Podcasts about bagd

Samirova mysl připomíná temný labyrint. Je to vynikající muzikant a textař, jeho kapela Vanessa patří k tomu nejzajímavějšímu, co v české porevoluční hudbě vzniklo, ale i tak má čtyřiapadesátiletý Samir Hauser spoustu hejtrů, nepřátel, a v mnoha lidech vyvolává odpor. Ve vánočním podcastu Host Reportéra vypráví, že vyvrhelem byl vždy a všude, což nejspíš vydrží až do smrti. „Určitě to je i tím, že jsem orientální kříženec,“ říká. „Můj otec byl irácký komunistický agent, první část dětství jsem prožil v Bagdádu, střety s českou realitou jsou pro mě celoživotně kruté.“ V rozhovoru vzpomíná, jak v sedmi letech přijel na první Vánoce do Prahy. „Čeští prarodiče byli katolíci a zároveň fanatičtí komunisté, od té doby vím, že se to nevylučuje. Když jsem se u nich objevil, asi jsem působil jako malý ďábel. Z Bagdádu jsem si přivezl hračky, které považovali za satanské modly, třeba figurku Mickey Mouse. Všechno to zabavili a náhradou mi dali betlém. Extrémně je vyděsilo, když mě později přišli zkontrolovat a zjistili, že jsem Pannu Marii zavřel do chlívku a zvířátka nechal, ať obcují s jezulátkem... V téže době k nám dorazil Mikuláš s čerty, přičemž konkrétně ten Mikuláš mě vysloveně traumatizoval. Nezapomenu, jak jsem se zavřel do skříně, kam se ti vetřelci dobývali, a já měnil hlas: Samir tady není, Samir je na zahradě… Byl rok 1978 a ve školách ještě zdaleka neexistovali dětští psychologové. Nevím, jestli to je dobře, nebo špatně.“ V naší adventní zpovědi se Samir Hauser dostane skutečně hluboko: „Do žádného kolektivu jsem nikdy nezapadl, řekl bych, že mě nakonec ani nikdo nepohřbí. A vlastně by se mi to líbilo. Jednoho dne chci jednoduše zmizet a nebýt. Tak jako filozof Empedoklés, nebo ještě lépe jako kytarista Edwards z kapely Manic Street Preachers.“

Carlos Jansen, autor teuto-brasileiro, adaptou contos das Mil e Uma Noites nesta coletânea que tem a honra de ser prefaciada por Machado de Assis. Nestes doze contos com histórias para lá de Bagdá, conhece-se muita gente: não só personagens não tão conhecidos como o sultão Harun al-Raschid, Agib, o sultão curioso, e a poderosa fada Paribanu, mas também personagens famosos como Aladdin e Ali-Babá. E é com histórias positivas que encaramos várias jornadas e experiências nestes tão essenciais contos das Mil e Uma Noites.

Grundlovsdag 1932 blev ikke mindeværdig for dansk landsholdsfodbold, da Belgien gæstede Københavns Idrætspark. For første og hidtil eneste gang tabte landsholdet nemlig efter at have ført hele 3-0 efter pausen! Mange forsøgte at placere hovedansvaret hos den norske dommer Bjarne Harto Bech, som Idrætsparken måtte smugle ud ad en bagdør, men sandheden var vist mere, at danskerne fik et kollektivt kollaps i 2. halvleg og kun havde sig selv at bebrejde. Siden spillede Danmark ikke spillede flere landskampe i Idrætsparken på Grundlovsdag før den legendariske Sovjetkamp i 1985 - men dét var i hvert fald ikke dommer Bechs skyld!

Stāsta rotu māksliniece un pētniece, Latvijas Mākslas akadēmijas lektore Ginta Grūbe. Olbraita, pirmā sieviete, kas ieņēmusi ASV valsts sekretāres amatu, uz politiskām tikšanās reizēm pie apģērba sprauda dažādas rotaslietas. Viņas sabiedrotie un kolēģi ievēroja, ka tās nav nejaušas, bet tīši izvēlētas un signalizē par viņas nodomiem. “Kopš sevi atceros, man ir patikušas piespraudes. Mana mamma tās bieži nēsāja, tāpēc es uzaugu ar domu, ka tās ir stilīgs un jautrs veids, kā demonstrēt savu personību. Taču tikai 1993. gadā, kad kļuvu par ASV vēstnieci Apvienoto Nāciju Organizācijā, es sapratu, ka rotaslietas var iegūt pavisam jaunu nozīmi,” stāsta Olbraita intervijā 2021. gadā. (Jennifer Ferrise, “Madeleine Albright Has Sent Some Very Spicy Messages Through Her Accessories” October 19, 2021, “InStyle”) 20. gadsimta pašās beigās Olbraita nelaida garām izdevību kritiski izteikties par Sadamu Huseinu. Bagdādes laikrakstos parādījās dzejoļi, kuros Olbraita cita starpā pielīdzināta arī negantai čūskai. Drīz pēc tam, gatavojoties tikties ar Irākas amatpersonām, Olbraita nolēma paust diplomātisku vēstījumu, nēsājot pie krūtīm piespraudi, kurā zeltā un dimantos atveidota čūska. Ar šo žestu viņa atsaucās uz politisko saukli “Don't Tread on Me!” (no angļu valodas: Nemin man virsū!) Sauklis radies Amerikas revolūcijas laikā un ticis izmantots vienlaikus ar karogu uz kura attēlota čūska. Pēc šī atgadījuma piespraudes kļuva par Olbraitas diplomātiskās valodas sastāvdaļu. Drošības padomē Olbraita bija vienīgā sieviete. Labajās dienās viņa nēsājusi ziedus, tauriņus un balonus, bet sliktajās dienās – dažādus kukaiņus vai plēsīgus dzīvniekus. Viņa to uztvēra kā iespēju līdzās mutiskām sarunām paust vēstījumu, izmantojot vizuālo tēlu un simbolu valodu. Zīmīga piespraude ar politisku, skaļu vēstījumu, nesenākā vēsturē parādījās prezidenta Džo Baidena inaugurācijas ceremonijā. Popmūzikas zvaigzne Lady Gaga bija tērpusies Schiaparelli modes nama veidotā tērpā, izpildot valsts himnu. Pie zīda mežģīnes bija piesprausta apzeltīta broša, kas atveidoja miera simbolu – balodi. Līdzīgu miera balodi, tikai mazāku izmērā, pie krūtīm spraudusi arī Olbraita. Balodis kļuva par miera kustības simbolu pēc tam, kad Pablo Pikaso baloža ilustrācija tika izmantota 1949. gada aprīlī Parīzē notikušā Pasaules miera kongresa plakātā. Schiaparelli tērps ar apjomīgo piespraudi iemiesoja periodu, kad modes nama sadarbības lokā bija sirreālisti. 1952. gada modes nama foto redzama modele ar nesamērīgi liela izmēra mušas piespraudi. Rotaļāšanās ar mērogiem bija viens no sirreālistu mākslinieciskajiem paņēmieniem. Atgriežoties pie Madlēnas Olbraitas, viņas rotas nonāca arī rotu kolekcionāru un vēsturnieku redzeslokā. Kādā 2013. gada diskusijā viņa atbildēja uz publikas jautājumiem par rotu valkāšanu. Sarunā viņa atklāja, ka sastopas arī ar diezgan daudziem vīriešiem, kuri valkā piespraudes. Tās norāda viņu uz viņu ieņemamo amatu valdībā vai pauž piederību kādai partijai. Piemēram, lielākā daļa komunistisko partiju biedru sevi identificē, nēsājot īpašas piespraudes. Agita Putāne, ilggadējā rotu galerijas „Putti” vadītāja izmantoja izdevību un Olbraitai uzdeva jautājumu, vai viņai esot kādas dziļi personīgas rotaslietas, kas līdzās Amerikas karogam, Brīvības statujas atveidam, ērglim vai citiem spēcīgiem simboliem ir saprotamas tikai viņai personīgi? Olbraita atklāja, ka dziļi personiska ir keramikas sirds ar košām emaljām, ko viņai Valentīna dienā pasniegusi viņas toreiz piecgadīgā meita. Šī rota viņai simbolizē beznosacījumu mīlestību starp māti un meitu, un tam ir bezgalīga vērtība. Viņas rotu kolekcijā bija neskaitāmi daudz eksemplāru, gan dārgākas rotas, gan rotas ar nezināmu izcelsmi, arī rotas, kas  atrastas antikvariātos. Viens no piemēriem ir rota, kuras nosaukumā ietverts sens Japāņu sakāmvārds: "Nedzirdēt ļaunumu, nerunāt ļaunumu, neredzēt ļaunumu". Tas ir trīs piespraužu komplekts, kas atveido trīs mērkaķēnus, katrs no dzīvniekiem ir aizklājis ausis, muti vai acis. Šīs piespraudes viņa likusi, tiekoties ar Vladimiru Putinu. Tiesa gan, prezidenta Klintona sejas izteiksme likusi skaidri noprast, ka tajā reizē viņa ar savām piespraudēm bija aizgājusi nedaudz par tālu, atceras Olbraita. (https://artjewelryforum.org/interviews/dr-madeleine-albright-will-take-your-questions/) Olbraita un viņas piespraudes iemantojušas popularitāti. Līdz pat mūža beigām viņa izmantoja rotas kā radošas diplomātijas stratēģiju. Ir izdoti pašas politiķes sarakstīti memuāri un organizētas izstādes ar nosaukumu “Read My Pins” (angļu valodā: Lasi manas piespraudes). (https://readmypins.state.gov/see-the-pins/sending-messages https://artjewelryforum.org/interviews/dr-madeleine-albright-will-take-your-questions/ https://artjewelryforum.org/articles/art-jewelry-forum-releases-on-and-off/) Lasīt dažādas rotu nozīmes iespējams arī Dekoratīvās mākslas un dizaina muzejā, kur šobrīd apskatāma latviešu rotu mākslinieku izstāde „Skārien-jūtīgs.”

