddess Archetypes Boxes, Readings and Myths:(4:00)Aphrodite, The Adonia and More on Extra Members: (5:55)Why We Developed Greek Goddess Archetypes: (10:09)Breaking Down the Greek Goddesses into Our Archetypes: (15:22)How We See Ourselves Reflected in the Greek Goddess Archetypes: (56:12)Check out our Patreon, Styx and Bones Temple's Store, Blogs and more! ⁠⁠https://beacons.ai/styxandbonessFOLLOW STYX AND BONES ON SOCIAL MEDIA⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/styxandbonespodcast⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/styxandbonestemple⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.tiktok.com/@styxandbonestemple ⁠⁠FOLLOW HIGH PRIESTESS CHELSEA⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/highpriestesschelsea⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.tiktok.com/@highpriestesschelsea⁠⁠FOLLOW DR. K⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/dirtdiaries_⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.tiktok.com/@dirtdiaries_

Tracklist and more info: https://www.bestdrumandbass.com/podcast547/BIG WEEK INSIDE! We are celebrating the brand new Anizo release on Abducted LTD that dropped TODAY! We also have an exclusive guest mix from Beatphyle to round things out, so lock it in. Your weekend has begun!Subscribe to the podcast: bestdnb.com/podcast  Anizo - Bunka / Live Again [OUT NOW on Abducted LTD]Download / Stream: bestdnb.com/altd123Supported by: Chris.Su, Eatbrain Radio, Aphrodite, Nuvertal, Bad Ace, Psidream, Doc Scott, 2Whales,Bytecode, Stonx, Sindicate, Insom, Nightstalker, Diode, Jane Doe DNB, Drone, Nox and more!

In this episode, we go deeper into the ancient feminine power they tried to bury.Before patriarchy rewrote the narrative, women were seen as sacred. Goddesses like Inanna, Hathor, Lilith, Aphrodite, Oshun, and Shakti weren't just symbols, they represented fertility, sensuality, leadership, wisdom, and divine authority. But over time, their stories were distorted or erased altogether.This episode is a reminder that your power has ancient roots. We're not reclaiming anything new, we're remembering what they tried to make us forget.

This episode walks you through this week's astrology + practical and magical tactics to help you harness and navigate the energetics June 2nd - 8th 2025. Last week had sweetness. It required quiet and rest. Did you manage your energy and alone time to let the messaging and clarity in? Something very new began last week. Last week did you: Get on the mat 2 - 4xs? Listen to 1️⃣ NEW episode on The Magic Spark? Rejuvenate, rest & replenish? This week is slated as the best of 2025, in the astrology. June is considered the brightest, most benevolent month of 2025. Lean in. Do the things that raise your vibration and mood. Where attention goes, energy flows. This week: Get on the mat 2 - 4xs Listen to 1️⃣ NEW episode on The Magic Spark Hype yourself up. EXPECT THE BEST. Monday, June 2nd: - Happy Mo(o)nday. My loves, never has it been more important to embrace Where attention goes, energy flows. This week is packed with downright lucky energy. Get clear about what you want. TALK TO THE UNIVERSE! Pray, write...it doesn't need to be fancy, it needs to be clear. Then do all the things that put you in a higher vibe mood; mat, meditation, Aphrodite tapping or shaking, dancing, your favorite song, I'm playing Able Heart on repeat right now....I'll link it in the show notes What hypes you up? Do you know how to get yourself there? This is a week to practice good vibes. At the beginning of this week we're still seriously processing the energy that rolled through on Sunday with all the Venus and Chiron of it. There is ow and healing and softness and grace. There are messages from the Universe on what we are being called to heal RIGHT NOW. That's only going to continue through this week. We are alchemizing and stepping into abundance/new at the exact same time

Today's episode walks you through this week's astrology + practical and magical tactics to help you harness and navigate the energetics May 26th - June 1st 2025. Last week was big and mixed. The sun and Saturn both moved to new signs. Did you stay alert? Did you lean into your practices? What can you revamp, rewrite, rework, or do new in order to empower and grow? Last week did you: Get on the mat 2 - 4xs? Listen to 1 NEW episode on The Magic Spark? Do the Kali tapping? This week has sweetness. It requires quiet and rest in any way you can; toddler bedtimes, naps, meditation, less humaning, do less, refuel more, drink tea, minimize caffeine, pull cards, spend time outdoors, do your tapping or shaking offerings. There is something very new beginning this week. This week: Get on the mat 2 - 4xs Listen to 1️ NEW episode on The Magic Spark Rejuvenate, rest, replenish. But seriously. Monday, May 26th: - Happy Mo(o)nday. The new moon in Gemini happens today. Dark of the moon. Hekate and Kali's lunation. Considered the witchiest time of the lunar cycle, with the highest probability of messaging, ah-ha or light bulb moments making their way through and to you. Honor it by carving space out today for something quiet, soft, cosmic, or woo; meditation, nap, pulling tarot, checking your chart for where Gemini sits, or simply taking a walk outside with no other stimuli. Clarity and messaging will come when we make them welcome. Turn down external input today through Thursday....whatever this lunation is offering us...we want. There are blessings, healings, understanding, and soul truths IF we heed the call of replenishing our vessels...a.k.a. resting. We've had some placements shift and the elemental count is now: ▪ 5 planets in

Narrator: Thomas Jones