Your blessing depends on the sermon-delivering-servant's zeal to please God in order to serve you. It must be in that order. The minister is only as good for the flock as he is doing right by God and a being a faithful steward of God's Word. When it comes to preaching, the preacher must not hold back any effort from knowing the Word and preaching the Word in order that the church will be filled with the knowledge of God's will so as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord. Of course I'm usually just preaching the sermon, not talking about sermons as a sermon subject. But we're finishing some reminders about our Lord's Day liturgy, and, though the sermon is not the only important part, it *is* a part of how God shapes and strengthens His church. The power for getting the parts to work properly so that the whole body grows up into the unity of faith doesn't come from the furniture/pulpit, it comes from God's Word spoken by God's representative and applied by God's Spirit. When exercised rightly, preaching is *salvation* for the speaker and the hearers. This isn't an adversarial relationship, but it's not allowed to be a tickle party or affirmation therapy session either. Here are a couple key passages that you need to know, passages that are always under the water of the sermonic iceberg.> Until I come, devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture, to exhortation, to teaching. Do not neglect the gift you have, which was given you by prophecy when the council of elders laid their hands on you. Practice these things, immerse yourself in them, so that all may see your progress. Keep a close watch on yourself and on the teaching. Persist in this, for by so doing you will save both yourself and your hearers. (1 Timothy 4:13–16 ESV)Progress is big. So is persistence in paying attention to life and teaching. The KJV opens verse 16 with “take heed,” which is probably just the right amount of not how we usually talk to get us to “pay close attention” (NASB). **Keep a close watch** (ESV), “Be conscientious” (NET). There must be a maintained, mindful grasp on two things: 1) watch one's *self*, as in one's speech and conduct for setting the believers an example (see verse 12), and 2) watch one's *teaching*, that it not be doctrines of demons (see 4:1) and not irreverent, silly myths (4:7), but in the fulness of God's good things given (4:5-6) and the faith and doctrines that cause all our hope to be in the living God (verse 10); “for to this end we toil and strive.” Watch the teaching. So “Take pains with these things; be absorbed in them” (verse 15, NASB). The whole process matters as God's means to the *saving* of the assembly. We know it's *God's* means, since God is the Savior (verse 10), and He uses in season and out of season reproofs, rebukes, exhortations, and truth-teaching to complete His saving work. Another key passage relates to this work of watching.> Remind them of these things, and charge them before God not to quarrel about words, which does no good, but only ruins the hearers. Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth. But avoid irreverent babble, for it will lead people into more and more ungodliness, and their talk will spread like gangrene. (2 Timothy 2:14–17 ESV)It's verse 15 in the middle there that's fairly well known among Bible-loving people. Do you know what's behind the command: **Do your best**? It's the imperative form of the Greek word σπουδάζω, a cognate with the noun σπουδή, meaning *zeal*, which I've been touting like a Styrofoam #1 pointy-finger since we saw it in Romans 12:11 - “In zeal, don't hold back.” So the verb form of it is “be especially conscientious in discharging an obligation, be zealous, take pains, make every effort” (BAGD). What's required is σπουδή/zeal for Scripture, taking pains over the pages of the Bible, making every effort to not get God's Word wrong. Not only is God the judge, but the fruit is in the people. Certain teaching **ruins the hearers**, it **will lead people into more and more ungodliness**. That puts the teacher in a position of *shame* before God. This calling—to be an agent of saving grace or of disgrace—is a beautiful and blessed but weighty and wearisome burden. Sometimes you'll hear pastors tell people that if a young man can do anything else than be a pastor/preacher, he should. That's not just because of James 3:1, it's because there is a glorious and grave (though not grim) grind to beat on the Word so that its living waters will flow, and to be beaten on by that Word so that his own affections will abound, to watch his life and teaching, and to then carry that treasure in his jar of clay and pour it out for the work of life among the people. God continues to be extremely kind to me in that He continues to give me desire/craving for His Word. I have σπουδή for Scripture. That said, I am often tempted to hold back in the preaching. It requires Spirit-strength (as do any and all types of good works) to not be reluctant, but to be ready and sober-minded and enduring suffering (2 Timothy 4:2-5). Not only is the preacher's schedule out of sync with most of the flock and to a degree even with his own family, his zeal in study and preparation is hardly ever met with similar zeal in eagerness to attend and receive. There are those who are asleep, spiritually and sometimes in the flesh. There are those who aren't just resistant, they are recalcitrant. And yet “the Lord's servant must not be quarrelsome but kind to everyone, able to teach, patiently enduring evil, correcting his opponents with gentleness” (2 Timothy 2:24-25). But blessing and salvation are brought through the preaching of the Word. It's the charge given to the minister in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus. I mentioned three things last week that are being learned through sermons even when they are not the direct content of the sermon. The third point was that sermon hearers learn how to be Scripture readers by the example of the sermon preacher. *He must watch the teaching, and so should you.* For my part, when I'm preaching through a book of the Bible, I do think that I could synthesize my zeal for being intentional example under two headings. I am zealous that you would read and interpret every passage in its context, and I am zealous that you would read and receive all of it under Christ's lordship. Two parts of my Sermon Spoude.# Everything you really need to know is in the passage you're reading. There are a couple other ways to describe this, but it starts with a recognition of our privilege. We have Word Privilege. We should not give it up, we should give thanks to God for it, we should realize that to whom much is given much is required. Our Word Privilege comes in the fact that we have our own copies of the *complete* inspired Scriptures. We have what *no one in the Bible had…a complete Bible*. One implication of that is that any given author—Moses, David, Isaiah, Matthew, Mark, Paul, Peter, John—did not expect that his readers *needed* other books/writings to make his point. Each author had a point, and he made it his point with his own composition. For sure, some of the prophets wrote things that they weren't fully sure how it would look when it came about, but that's not the same as saying they expected their readers to need a concordance. *Analogia Scriptura*/Scripture-interprets-Scripture is great *second*, after the context of Scripture has proven incapable of understanding.There are a bunch of quotes and allusions that NT writers make from OT passages. But the Romans, for example, did not have all the Jewish books, and did not need them. For that matter, the Jews in captivity in Babylon hearing Lamentations didn't need Romans to understand what they needed to believe or obey. You may, or may not, have noticed that I usually don't have us going all over the Bible during our line—upon-line series. Stay here. See what's here. You don't *need* cross-references 98% of the time (even if that percentage is not scientifically determined). Like real estate rules (Location. Location. Location), there are three most important rules for Bible reading: 1) Context, 2) Context, 3) Context. The most important thing you can figure out is: *What did the author intend his readers to understand?* As soon as you bring meaning with you into the passage (no matter how “true” the meaning), you are doing *eisegesis*, you are “interpreting *into*” rather than out of the passage. The most helpful “hack” is to read in paragraphs. The invention of the chapter and verse notation systems are great for navigation, but they can make the *point* harder to notice. Use whatever tools you have access to and skill with, but most of what you need is to stay on the page you're reading, think about the author's intent, and ask the Lord for understanding (2 Timothy 2:7). Watch the teaching for ideas.# All Scripture is the word of Christ, but not every word is about Christ explicitly. Every once in a while I hear the criticism that I do not preach Christ. I am honestly baffled by that. But, there are some virtuous sounding Bible reading strategies that always expect to see Jesus, and I don't, so why don't I? There's a passage that's often used to argue for Christocentric reading, which has become a way of reading where Christ at the center of the meaning of every Bible text. Jesus taught the two disciples on their road to Emmaus. > beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself. (Luke 24:27 ESV)They immediately returned to Jerusalem, and were with the eleven disciples, when Jesus stood among them.> He said to them, “These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you, that everything written about me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled. Then he opened their minds to understand the Scriptures…” (Luke 24:44-45 ESV)The phrase in verse 44, (πάντα τὰ γεγραμμένα) is a substantival participle with a modifier: All the Having-Been-Written-Things (AtHBWT). And “in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself” and **everything written about me** are not the same as saying “*each thing was written about me*.” Rather than the explicit subject of every Scripture, I prefer the description Christo*telic*, Christ is the endpoint. There's a Spurgeon quote that gets trotted out in these discussions: “I take my text and make a beeline to the cross.” First, it's not yet been sourced as a thing he actually said; it has [not been verified in searching his published works](https://www.spurgeon.org/resource-library/blog-entries/6-quotes-spurgeon-didnt-say/). Second, that's *not* cutting a straight line with Scripture. That said, all things are His things, and yet His things aren't His self. Nothing isn't part of His property or part of His purposes, but we still maintain a distinction between those things and His Person. It is *all* the “word of Christ” (Colossians 3:16), so we can talk about *any* of His things and still be preaching Christ. When the paragraph (pericope, proverb, prophecy) doesn't explicitly mention Christ, I don't think we should try to act like it is (we're not looking for a “deeper meaning,” it's usually a sort of Christocentric eiesgesis). Nor should we try to forget that it all relates to Him. But getting grief because you don't see Jesus as the spiritual meaning of a verse is a burden I'm trying to show you isn't yours to carry. Watch the teaching. # ConclusionWhy should you care about any of this? This is *not* just “Insider Bible” talk. You should care because your salvation and blessing depend on it. You should also be zealous to pay attention to the Word, here and on your own. Be zealous to understand the context, be zealous to understand how all of it helps you live a more jealousable life under the Lordship of Jesus Christ. Let the Bible get into your bones. Let the Bible give you backbone. That CAN'T happen if you waffle on definitions. Don't bend over backward on definitions, with pressure from the culture or even certain theological confessions. Christians have waffled on words such as: inspired, inerrant, elect, resurrection, day, Israel, land, man, woman. Heed the words. Let the Bible define its terms, and hold on to them..Heed the Word. Heed All-the-Having-Been-Written-Things, for the endurance and encouragement of the Scriptures (Romans 15:4).----------## ChargeAll the Having-Been-Written-Things (AtHBWT) point us to Christ in whom is our endurance and encouragement and hope. All the Word is from Him and through Him and to Him. Let the Word of Christ abide in You, and you will bear MUCH FRUIT and prove to be His disciples.## Benediction:> Now may our Lord Jesus Christ himself, and God our Father, who loved us and gave us eternal comfort and good hope through grace, comfort your hearts and establish them in every good work and word. (2 Thessalonians 2:16–17 ESV)

Pozornost posledních měsíců se upíná na dění v Gaze. Pohled na blízkovýchodní napětí ale není kompletní, pokud nezahrnuje dění v Íránu a jeho okolí. To se zvláště projevuje v minulých dnech. Jen za poslední týden Íránci podnikli útok na území Pákistánu, Sýrii a Iráku. Islámabád i Bagdád odvolali své velvyslance z Íránu, íránskému vyslanci Pákistán znemožnil návrat, Iráčané si předvolali íránského chargé d'affaires.Všechny díly podcastu Názory a argumenty můžete pohodlně poslouchat v mobilní aplikaci mujRozhlas pro Android a iOS nebo na webu mujRozhlas.cz.

V této epizodě najdete zhodnocení knižního roku 2023. Nejlepší knihy, největší zklamání a nakonec pár předsevzetí pro rok 2024. Top knihy: - Tajná historie - Donna Tartt - Těla - Klára Vlasáková - Výdech - Ted Chiang - Do ráje - Hanya Yanagihara - Frankenstein z Bagdádu - Ahmad Saadáwí - Velké léto - Ewald Arenz - Stehy - Sára Zeithammerová - Kdepak jsi, krásný světe - Sally Rooney - Dámský klub půlnočního plavání - Faith Hogan - Všechen můj hněv - Sabaa Tahir

Blinkens nepagurst dzesēt Tuvos Austrumus Mūsu pagājušajā raidījumā pievērsāmies iespējamajiem Tuvo Austrumu konfliktu eskalācijas punktiem un spriedzi radošajiem spēkiem. Ka šādi scenāriji rada nopietnas bažas Vašingtonā, apliecina fakts, ka ASV valsts sekretārs Entonijs Blinkens šajās dienās jau ceturto reizi pēdējo trīs mēnešu laikā uzturas Tuvajos Austrumos. Šajā reģiona karsto punktu dzesēšanas tūrē ietilpst vizītes Turcijā, Jordānijā, Katarā, Apvienotajos Arābu Emirātos, Saūda Arābijā un, protams, Izraēlā. Tajā pašā laikā Savienotajām Valstīm jāpanāk vairāku savu reģiona partneru atbalsts iespējamām aktīvākām militārām akcijām pret Jemenas husītu nemierniekiem, pret ko, piemēram, Katarai ir iebildumi. Kas attiecas uz amerikāņu militārajām akcijām reģionā, 4. janvārī Bagdādē ar lidrobota palīdzību tika nogalināts viens Irākas šiītu militārā grupējuma „Allāha cēlo partijas kustība” vadītājiem Muštaks Talibs al-Saīdi; organizācijas kaujinieki regulāri uzbrūk Irākā dislocētajiem Savienoto Valstu spēkiem. Vizītes laikā Ankarā dienaskārtībā cita starpā noteikti bija iespējamas Turcijas ietekmes izmantošana, bremzējot kustības Hezbollah [hezbollā] militārās aktivitātes pie Izraēlas ziemeļu robežām. Sestdien šiītu militāristi veica plašu raķešu triecienu pa Izraēlas teritoriju, tā atriebjoties par Hamas līdera Saleha al-Aururi nogalināšanu Libānas galvaspilsētā Beirutā, kas diezgan nepārprotami ir Izraēlas roku darbs. Tomēr pat ja Turcija, vai pat Irāna būtu gatavas atvēsināt Hezbollah cīņas sparu, tad, kā liecina Izraēlas valdības pārstāvju izteikumi, viņiem varētu būt padomā jau tuvākajā laikā izvērst nopietnākas militārās operācijas pret šo organizāciju Libānas dienvidos. Un, protams, valsts sekretāra Blinkena vizītes degpunktā ir karš Gazā. Nupat Izraēlas aizsardzības ministrs Joavs Galants ieskicējis plānu Gazas liktenim pēc karadarbības beigām. Izraēla uz nenoteiktu laiku plāno saglabāt šeit militāru kontroli, tāpat kā līdz šim kontrolēt preču plūsmu un darīt visu, lai izbeigtos nelegāla ieroču un cilvēku kustība pāri robežai ar Ēģipti. Tiek sagaidīts, ka Eiropas Savienības un reģiona turīgās arābu valstis pamatā finansēs Gazas infrastruktūras atjaunošanu. Pēc visa spriežot, Izraēla tuvākajā laikā negrasās nodot Gazas joslas administrēšanu Jordānas Rietumkrastā dislocētajai Palestīniešu pašpārvaldei, ko vēlētos ASV, bet gan grib veidot Gazas pašpārvaldi uz vietējo kopienu pārstāvniecības pamatiem. Tas faktiski nozīmētu politiski vēl vairāk atraut Gazu no palestīniešu zemēm Rietumkrastā, tādējādi vēl vairāk attālinot Palestīnas valstis izveides perspektīvu. Kanclera Šolca popularitātes antirekords Pagājušā gada decembris nesis sarūgtinošas ziņas Vācijas kancleram Olafam Šolcam un viņa vadītājai Vācijas Sociāldemokrātiskajai partijai. Vien nepilni 20% vācu vēlētāju, spriežot pēc ikgadējās aptaujas datiem, esot apmierināti ar kanclera veikumu, un tas ir zemākais rādītājs, kāds fiksēts kopš 1997. gada, kad tika uzsākta šī aptaujāšana. Savukārt sociāldemokrāti šobrīd vēlēšanās saņemtu 14% balsu, kas ir ceturtais rezultāts starp lielākajām Vācijas partijām. Viņiem priekšā ir gan kristīgie demokrāti ar 32%, gan galēji labējā „Alternatīva Vācijai” ar 21%, tāpat arī zaļie ar 15%. Vēl sliktāk klājas vienīgi trešajai valdošās koalīcijas partijai – neoliberālajiem brīvajiem demokrātiem, kas ieguvuši 4% atbalstu, kā arī radikāli kreisajai partijai „Kriesie” ar 3%. Tā kā iekļūšanai Bundestāgā pastāv 5% balsu cenzs, abas pēdējās partijas, ja vēlēšanas notiktu šobrīd, riskētu palikt ārpus parlamenta. Droši vien, ka daļa vainas par paša un partijas zemajiem reitingiem jāuzņemas valdības vadītājam, kurš ticis kritizēts par pārlieku sausu un izvairīgu komunikācijas stilu. Uz to netieši norāda arī tas, ka viņa partijas un valdības kolēģis, aizsardzības ministrs Boriss Pistoriuss ir populārākais šībrīža Vācijas politiķis, un otrs augstākais reitings ir ārlietu ministrei, zaļo partijas pārstāvei Annalēnai Bērbokai. Viņi abi, starp citu, ir pamanāmākie Ukrainas atbalstītāji pašreizējā Vācijas politikas virsotnē. Tomēr nenoliedzams iespaids uz valdības reitingiem ir situācijai, ar kuru šai valdībai nācies tikt galā. Tās varas periodu skāra pandēmijas noslēguma posms, kam uz pēdām sekoja Krievijas agresijas pilna mēroga agresijas karš pret Ukrainu, kas izraisīja nestabilitāti enerģētikas sfērā, inflācijas kāpumu un ekonomikas bremzēšanos. Piedevām visam Šolca kabinets nonācis spiedīgā budžeta situācijā, jo Vācijas Konstitucionālā tiesa novembrī lēma, ka īpašais fonds, kuru Šolcs vēl kā Angelas Merkeles kabineta finanšu ministrs izveidoja vides un modernizācijas jautājumu risināšanai no pandēmijas seku mazināšanai aizņemtajiem līdzekļiem, neatbilst konstitūcijas normām. Vācijas pamatlikums kopš 2009. gada visai strikti ierobežo valdības tiesības aizņemties naudu budžeta deficīta segšanai, minētais fonds bija mēģinājums šīs prasības apiet, un tā zudums nozīmē 60 miljardus eiro lielu budžeta robu. Neapmierinātību ar valdības darbu šobrīd var redzēt arī Vācijas ielās un stacijās- protestējot pret valdības lēmumu samazināt subsīdijas lauksaimniecības sektoram, šonedēļ tūkstošiem zemnieku bloķē ceļus un no šodienas sākas arī trīs dienu vilcienu vadītāju streiks, pieprasot augstākas algas un mazāk darba stundu. Kas attiecas uz valdošās koalīcijas partijām zudušo vēlētāju atbalstu, tad tiek minēts, ka tas pārceļojis gan pie opozīcijā esošajiem kristīgajiem demokrātiem, gan pie „Alternatīvas Vācijai”. Strauji popularitāte augusi arī no partijas „Kreisie” aizgājušajai frakcijai, kura burtiski pirms dažām dienām pārtapa partijā „Zāras Vāgenknehtas alianse – par saprātu un taisnīgumu”. Partijas platforma apvieno kreisumu ekonomiskajā programmā ar konservatīvismu sociālkulturālā ziņā. Tās vadone Zāra Vāgenknehta ir kaismīga Kremļa režīma piekritēja un, attiecīgi, aicina pārtraukt palīdzību Ukrainai. Atkal par Eiropas armiju Ideju par t.s. „Eiropas armiju” – ciešāk koordinētiem Eiropas Savienības valstu bruņotajiem spēkiem – jau pirms vairākiem gadiem izvirzīja Francijas prezidents Emanuels Makrons. Tobrīd tā bija pamatā reakcija uz Savienoto Valstu prezidenta Donalda Trampa mājieniem par iespējamo amerikāņu dalības mazināšanu vai pat aiziešanu no Ziemeļatlantijas alianses. Pēdējā laikā gan prezidenta Makrona izteikumi par Eiropas savienības autonomiem bruņotajiem spēkiem kļuvuši retāki un mazāk spilgti, un Čehijas prezidents Petrs Pavels pēc tikšanās ar Francijas kolēģi pagājušā gada martā pat izteicās, ka Makrons pārstatījis akcentus un par būtiskāko uzskatot NATO Eiropas daļas stiprināšanu. Pēdējās dienās savu pienesumu šim vēstījumam devis Itālijas ārlietu ministrs, partijas Forza Italia [forca italija] līderis Antonio Tajani. Ja vēlamies būt miera uzturētāji pasaulē, mums nepieciešami Eiropas bruņotie spēki. Un tas ir fundamentāls priekšnoteikums, lai mums varētu būt Eiropas starptautiskā politika. [..]  Pasaulē, kurā ir tādi spēcīgi spēlētāji kā, piemēram, ASV, Ķīna, Indija, Krievija; kur pastāv krīzes no Tuvajiem Austrumiem līdz Indijas un Klusā okeāna reģionam, Itālijas, Vācijas, Francijas vai Slovēnijas pilsoņus var aizsargāt tikai kaut kas jau pastāvošs, proti, Eiropas savienība,” bijušais Eiroparlamenta priekšsēdis Tajani sacīja intervijā, kuru svētdien publicēja laikraksts La Stampa. Tāpat viņš norādīja, ka Eiropas Savienībai būtu nepieciešams savienības prezidenta postenis, kas aizstātu pašreizējos Eiropadomes un Eiropas Komisijas prezidentu amatus. Kas attiecas uz Eiropas Savienības kopīgajiem militārajiem tēriņiem, tad tādi pastāv Eiropas aizsardzības fonda veidā, kas paredzēts izpētei, tehnoloģiju attīstībai un kopīgiem ieroču iepirkumiem. Tas gan ir samērā niecīgs – ar astoņu miljardu eiro budžetu laikposmam no 2021. līdz 2027. gadam. Salīdzinājumam, Francija savu bruņoto spēku modernizēšanā laikā no 2024. līdz 2030. gadam paredzējusi ieguldīt apmēram 413 miljardus. Sagatavoja Eduards Liniņš  Eiropas Parlamenta granta projekta „Jaunā Eiropas nākotne” programma.* * Šī publikācija atspoguļo tikai materiāla veidošanā iesaistīto pušu viedokli. Eiropas Parlaments nav atbildīgs par tajā ietvertās informācijas jebkādu izmantošanu.

Na jornada para o despertar da alma, seguimos guiadas pelas histórias de Scherazade. No conto "O carregador e as três jovens de Bagdá" fomos instigadas pela curiosidade, nos perguntamos sobre os momentos em que o desejo por saber mais nos deixou em apuros e aqueles em que nos levou ao conhecimento libertador. Conversamos sobre a relação entre verdade e mistério nas histórias e nas nossas vidas. Ficou curiosa? Então, se junte a nós! Aviso! Esse conto tem conteúdos eróticos. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/podcast-historiascomcafe/message

Hope is as good as God's Word. We learn what hope is, and what our hope is in, from Scripture. The strength and power of our hope comes from the trustworthiness of Scripture. Our confidence in what Scripture tells us to hope for in the future comes from what Scripture reveals about all the realities that God has fulfilled so far. That should sound advent/Christmas related. In fact I've used Romans 15:4-13 four times in our annual Christmas Eve service Scripture readings. Just as God promised to send a Savior to earth and did, so also God promised to set up a King in a kingdom on earth, which He will. One good advent deserves another, and here we are learning how to behave and wait—while everyone doesn't agree on everything—*in hope*.Since the start of Romans 14 the instruction is about living in light of the coming Lord's unique position. He is the one to whom we will give account, He is our Master, we serve Him. So we can get off our brother's case regarding his diet choices. We pray for the kingdom to come to earth as it is in heaven, and we reckon that the kingdom is a matter of righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit (14:17). So eat and honor the Lord and give thanks or *don't* eat, yet still with honor and thanks. Either way, take off the judgy-pants and put on your joy-pants. *Welcome* your brother (15:7), like 14:1. Welcoming is how it started, and welcoming should be how it's going. How it started was receiving, and how it's going is still receiving *with hope that it's going to happen for God's glory*. For all of the possible problems between people, God's purpose and God's power are still on track to accomplish all God's promises. That's a reason for hope. # Glorious Welcome (verse 7)Based on God's granting of unity to glorify Him (verses 5-6), there is responsibility to embrace that unity. > Therefore welcome one another as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God. (Romans 15:7 ESV)**Welcome** is the same word and imperative as opened this section of the letter in 14:1. It has the idea of taking toward (oneself), of receiving as into one's home or circle of acquaintances. Open the door and invite them in. The strong were told to *welcome* the weak in faith (14:1), and the weak were told to stop judging the eaters because of God's *welcome* (14:4). The **one another** in 15:7 covers them both. And the standard calls us to level up. Don't just *welcome* because Christ is Lord, but *welcome* **just as also Christ received you.** Christ bore reproaches of God's enemies to receive His people, and that all happened **for the glory of God**. But this must also apply to us *welcoming* others like Christ.Do you want to glorify God? It is as obvious as patterning your welcome of the brothers after Jesus, and as onerous. Study the Scriptures for endurance/encouragement/example and welcome your brothers for the glory of God. # Covenant Welcome (verse 8)The welcome of Christ gets higher than divisions about disputable matters and touches people groups.> For I tell you that Christ became a servant to the circumcised to show God's truthfulness, in order to confirm the promises given to the patriarchs, (Romans 15:8 ESV)This has explanatory power for our welcoming of one another over issues of meat and wine and days and such, but bringing in the Jew/Gentile distinction doesn't map onto strong/weak differences, as if one ethnicity of Christian necessarily was more able or less able in choices by faith. If there is one thing we've learned, it's that (almost) anyone can have any problem. That said, the problem between Jewish Christians and non-Jewish Christians was a thing that required a lot of parchment in the first few centuries of the church. The believers in Rome were living with such tensions. Even though most Jews rejected Jesus as Messiah and would not confess Him as Lord, Paul, a Jew (Romans 9:3), said **Christ has become a servant to the circumcision on behalf of the truth of God** (NASB). What is the **truth**? It's **the promises given to the patriarchs**. And what were those promises? They had heard about a Seed who would save them (Genesis 3:15). The Lord promised to make Abraham a great nation, to bless that people and make them a blessing (Genesis 12:1-3), and to give them promised land (Genesis 13:14-15). Why refer to them as **the circumcision** rather than “Jews” or “Israelites” as previously in Romans? Probably because circumcision was the sign of the Abrahamic *Covenant* (Genesis 17:4-13). To the Israelites belonged the covenants and the patriarchs (Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob) and the Christ (Romans 9:4-5).Christ served the circumcised **in order to confirm the promises**. It's important that Paul does not say in order to *fulfill* the promises, as if all the promises had been *completed* by Christ. They have been **confirmed**, “put beyond doubt” (BAGD), validated. The Gentiles might have thought that God was finished with Israel, but they shouldn't have. The Jews are welcomed by Christ because of God's covenant. # Merciful Welcome (verses 9-12)The Scriptures that were given for endurance and encouragement that lead to hope also foresaw a Son of Jacob/Israel that would save *the world*. Salvation blessings were covenanted to Israel and purposed for the nations. > and in order that the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy. (Romans 15:9 ESV)The only covenant made with the nations is that God would not destroy them with a flood (Genesis 9), though even that was technically a covenant to Noah, and there weren't any nations at that point. And yet, while choosing Israel as His national people, God purposed to bring Himself glory through every tribe, tongue, language, and people. He would show them **His mercy**. The good news is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek (Romans 1:16). All this was *prophesied*. No Scripture proofs were needed to corroborate Christ's receiving of Jews; it would have been surprising if Israel did not receive God's mercy. These multiple texts, though, leave no doubt about mercy extended; it shouldn't have been surprising that Gentiles would receive God's mercy. Paul weaves together four quotes in a row, from the Law, the Writings/Psalms, and the Prophets. The Jews might not have expected Christ to welcome the Gentiles, but only if they didn't read their Scriptures. The first Scripture is Psalm 18:49. > As it is written, > “Therefore I will praise you among the Gentiles, > and sing to your name.” (Romans 15:9 ESV)The second Scripture is Deuteronomy 32:43.> And again it is said, > “Rejoice, O Gentiles, with his people.” (Romans 15:10 ESV)The third Scripture is Psalm 117:1. > And again, > “Praise the Lord, all you Gentiles, > and let all the peoples extol him.” (Romans 15:11 ESV)The fourth Scripture is Isaiah 11:10. > And again Isaiah says, > “The root of Jesse will come, > even he who arises to rule the Gentiles; > in him will the Gentiles hope.” (Romans 15:12 ESV)Jesus is the Son of David, and it was to David that God covenanted a descendent who would be the King of kings. The Gentiles are welcomed by Christ because of God's mercy.# Hopeful Welcome (verse 13)Just as I argued that the benediction/prayer ended the previous paragraph (verses 5-6), so this section ends with another fantastic expression of divine blessing. > May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope. (Romans 15:13 ESV)The **God of hope** compares with “the God of endurance and encouragement” in verse 5. The reference to the **Holy Spirit** compares to “the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ” in verse 6; it's a Trinitarian project. The God of hope is enabling and empowering **hope**. Three times **hope** in verses 12-13. There is hope for you, hope for me, hope for the world, hope by the Spirit through the Word in the Son of the God of hope. God fills us that we might overflow/**abound in hope**.# ConclusionIf we are not allowed to despise a brother over meat, which he can choose, we certainly are not allowed to despise a brother over his ethnicity, which he did not and cannot choose. It's a welcome hope, as in, a hope better than we were hoping for. It's also a hope that enables us to welcome others. The only reason we don't laugh at this international praising project is because we can look back at almost two-thousand years of God's mercy in the lives of disciples of all nations.The Lord's covenant and promises are on their way to being fulfilled, but it has not all happened just yet. The promises to the patriarchs are not completed, nor are they consumed in Christ as the terminal end; they will all be fulfilled *through* Him. Our Lord, come! Be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His mercy to all peoples, and so welcome one another as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God.----------## ChargeGive thanks for the Messiah who confirms promises. Give thanks for the mercy of God that teaches you to rejoice. Give thanks, with all joy, and praise the Lord with your mouths, in songs and at suppers. Look to the Lord who blesses us, and who will return to rule us all.## Benediction:> May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope. (Romans 15:13 ESV)

Bagdá, Iraque, 1993 O filho de Saddam Hussein tornou-se a pessoa mais odiada do Iraque, mais que seu próprio pai. Por que? Sádico, mimado, violento e explosivo, Uday Hussein tinha acesso a uma riqueza interminável, tornando-o possível de fazer qualquer coisa, em qualquer lugar. Uday Hussein já tinha executado pessoas em festas em Bagdá, abusado sexualmente de meninas menores de 18 anos, torturado atletas olímpicos por perderem partidas e muito mais. Qualquer brincadeira ou desrespeito com Uday poderia significar meses de tortura ou morte. Com dezenas de palácios, milhares de carros de luxo, roupas de marca, animais exóticos contrabandeados e armas folheadas a ouro, Uday Hussein exibia sua riqueza tal como sua violência. Sem amigos e constantemente movido à álcool e cocaína, Uday Hussein tinha até mesmo um dublê com sua aparência e altura, para confundir mercenários que tentassem assassina-lo. ______________________________________________ Para escutar nossos episódios extras, apoie nossa campanha no Apoiase:⁠⁠ https://apoia.se/geopizza⁠⁠ Patreon: ⁠⁠https://patreon.com/geopizza⁠⁠  Orelo: https://orelo.cc/podcast/65051c0ba40f4efe7a9b9cf8/dashboard ______________________________________________ Confira nossa loja, a Geostore

Assassin's Creed Mirage é mais um salto de fé em direção aos corações dos fãs da franquia, levando-os até a Bagdá do século IX. Neste podcast Matando Robôs Gigantes, Didi Braguinha⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ e ⁠⁠Beto Estrada⁠⁠ recebem o querido Norton para debater a jornada de Basim Ibn Ishaq de ladrão de rua até membro da Irmandade dos Assassinos!⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ A paródia musical de hoje foi feita pelos ouvintes Caciano Gabriel e Dandára Leite! Envie-nos a sua: matandorobosgigantes@matandorobosgigantes.com Participe da conversa conosco nas redes sociais, incluindo o ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Twitter do MRG!⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Contato comercial: comercial@matandorobosgigantes.com

Diskutujeme herní témata pravidelně a v širších souvislostech. Největší pozornost čtenářů Hrej tento týden přitáhlo vydání nového dílu série Assassin´s Creed s podtitulem Mirage. Na natáčení jsme si tedy pozvali cosplayerku a velkou fanynku této série, Michaelu “Candy Crime” Martinko. Rozebrali jsme (bez spoilerů) nejen letošní díl, ale také celou sérii jako takovou. Představení a co hrajeme (00:00:00) Jak si stojí AC série v roce 2023? (00:11:08) Assassin´s Creed Mirage (00:44:26) Anketa a marodi (01:52:36)

Vamos ver as principais notícias de tecnologia de hoje, e enquanto isso, vai deixando o like amigão:  Google pode lançar Android 14 oficialmente nesta quarta-feira, Facebook e Instagram podem ganhar versão paga, Las Vegas Sphere é inaugurada nos EUA e muito mais!

It doesn't really matter whether you like the term “culture war” or not, God put us in one. A culture has a shared language and lifestyle, some similar loves/values and looks/styles. Christians have a culture that appreciates light and life; we're united in our belief in Christ and hope in His blessings. We're trying to cultivate a world-and-life view where the confession “Christ is Lord” means that everything means something. The sons of disobedience also have a culture, where carrying out the desires of the body and mind are foremost. They follow the course of this world, passing their days in malice and envy, hating and being hated. They're at various levels of intentionally cultivating a place where there are no gods or masters but every man in his own eyes. The two cultures are like night and day.The contrast, which can't help but involve conflict, has been going on a long time, since Genesis 3:15 when the Lord put enmity between the seed of the serpent and the seed of the woman. The great Seed was Jesus, and by extension refers to all those who are in Christ. In Christ we stand against the schemes of the evil one, we take up the whole armor of God to be able to withstand in the evil day, we battle against the world, so we must not get stuck in its mold. By faith we resist the serpent and those who are of their father the devil. And we take every thought captive in our fight against our own flesh. We see the enemy every morning, and too often we see him in the mirror. How do we fight in this culture war? It begins locally, with altar-living (Romans 12:1-2). It continues locally as we love our neighbor (who is perhaps an enemy, see also Matthew 5:43-48), which requires wearing the right uniform (of Christ-likeness). And that requires daily vigilance, relentless differentiation, and maintaining our equipment. The very time we live in should rouse us to obedience in following the admonitions here. *It's time to engage*. Verses 11-12 both argue for being done with the night and darkness. Verses 13-14 both argue for what it looks like to walk in the day and light. # Wake Up (verses 11-12)There's a sort of faith-alarm going off telling us to wake up. > Besides this you know the time, that the hour has come for you to wake from sleep. For salvation is nearer to us now than when we first believed. The night is far gone; the day is at hand. So then let us cast off the works of darkness and put on the armor of light. (Romans 13:11–12 ESV)The NASB puts it this way, “*Do* this, knowing the time.” The **know** in ESV is fine but it's really in the form of “knowing,” a modifying action. Paul is backing up our love of neighbor; we love our neighbor because we're aware of the time. **The hour has come…to wake from sleep**. Get up and get loving. This **sleep** isn't a metaphor for spiritual or physical death, it's a metaphor for spiritual passivity. The sleepy are the lazy, the indifferent. It illustrates a failure to use the mind; so lack of care and failure to act. In a first-century society governed by the sun rather than by the convenience of artificial lighting, people rose at dawn because the sun was their life. There's a similar dawn for Christians. The time for fighting is now, because **salvation is nearer to us now than when we first believed**. Scripture refers to all three tenses of salvation: we *have been* (past), we *are being* (present), we *will be* (future), saved. Verse 11 is talking about that final consummation, the glorification as described in Romans 8. History is linear, and each passing day means we're closer to the finishing of God's purpose to conform us to Christ for His glory. “The day is near” (NASB). Don't sleep on it. The reign of evil has almost reached its expiration date. The biblical context on this coming **day** shows that when it finally does arrive evil will be judged and the righteous vindicated (think Psalm 96:13). All of the imperatives in this text flow from the nearness of the end. Because the end is near, the people of God should respond with appropriate behavior.There's no time to waste. **The night is far gone; the day is at hand.** **Night** and **darkness** go hand in hand, and both are times for sin, for ignorance and futile thinking. The **works of darkness** are the wicked things done driven by the depraved mind. We're not on that side anymore. The **day** belongs with **light**; **So then let us cast off the works of darkness and put on the armor of light**. Paul enjoys and employs the put on/put off imagery a number of times. We take (dirty) clothes off, we put on new clothes, and Paul applies it to the attire of behavior. Interesting that we take off **works** but put on **armor**. In other letters Paul talks about putting off sin and putting on virtues. The armor here reminds us of the battle. We're not just waking up to spend some time in the spiritual breakfast nook watching the steam come off our coffee.> Each calendar day brings nearer to us the day of final salvation, and, since it is life in the body that is decisive for eternal issues, the event of death points up for each person how short is “the season” prior to Christ's advent. —John Murray# Walk Right (verses 13-14)Two cultures on display:> Let us walk properly as in the daytime, not in orgies and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and sensuality, not in quarreling and jealousy. But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires. (Romans 13:13–14 ESV)How do we behave ourselves? We **walk properly**, or “decently” (NIV), “honestly” (KJV). We walk *right*. We walk **as in the daytime**. There's a three-fold series of wrongs:- **orgies and drunkenness**. “Orgies” here is Bacchanalian/excessive feasting and partying — a word used for an actual procession in honor of Dionysus/Bacchus (BAGD) with a banquet that featured alcohol (or other drugs) that caused intoxication, people got hammered for their god(s). Other words for it are “carousing” (NASB)/“rioting” (KJV) when applied to a band of friends who accompanied a victor home from the games, singing his praises and celebrating his triumph as he went. So-called “PRIDE” parades are not new under the sun. - **sexual immorality and sensuality**. The NASB translates this as “sexual promiscuity” and Tyndale/KJV as “chambering” in reference to a private place/chamber with a bed; it refers to what happens in a forbidden bed. Sensuality is a “lack of self-constraint which involves one in conduct that violates all bounds of what is socially acceptable, self-abandonment” (BAGD); unrestrained lust. This is a culture of people who can't keep their pants on. - **quarreling and jealousy**. Quarreling or strife is from a rivalry of positions, and is often caused by jealousy (see James 4:1-2). This is WOKE, Socialistic identity politics before those words were invented. Is it possible that these last couple vices describe our modern life even more than the first four?Instead **put on the Lord Jesus Christ.** “As many of [us] as were baptized into Christ *have* put on Christ” (Galatians 3:27). But the indicative doesn't contradict the imperative. Put on Christ. We are to consciously embrace our union with the Lord Christ in such a way that His character is manifested in all that we do and say.**Make no provision for the flesh**. Let's say you and your flesh were going out for a picnic, don't make a sandwich for the flesh; let him starve. Let's say you were in a war in Afghanistan, don't leave 7.1 billion dollars worth of your helicopters and air-to-ground munitions and M4s out for the Taliban. Let's say you don't like the unrestrained spending of the government who wants to fund abortions and launder money through foreign governments, don't you pamper your selfishness and pretenses and sin. You are a Christian. # ConclusionThough Augustine had grown up with a Christian mother he was a slave to sin, caught in the lusts of his flesh. When he was 31 years-old Augustine was out in a garden. He heard the voice of children somewhere over the courtyard wall, repeating the phrase “Take up and read, take up and read.” He picked up Paul's epistle to the Romans and read Romans 13:13-14 and God granted him repentance and faith. Why can't this paragraph be gospel hope for you? If you are under the weight and burden of sin, *look to Christ* and believe. Jesus can deliver you.There is no neutrality. It is the Lord Jesus Christ or corruption, Christ or chaos, Christ or darkness, Christ or death.The people of the world fight for what they believe in. Right now the people of the world are striving, daring, plotting, planning, scheming, fighting. They get up early. They stay up late. They accept labor and hardship and stress because they believe their pay-off will be worth it. It seems that they never sleep. We are in a war of cultures. The fighting during this dispensation is different than any other time, different than Israel's theocracy and different than Christ's millennial reign. Now is the time. Christian, the day is at hand. Pray that you would be “strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might.” Wake up to daily vigilance—the day is near, relentless differentiation—against the darkness, and maintaining your equipment—the armor of light. Keep your altar commitments. Love your neighbor. ----------## ChargeChristian, salvation is near, put on your clothes. Put on the Lord Jesus Christ. Encourage one another in this battle and build one another up, just as you are doing (1 Thessalonians 5:11).## Benediction:> But since we belong to the day, let us be sober, having put on the breastplate of faith and love, and for a helmet the hope of salvation. For God has not destined us for wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us so that whether we are awake or asleep we might live with him. (1 Thessalonians 5:8–10, ESV)

Všechno, co jsem v červenci přečetla a všechno, co mě zaujalo z právě vydaných knížek. Pokud mi chcete sdělit vaše tipy na čtení nebo cokoliv jiného, najdete mě na instagramu jako @les.slov

Patrik si mohl zahrát Assassin's Creed Mirage, a tak nám povypráví o svých zážitcích z Bagdádu. Kromě toho si ale zhodnotíme celou sérii a podělíme se o své vzpomínky na starší díly.

One of the great illustrations in God's Word about receiving God's Word is that of milk and meat. When admonishing his readers that they should've known better, the author of Hebrews wrote, > You need milk, not solid food, for everyone who lives on milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, since he is a child. But solid food is for the mature, for those who have their powers of discernment trained by constant practice to distinguish good from evil. (Hebrews 5:12–14 ESV)The “word of righteousness” is Scripture, and the basic stuff, the “elementary doctrine” (6:1), is for the immature. There's nothing wrong with the milk, but the Christian should start to grow some teeth. The solid food, or “strong meat” (KJV), is for the mature. Note that this maturity doesn't come from time passing, it comes from “constant practice.” It comes from work and “training” one's “discernment powers.” Romans 13 has milk and meat applications. There are basics, rudiments, fundamentals of the faith when it comes to the Christian's relationship to God and government. What does a newer Christian need? He needs milk, and the milk is that earthly authorities are good, they are God appointed, and good citizens submit to those governors. That said, in the same passage, there are some things that require some chewing. For the Christian whose submission bones have plenty of calcium, he'll need steak to build up some discernment muscles. Again, the milk and the meat are both good. The simple answer is submission, but the more you learn the more you realize that not everything is simple. In order not to choke, we're going to need to up our training and practice in distinguishing good from evil (which is not too different from Romans 12:2 “that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect”). It'd be worth praying that God would bless our civil authorities to do the same. So far in verses 1-7 we've considered the origin and scope of government (verse 1), namely that God calls every soul to be subject to every civil authority He's established. The God-makes-governors establishment is so recognized that resistance to the government is actually resisting God and so results in judgment (verse 2). Then Paul provides encouragement with the delegated purposes of government which include promoting the good and punishing the bad (verses 3-4). To finish the paragraph we'll see how Paul takes our accountability up another level in verse 5 and then makes it very practical when it comes to how we support the authorities. There will still be more meat on the bone after today, so I'll see what I can do to “set the record straight” next Sunday. # The Highest Accountability to Government (verse 5)This is the second conclusion in the paragraph, the second “therefore.” God established the authorities, therefore resisting the authorities results in judgment (verse 2). Paul repeats the same requirement and the result, but ups the motivation ante. > Therefore one must be in subjection, not only to avoid God's wrath but also for the sake of conscience. (Romans 13:5 ESV)The ESV adds “to avoid”; it's a fine supplement. But in its bare for it is necessary to **be in subjection** “because of the wrath,” which is God's wrath brought about through the human authority as an avenger in verse 4. Again, that's a repeat reminder. The new piece is “but also because of the conscience.” This is *internal* motivation. We submit because of what we know is right, not just in order to evade negative consequences. The **conscience** is God-given, and universal, as in, every soul/person has one. Paul referred to the conscience in earlier in this letter, which was explicitly about *un*believers having a conscience in which their “conflicting thoughts accuse or even excuse them” (Romans 2:15). Christians have more than mini George Washington sitting on one shoulder (maybe fighting with mini Napoleon on the other). We have redeemed consciences, and we have God's Word to inform us about what is right. It is right to do what is right, including when the authorities promote it. Conscience makes our duties in the civil sphere both higher and also tighter. We answer to God whether or not the governor cares. We answer to God above governor, which also simplifies the pecking order of which we must obey if there's a conflict between them. For that matter, no governor can make this claim; our consciences are beyond the reach of man. “Be subject *for the Lord's sake*” (1 Peter 2:13). (For the interested, the Greek phrase in Romans 13:5 is διὰ τὴν συνείδησιν compared to διὰ τὸν κύριον in the 1 Peter passage.)# Giving Practical Support to Government (verses 6-7)This final principle of God and government hits deep down into the dark parts of our wallet where dust gathers. For us who have continued to climb out of the hole of dualism, we see that our support of the civil authorities can't be mental only, it takes our monies. > For because of this you also pay taxes, for the authorities are ministers of God, attending to this very thing. Pay to all what is owed to them: taxes to whom taxes are owed, revenue to whom revenue is owed, respect to whom respect is owed, honor to whom honor is owed. (Romans 13:6–7 ESV)It's a big **because**, this **this**. The **this** is referred to again at the end of verse 6, pointing back to **this thing**. What is “this”? The “this” is when the authorities follow their delegated purpose as God's servants, approving do-gooders and bringing judgment on wrong-doers. This is what they are **attending to**, being “busy with, engaged in, devoted to” (BAGD). It's their lawful vocation to establish a society of justice as **ministers of God**. This is a different word than *deaconos* in verse 4, this official is referred to as a *liturgos*, the one doing work for the public. Because the authorities are doing divinely-appointed duties they should be financially supported, so we **pay taxes**. It's not a command in verse 6, it's a reality, and a reality approved by God. We provide the state with fiscal resources, with the implication that we depend on them to do their job for our good. As with most of the principles in the paragraph Paul provides no explicit qualification regarding percentage, collection methods, or accounting of all expenditures. We pay, even when they might fritter away. Verse 7 finishes off with a basic code, and these *are* commands. Citizens have obligations; authorities are **owed** certain things, it's not based on citizen's discretionary free-will offerings. Paul repeats **taxes**, probably collected based on income and property, and adds the word **revenue**, which could be distinguished as a toll for use or as duties on goods. Perhaps our sales tax has some similarities. Paul says: pay it. Federal, state, city. We are getting a lot out of our taxes (and so is Zelensky). We must also pay **respect** and **honor**. Civil authorities at various levels deserve various levels of recognition and deference and esteem. Their roles are subordinate to God, so they must not be deified, but they do have delegated dignity. Our refusal to give honor to whom honor is owed makes *us* dishonorable. It is well known that Jesus Himself said, “Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's” (Matthew 22:21). God established the sphere of civil/state authority, and expects that all souls will give practical support for the maintenance of the work. This is a great *blessing* to those who do good, who have their property and profits protected from theft and vandalism. Societies in which justice is sure and sentences against evil deed are executed speedily are a check against evil hearts (unlike the opposite as Solomon describes in Ecclesiastes 8:11). Those who fear the LORD and the king wisely avoid those who do otherwise and the disaster that comes on them (Proverbs 24:21-22). # ConclusionAnd again we say, *But!*. Must we pay taxes when the authorities are *not* doing their job, especially when they are opposing good and upending justice? Can we honor the office without honoring a dishonorable man holding that office? There is more to say next time. We do know, though, that private vengeance is out (Romans 12:18), and that prayer for our authorities and paying taxes toward and promoting their judgment on evil is in. Let us do so much good that we put to silence the ignorance of foolish people (1 Peter 2:15). In application from Romans 13:6-7 I particular, - Milk: pay your taxes, don't grumble about the reality of taxes, and look for all the ways we can be grateful for what good God gives us through tax-supported infrastructure. - Meat: as you look at the meat of the instruction, and as you're able, sharpen up the steak knife to keep as much of your own fat as you can. ----------## ChargePaul told the Thessalonians about a coming great rebellion under the man of lawlessness, the son of destruction, who will proclaim himself to be God (2 Thessalonians 2:3-4). He'll actually be successful in his deception because men have refused to love the truth (2:10) and have their pleasure in unrighteousness (2:12). That all sounds bad. And in light of all that, he said, “as for you, brothers, do not grow weary in doing good” (3:13). Don't be idle, and don't be distressed by evil men. ## Benediction:> Now may the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times in every way. The Lord be with you all. (2 Thessalonians 3:16, ESV)

We're back for more *altar commitments*, as in, more of what life as a living sacrifice looks like. A bunch of this applies to body life; if the individual members of the body used their gifts for the body and then treated one another according to these “one anothers” in verses 9-21, we'd be built up and blessed. Paul gives us more of the Ancient Jealousable Ways, and verses 14-16 are particularly outside the world's pattern. These are commitments for what living sacrifices look like, but also *altar perspectives*, *how* living sacrifices look. These perspectives put our self-absorbed attitudes up on the altar to die. For the first time we hit actual imperatives in the original text. Verse 14 alone has three of them, and there's another one that finishes verse 16. But, as in verses 9-13, there are some secondary verbs that should be taken as modifiers, which hardly any of the typical English translations recognize. I'd propose this way of reading the passage:> **Bless** the ones persecuting you; > **bless** and **do not curse**.> [**Seek**] *to rejoice* with those rejoicing, > *to weep* with those weeping.> *Thinking* the same toward one another, > *not thinking* highly, > but *associating* with the lowly, > **do not be wise** according to yourself. We've considered in verses 9-13 the requirements to Love Discriminately, Honor Surpassingly, and Christian Zealously, and there are three more in these verses. There's plenty to make your teeth hurt so good, like biting into orange juice concentrate. # Bless Transcendently (verse 14)Don't fake love, don't phone in serving the Lord, be helpful to those with needs, so said verses 9-13. While that actually can be challenging enough, verse 14 takes the challenge up to another level. In fact, obedience here it requires seeing beyond the field immediately in front of you. > **Bless** those who persecute you; > **bless** and **do not curse** them.To **bless** has obvious verbal implications. First, it's built into the word; *eulogeo* is from *eu* meaning good/well and *logeo* meaning speak, so “good wording” or “speaking well,” so our word eulogy means a speech of praise. Second, it's contrasted with cursing (and with reviling elsewhere), which is also primarily associated with words. But blessing others in the Bible is more than a spoken formula, it includes the desire for the other person to receive good - beyond what the situation calls for. For Christians, when we bless someone else, we want God's special favor to be given. We bless our kids, we bless our friends, we want God to give them good. Here we are commanded to bless our hostiles, “the ones persecuting you.” This is a substantival participle, characterizing the ones who harass, pressure, and attack. Bless *them*. Remember that this is the first explicit command since verse 9, and it is immediately repeated and followed with a prohibition. To **curse** is more than to complain, though it includes that. It's to desire the harm and/or misery of someone else, invoking supernatural power to bring about the pain. You almost always have a *reason* to get back at them. Be careful little mouth what you say. There's much more about this in verses 17-21. Since we've got more than Romans, I think this is encouraging:> Do not repay evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary, bless, for to this you were called, that you may obtain a blessing. (1 Peter 3:9 ESV)It is the Christian's calling to do the contrary than be conformed to the world's ways *so that* we may obtain a blessing. That requires faith, a transcendent perspective and trust in the “faithful Creator” who works suffering for good while we're doing good (see 1 Peter 4:19). Jesus taught that it is no big deal to love those who love you; loving lovers is the natural, *worldly* way (Matthew 5:44, 46). What if the ones persecuting you are the government? What if they are a business—that you paid for—with shoddy products/service? The primary context is interpersonal, but if your reactions are as self-absorbed as the world's, then don't expect to obtain great blessing yourself. # Relate Sympathetically (verse 15)There is no explicit command in verse 15, but two parallel phrases that start with infinitives. Rather than understand the command “be (something)” as in the previous verses, here something such as “seek” or “pursue” works better. > [**Seek**] *to rejoice* with those who rejoice, > *to weep* with those who weep.There are “rejoicers” and there are “weepers.” To the Corinthians Paul had them connected within the church body:> If one member suffers, all suffer together; if one member is honored, all rejoice together. (1 Corinthians 12:26 ESV)In the previous verse we wouldn't think of persecutors as being brothers in Christ, but we're also not supposed to think the same thing as non-Christians like in the following verse. We can at least say that this verse applies to rejoicers/weepers we worship with, and yet there are ways that we can relate even to unbelievers. It is mean to delight in another person's loss, but it is a different challenge to celebrate with their victories. The temptations to envy are legion compared to the temptations to being aloof. This is good, old-fashioned sympathy, shared *pathos*, understanding between people and having a common feeling. So compassion represents a suffering with, a concern for the pains of others. It's mutually exclusive with self-absorbed attitudes. There is discrimination involved. If the other person is weeping that his adultery didn't work out, you should rejoice in that. If she is weep-cursing her neighbor, don't have a good gripe-session. Give the benefit of the doubt, and also don't believe everything they say, at least not right away. Don't complain with those who complain-weep, and for that matter, don't immediately criticize those who weep as complainers. Don't sing songs to a troubled heart (Proverbs 25:20), and also, don't curse those who are trying to help, even if clumsily. # Think Accommodatingly (verse 16)There is an explicit imperative in verse 16, but comes at the end. Three participles (the verbs ending in -ing) before it prepare the way. > *Thinking* the same toward one another, > *not thinking* highly, > but *associating* with the lowly, > **do not be wise** according to yourself. The first phrase is turned into a command differently by some good translations: “Live in harmony with one another” (ESV) or “Be of the same mind toward one another” (NASB), but it could be “the same thing unto one another **thinking**.” The nuance of this word for thinking might be about carefully considering your opinion about a thing (BAGD). As it modifies the imperative coming at the end of the verse, it means that this is required, and so a kind of shared thinking is to be *pursued*. You can try it, make progress toward it. Harmony requires adjustments on *your* part. The same participle for **thinking** is used in the second phrase, with a negative for being “high,” and so figuratively referring to what is haughty, proud. This is apparently a big deal to Paul, since he stated it in 12:3 too, don't be “high-thinking.”In contrast we (gladly) bring ourselves to be **associating** with the lowly. Again, we adjust ourselves. We accommodate, which has the idea of providing space or even adapting the space so that things will fit. We adapt, we get our bearings where they belong, not thinking that we are all that. So the final imperative, **Do not be thinking (self-smart) in the sight of yourself**, is a play on words. Think accommodatingly not alienating-ly. Watch out when you estimate your perspective to be better than everyone else's, when you think of yourself as the standard rather than thinking of yourself in light of the standard, and along with others. This is ancient wisdom: Do not lean on your own understanding, be not wise in your own eyes (Proverbs 3:5, 7). Those who are self-absorbed are notoriously relentless and invulnerable to insight (Edwin Friedman). # ConclusionThese altar perspectives are more of the Ancient Jealousable Ways. All these require that we life from faith to faith, living in an awareness of God's oversight and governance. We must put our preoccupations with our own feelings, our own concerns, up on the altar to die. ----------## ChargeDon't be a blessing bully. Be sure that a rejoicing brother is rejoicing in *evil* before you try to “bless” him by confronting his rejoicing as wrong. Likewise, there is a time to weep and a time to mourn; don't “bless” them by demanding a dance out of season. Likewise likewise, if you can/must bless those who persecute you, then you can bless those who misunderstand what you're going through. There is no third line (in Romans 12:15), “Be angry with those who didn't rejoice or weep with you as they should have.” That's not a blessing either. ## Benediction:> Finally, brothers, rejoice. Aim for restoration, comfort one another, agree with one another, live in peace; and the God of love and peace will be with you.> The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all. (2 Corinthians 13:11, 14, ESV)

I have loved this paragraph for a couple decades. It is a kick in the living-sacrifice pants, a kick in the member-of-one-body pants, a kick in the pants for people who don't love grammar, or the Christian lifestyle. Here is application par excellence, application for those who might want to go back to abstract ideas if *this* is what application looks like.There are really good reasons to observe verses 9-21 all together. That said, I think a good case could be made for a division at verse 17, which appears to address how Christians behave toward non-Christians, though there's a piece of that in verse 14. The ESV breaks a paragraph after verse 13, which does have a grammatical benefit as well, since verse 14 is the first verse that technically has a command, an explicit imperative verb rather than implied imperatives. More on that in a moment. In Romans 12 we've acknowledged Paul's appeal to be transformed, we've received Paul's analogy about being members of one body. What are these verses about? Some editions of the Bible provide headings over verses 9-21 such as “Rules of the Christian Life” (UBS4). “Marks of the True Christian” (ESV). “Love in Action” (NIV). “Christian Ethics” (HCSB). I'd like to say these are the Ancient Jealousable Ways. When you want to know what a living sacrifice does on the altar, here's a good start; these are *altar commitments*. When members of the body want something more practical than just appreciating other members, here's how that appreciation looks in practice. The grammar here is fun. As I said, the first un-implied command is in verse 14, but there are three implied commands of “be (a particular way)” in verses 9-13, with some follow up to each. Between the adjectives and a lot of participles, both of which modify main ideas, I'd translate the verses like so:> Let love [be] without hypocrisy; > *abhorring* what is evil, > *clinging* to what is good.> [Be] devoted to one another in brothers affection, > *outdoing* one another in [showing] honor.> Do not [be] slothful in zeal; > *being fervent* in spirit, > *serving* the Lord, > *rejoicing* in hope, > *persevering* in tribulation, > *being devoted* to prayer, > *contributing* to the needs of the saints, > *seeking* to show hospitality.With this structure in mind we see the first three altar commitments. # Love Discriminately (verse 9)The verse opens with an article, a noun, and an adjective, with an assumed linking verb, more than likely a command. The rest of the verse has a pair of participles that not only make an obvious contrast, but also help explain the first line. Again:> Let love [be] without hypocrisy; > *abhorring* what is evil, > *clinging* to what is good.**Love** has its hands all over the Bible. It is the Greatest Commandment and the second is like it, which got its start in Deuteronomy and renewed by Jesus (Matthew 22:36-40). The Spirit produces love in believers (Galatians 5:22); it is the way the world knows we are Jesus' disciples (John 13:34-35). Love binds the body parts together in harmony (Colossians 3:14). And such love should be *un-hypocritical*, without pretense, “without play-acting” (BAGD).If you read the next two phrases as commands, such as in the ESV, fine. Obeying all the parts of the verse gets to the same outcome. But there's another level of clarity about what makes love hypocritical: abhorring evil and holding to the good.Sincere love *discriminates*. Love isn't love if it does not distinguish between **evil** and **good** and act accordingly. This is one reason we don't say “Love is love.” Love does not deny standards. Love that clings to evil and abhors what is good is *not* love; that's like loving the thorn, not the flower. # Honor Surpassingly (verse 10)Similar to verse 9, verse 10 opens with an article, a noun, a prepositional phrase, and then an adjective: the brotherly-love — to one another — loving dearly. Or:> [Be] devoted to one another in brotherly affection, > *outdoing* one another in [showing] honor.*Philadelphia* is brother-love. Is it easier, or harder, to love your brother? Yes. I've benefited from Rene Girard's observations that we usually have a harder time loving the ones that want the same things as us. I don't really have a lot of fights with the Lesbian Unitarian pastors; we're not competing for the same demographic, at least not week to week. And while it may be true that, at the end of the day, a brother would willingly spare a kidney for another brother, lots of times brothers punch each other; sibling rivalry is real. They're stuck in the same location, the resources are limited, they're fighting it out for attention and space, and glory.Brotherly love is recognizable and *command-able*. It's also why the follow up participle does a lot of work. Love *honors*, and if there is any competition, it's a competition for who can show more honor to the other person. The NASB has “give preference in honor,” “honor above yourselves” says the NIV, “showing eagerness in honoring” (NET). But Tyndale and the ESV seem better, “In gevynge honoure/goo one before another.” Beat one another to honoring one another. # Christian Zealously (verses 11-13)One more time, verse 11 begins with an article, a noun, a negative, then an adjective, followed up by seven participles that modify. It's a bunch of Christian basics under the basic reminder of: don't be lazy. > Do not [be] slothful in zeal; > *being fervent* in spirit, > *serving* the Lord, > *rejoicing* in hope, > *persevering* in tribulation, > *being devoted* to prayer, > *contributing* to the needs of the saints, > *seeking* to show hospitality.**Zeal** is the virtue, an eagerness and *haste*. Don't just sit there, get busy. The adjective **slothful** has the idea of “lagging behind” (NASB), hesitation, reluctance (BAGD). Don't let the zeal flag flop. Maybe this could be like the opposite of telling someone to “Calm Down. Relax.” which hardly seems to work. Does the command to *!Be excited!* really help? It could be emotional volume without substance, but that's one benefit of the next bunch of modifiers, which most English translations turn into commands. And fine. But they belong together in such a way as to say: don't hold back.**Be(ing) fervent in spirit** is probably one's human spirit rather than the Holy Spirit, and it means to get charged up. Homer used the word for boiling or seething liquid, so figuratively our spirit should be stirred up, our affections excited, on fire. John Calvin said, “our flesh, like the ass, is always torpid.” Go ahead, be a Jesus freak. **Serving the Lord** frames the zeal because we are not the Master. Our confession is that He is Lord, we do what He says. When the zeal and fervor is at low tide, remember that you are working for the Lord and not for men, and it's from the Lord that you will receive the reward (Colossians 3:23-24).Into verse 12, these three phrases work together for good, all in parallel form. We're zealously **rejoicing in hope**, which earlier we learned is the hope of glory (Romans 5:2). Hope is the flavor of rejoicing. We're zealously **persevering in tribulation**, which is a steadfastness, also which we know God works for our perfection (James 1:2-4). And we're zealously **being devoted to prayer**, which should go along with the attitude in afflictions, because we need the Lord's help. The two phrases in verse 13 complement each other. There's zeal for **contributing to the needs of the saints** and **seeking to show hospitality**. Some have the gift of giving (Romans 12:8), all of us have different ways we can give. The **hospitality** part, especially in the first century, was more important since it was often strangers who needed it. Maybe evangelists were traveling, maybe there just weren't available inns for passers-by. Christians had a great ministry *in their homes*, not just outside of them. It's not ridiculous to think that we can apply this, but having your favorite family over for dinner and game night is not exactly the same. That said, it's good practice in an inhospitable world (Murray). Zeal is cheerful, faithful, prayerful, merciful, bountiful.# ConclusionDon't hold back *love*, don't hold back *honor*, *don't hold back at all*. This shows what altar commitment looks like. These are the Ancient Jealousable Ways. While much of Romans expects our “Amen!”, these require us to *Act!*----------## Charge“Good works are conspicuous/obvious, and even those that are not cannot remain hidden” (1 Timothy 5:25). Love the good. Find someone to outdo in honor. Pray. Be patient. Give when you can. Don't hold back. ## Benediction:> Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful. And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near. (Hebrews 10:23–25, ESV)

Den er helt gal med TETRA radiosystemet, det system som beredskaber, politi og militær bruger over hele Europa. Et researchteam har nemlig fundet en bagdør i det, som angiveligt kan bruges til at forvanske og aflytte kommuikation, standse toge og elværker og meget andet, skriver WIRED. Aflyttet har talt med IT-sikkerhedsekspert Henrik Kramselund, datalog og underviser i Cybersikkerhed på KEA om, hvad det betyder - og hvad man kan gøre. Og så nærmer en ny udgave af hackerfestivalen Bornhack sig, i næste uge går det løs igen på Fyn, og i den anledning har Aflyttet været i arkivet og fundet optagelser fra den første Bornhack i 2016. LINKS: WIREDs artikel om TETRA:https://www.wired.com/story/tetra-radio-encryption-backdoor/ BORNHACK: https://bornhack.dk/bornhack-2023/

Jaký je pohled odborů na podmínky předčasného odchodu do důchodu? Jih Ukrajiny už třetí den čelí nové vlně ruských vzdušných útoků. Souvisí s pozastavením obilné dohody? Proč v noci na dnešek demonstranti zapálili švédskou ambasádu v Bagdádu? Na Novém Zélandu začalo mistrovství světa fotbalistek. Jak populární je ženský fotbal?

* Pēc Valsts drošības dienesta izvērtējuma melnajā sarakstā iekļauti trīs Latvijā reģistrētā konditorejas uzņēmuma Pobeda Confectionery īpašnieki * Simtiem cilvēku iebrukuši un aizdedzinājuši Zviedrijas vēstniecības kompleksu Irākas galvaspilsētā Bagdādē * Skaistkalnē uztraucas par Lietuvas plāniem Latvijas robežas tuvumā paredzēts būvēt vērienīgu vēja parku

O Iraque expulsou nesta quinta-feira (20) a embaixadora da Suécia no país. A decisão é uma reação do governo iraquiano a uma autorização concedida pela Justiça sueca que obriga a polícia do país a permitir manifestações envolvendo a queima de livros sagrados. Na quarta, manifestante em Bagdá invadiram e incendiaram a embaixada do país escandinavo.

Fascinující i zdrcující životní příběh Vlasty Kálalové di Lotti, jedné z prvních českých lékařek, která mimo jiné roku 1925 otevřela československou nemocnici v Bagdádu, přináší scénické čtení Istyklál. O jeho vzniku a tvůrčím pojetí odkazu výrazné osobnosti české historie hovoří autorka původní divadelní hry Lenka Jungmannová, herečka Jana Plodková, hudebník Jan Matásek i spolutvůrkyně této scénické koláže: castingová režisérka Kateřina Oujezdská a výtvarnice Andrea Králová.Všechny díly podcastu ArtCafé můžete pohodlně poslouchat v mobilní aplikaci mujRozhlas pro Android a iOS nebo na webu mujRozhlas.cz.

Last Lord's Day in Romans 11:16-24 we saw the introductory Analogies and the first Admonition. Verse 16 offers two illustrations, dough and root are connected to the whole loaf and branches. It's the root and branches analogy that Paul carries through the paragraph until verse 24. The branches are Jews, and though they shared an identification with the root of the patriarchs, they were broken off from the salvation blessings promised to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. There are three reasons for identifying the root as Israel's patriarchs. First (immediate context), the root is like the dough, and both illustrate first parts that represent later parts, both presented to, or for, God. Neither dough or root represent Christ as a first part, the subject is Jews (per verse 14) and where they started. Second (broader context), the patriarchs are referenced at the beginning of Romans 9 (verse 5, to Israel “belong the patriarchs”) and again at the end of Romans 11; Romans 11:28 says in different words the same sort of thing as this paragraph: “as regards election, [the Jews] are beloved for the sake of their forefathers.” Third (theological context), while better than a second-grade Sunday School answer, identifying the root as Christ not only misses that the Christ, the Seed/Offspring, was promised *to* and *through* the root, it also suggests that some Jews were in fact *in* Christ and then cut off from Christ. This contradicts Romans 8:1, 38-39, which says there is no condemnation for those “in Christ” and nothing can cut us off from His love. Gentiles are grafted in to “*share in the nourishing root of the olive tree*.” Believers partake of the salvation blessings first promised by the Lord in His covenant to Abraham. And I say that the tree illustrates salvation blessings, rather than Israel or the Church or even the covenants, because of the previous paragraph, Romans 11:11-15. What makes Jews jealous is that “salvation has come to the Gentiles,” a salvation that is “riches for the world” and “riches for the Gentiles.” The Gentiles aren't the “new” Israel or the “true” Israel or “spiritual” Israel, but they do receive the sorts of salvation riches first promised to the Jews. This is the “fatness” of the olive tree, the life-juices. There's four more parts to the paragraph, with an emphasis against Gentile arrogance and toward anticipation for God's kindness to the Jews.# Argument (verse 19)Paul just said “do not be arrogant toward the branches” and he expects some orthodox push back. > Then you will say, “Branches were broken off so that I might be grafted in.” (Romans 11:19 ESV)This isn't an argument about capacity or amount of available space. It's not as if there were only “this many” that could be saved and grafted in. Unlike a physical plant limited by surface area, or even by the inability of the sap-system to scale up for sustaining extra branches, the point of this interlocutor is about God's purpose. He had listened to *some* of what Paul said. “Through (Israel's) trespass salvation has come to the Gentiles” (verse 11). The **broken off so that** is a narrative plot twist. And it's *true*, but it's not the last season, it's definitely not the climax of the story. # Answer (verses 20-21)Yes, “quite right” (NASB), and sure. That (most) Jews are out and (many) Gentiles are in, for now, is part of Paul's point. But the imperative here is less pressing for jealousability and more pressing against being a jerk. > That is true. They were broken off because of their unbelief, but you stand fast through faith. So do not become proud, but fear. For if God did not spare the natural branches, neither will he spare you. (Romans 11:20–21 ESV)**True**, “granted” (NIV), some Jews were broken off. It was part of God's sovereign plan *and* it was part of Israel's responsibility. They should have believed. The privileges they had increased their accountability to trust the Lord, and yet many trusted in what they considered to be their own righteousness. They got comfy, complacent. **So do not become proud, but fear.** Don't think about yourself in an exalted way, but be humble. Fear the Lord, yes, as you consider that the salvation blessings are gifts, including faith, and that without God sustaining that faith you would fall away. Pride opposes not just humility but *faith*. The next conditional argument comes in as an explanation. Why should we be humble? **If God did not spare the natural branches**, and we've seen that He didn't, **(then) neither will he spare you.** This sort of warning may have similarities to Israel, but it is not based on being in the covenant as many of the warnings to them were. It is an exhortation, from man's perspective in light of man's responsibility, to take heed of superficial confession and so superficial connection, and to keep on believing. The righteous *live* by faith, they don't merely “pray a prayers” expressing faith and be done with it. We'll be done living by faith when faith becomes sight. None are saved because they are born into or grow up in a Christian family, because they prayed a prayer, because they got baptized, because they go to church. Those are all blessings, and they are blessings especially as they stimulate *faith*. Salvation is *always* by faith *alone*.# Appeal (verse 22)Two key words, both repeated a couple times: kindness and severity. > Note then the kindness and the severity of God: severity toward those who have fallen, but God's kindness to you, provided you continue in his kindness. Otherwise you too will be cut off. (Romans 11:22 ESV)**Note** is fine, a focusing imperative, “Behold” or “notice” this. There is **kindness** and **severity**. **Kindness** or “goodness” (KJV) is a “quality of being helpful or beneficial” (BAGD). It belongs with God's grace, His saving of enemies and generosity toward the ungrateful. He gives riches to the poor who preferred their poverty until He worked in them. **Severity** or “sternness” (NIV), “harshness” (NET), “rigorousnes” (Tyndale). God's patience and kindness is significant *because* of His righteousness and glory and severity, His *wrath* (remember Romans 1:18 and Romans 2:5, 8-9). He is the most Jealous for His name. While He is divinely patient He is also divinely inflexible about the standard for honoring His Son and His Son's name. Kindness and blessing are for all who believe. Severity, curses, being cut off and judgment are for those who refuse. Believers are to **continue in his kindness**. # Anticipation (verses 23-24)We're nearing the end of the arguments against arrogance, and these two verses summarize the analogy. It's another “how much more” argument. > And even they, if they do not continue in their unbelief, will be grafted in, for God has the power to graft them in again. For if you were cut from what is by nature a wild olive tree, and grafted, contrary to nature, into a cultivated olive tree, how much more will these, the natural branches, be grafted back into their own olive tree. (Romans 11:23–24 ESV)The repetition is Paul's before it was mine. We're back to branches from **a wild olive tree** (Gentiles) and those from **a cultivated olive tree** (Jews). There's nothing more **natural** than to be **grafted back into their own olive tree**. This is not only what God has the power to do, it is what God has *promised* to do (per the specific New Covenant parties and terms). There is *hope* for Israel (Morris).Men such as Martin Luther missed this. He wrote “On the Jews and Their Lies” in which he said,> Thus we cannot extinguish the unquenchable fire of divine wrath, of which the prophets speak, **nor can we convert the Jews**. (Location 3491) … next to the devil, a Christian has no more bitter and galling foe than a Jew. There is no other to whom we accord as many benefactions and from whom we suffer as much as we do from these base children of the devil, this brood of vipers. (Location 3526, as quoted in _Forged from the Reformation_)For as much as we appreciate God's use of Luther reading and understanding Romans 1:17 to spark the Reformation, he didn't read everything as carefully, which is another reason we are Reformed and still reading our Bibles.# ConclusionAre we (Gentiles) in? Yes. In what? We who confess Christ as Lord are in among the remnant of believing Jews and sharing the fatness of the root. What's the root? *Not* Israel, Israel is also in the root, but we're in the riches of salvation as promised to the root of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. What is Paul's point? Here it is not about us needing to recognize more that we're in, but that Israel will be in, and we're to be jealousable, not jerks. ----------## ChargeDo not become proud, but fear. Stand fast through faith. Remember the kindness and severity of God. “Continue in the grace of God” (Acts 13:43).## Benediction:> Now to him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you blameless before the presence of his glory with great joy, to the only God, our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion, and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen. (Jude 1:24–25, ESV)

Imagine you were adopted by loving parents who gladly sacrificed for you and provided for you and raised you into maturity. As you got older, your parents described the inheritance they had been preparing for you, showing you the papers and how everything was in order. And, at the proper time, they told you that you had a much older brother, to whom they also promised an inheritance, including a particular piece of property previously purchased. That news wouldn't cause you to question your adoption. It would cause you to rejoice in the goodness and generosity of your parents.For what we count as the first eight chapters of Romans Paul has been showing us the goods of our salvation. All have sinned, any can be reconciled. Those who believe in the Lord Jesus Christ cannot be separated from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. We've “received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, ‘Abba! Father!'” We are “heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with Him” (Romans 8:15, 17). And starting in Romans 9 Paul brings up the older brother. The radical point of Romans 11 is about how God promised to save Israel and how He will save them just as He said. God purposed to bless the Gentiles with salvation blessings so as to make Israel jealous, to want their inheritance through the Messiah. For (us) Gentiles, that is cause for highest praise. It also, turns out, has become a source of great pride. Paul emphasized the jealousable argument to win the Jews in Romans 11:11-15, and now he argues and warns against Gentile arrogance in Romans 11:16-24.There's no way that I appreciate to the full all the blessings I've been given in Christ. At the *least* we have been blessed “in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places” (Ephesians 1:3). Having not been a people, but now being God's people; having not received mercy, but now having received mercy (1 Peter 2:10), these are gracious blessings from the Lord. Our justification apart from the law/works, our peace with God, our reconciliation and access to grace, our adoption as sons, our hope of glory - a hope that does not put us to shame, these are all rejoicing reasons. We've been given so much we do not deserve, and should work to grasp how great we have it through the gospel.But the point in Romans 9-11 is not only that God is sovereign in salvation, but that He is sovereign in the salvation of Israel. While we may be grafted in to salvation blessings, we are wild branches, and God isn't done with the natural branches. Too many Christians seem to unwittingly disobey this very passage. Paul commands: “do not be arrogant” and “do not become proud.” And yet all those who act or teach that the church has replaced Israel are the target. Don't forget the older brother. There are six parts to the conditional arguments, though my points aren't limited to the “if this, then that,” and we're only going to see the first two points in this message. We'll set up the key terms of root, branches, grafted in, broken off, wild, natural. # Analogies (verse 16)Most of the Greek and English copies that have paragraphs keep verse 16 with verses 13-15. Paul is continuing to address Gentiles, and while this is a transition, the second of the two analogies used in verse 16 set up the discussion through verse 24. > If the dough offered as firstfruits is holy, so is the whole lump, and if the root is holy, so are the branches. (Romans 11:16 ESV)The first analogy is the **firstfruits**, a concept from Numbers 15:17-21, where the first part represents the rest. Here it's specifically the **dough** out of the **whole lump**. You don't get a different loaf than the starter (e.g., sourdough bread).The second analogy is the **root** and **branches**, which are parts of the same tree. What is the **root**? It appears to be the Patriarchs: Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob/Israel. They were the first to receive the adoption, the glory, the covenants, and the promises (Romans 9:4), back where we started in this section of the epistle. To the Jews “belong the patriarchs” (Romans 9:5), from their race came the Christ (Romans 9:5), and Israel is “beloved for the sake of their forefathers” (Romans 11:28). The patriarchs were the start. The **branches** are generations of Jews, those that came from the patriarchs, as we'll see contrasted with Gentiles who are “wild olive shoots.” This is the first conditional argument: if this, and this *is*, then this. If the first and root were chosen for salvation blessings, and they were, then it's expected that blessings are naturally belonging to the lump and branches. # Admonition (verses 17-18)Here is the second conditional argument with such an obvious conclusion that a command becomes obvious. > But if some of the branches were broken off, and you, although a wild olive shoot, were grafted in among the others and now share in the nourishing root of the olive tree, do not be arrogant toward the branches. If you are, remember it is not you who support the root, but the root that supports you. (Romans 11:17–18 ESV)Again, the **branches** are Jews. They are compared with the **wild olive shoots**, so Jews are “natural branches” (verses 21 and 24). They belong with “their own olive tree” (verse 24). **Some of the branches were broken off**. The broken-offs are all the sons of the patriarchs who did not believe. Ishmael and Esau were broken off, all those who stumbled over the stone were broken off, all those who were not the remnant. **You** are the Gentiles, per verse 13. And the Gentiles are ** a wild olive shoot, grafted in**. Grafting is a common method used to propagate and reproduce desirable characteristics of plants. The process involves taking a cutting or bud from one plant, known as the scion, and attaching it to a rooted portion of another plant, also called the rootstock. It involves making precise cuts on both the scion and the rootstock, aligning them carefully, and securing them together until they heal and form a successful union.The procedure Paul describes in verse 17 is atypical arboriculture (the cultivation of trees and shrubs, a little more specific than horticulture). It was typical that a cultivated branch growing good but weak fruit because found on a weak tree, would be cut off and grafted onto a healthy wild root for growing strong. The strength of the wild root would get pushed out of the non-wild branch in good fruit. There's no good reason to put a wild branch into a vigorous non-wild root; a healthy non-wild root would likely already have healthy branches. Paul knew that this is “contrary to nature” (verse 24). You wouldn't do it except for fun, or grace. Gentiles who believed in Christ are those who **now share the nourishing root of the olive tree**. It could be translated “a partaker of the root and *fatness*” (KJV), or the “root of the *riches*.” It's a different word than the “riches” in verse 12, but a “state of oiliness” (BAGD), the “nourishing sap” (NIV), the life-juices, the good stuff. There are a number of places in the Old Testament where Israel is compared to an olive tree (e.g., Jeremiah 11:16; Psalm 52:8). But the **olive tree** can't be Israel in Paul's analogy because Israel are the branches *on* the tree. What does it mean to be **grafted in** and sharing the *fatness*? It means to enjoy salvation blessings. Gentiles don't become Israel. Gentiles and Jews share God's righteousness from faith to faith, they share God's life. These blessings were promised by God to the patriarchs—the root, starting with blessings for a nation and then for all the families of the earth through Abraham (Genesis 12:2-3).Be glad, but don't gloat. Don't get too big for your branches. **Do not be arrogant toward** or “boast over” (κατακαυχῶ - BAGD: “of a gladiator over his defeated foe”) or consider yourself superior to the natural branches. His reason is that **it is not you who support the root, but the root that supports you.** So shouldn't it be don't be arrogant toward the root? But that's how much the branches belong with the root. If the root is holy, so are the branches. There is something that belongs to them inherently. > “The Gentiles are not taker-overs, but partakers of Jewish spiritual blessings.” —Fruchtenbaum, _Israelology_Israel has not been displaced. They were an elect people, given great privileges. # ConclusionThe natural branches were not cut off from being Israel/Jews, but from the blessings. We are not grafted into being Israel/Jews, but into many of the blessings promised by God long ago. We are blessed in Abraham among "all the nations" as Gentiles, and that doesn't replace the particular people God promised to bless in Abraham as *a* nation, Israel. So rejoice, and jealousably so, in your blessings, and rejoice in the Father's promised but unfinished work for our older brother. > "I think we do not attach sufficient importance to the restoration of the Jews. We do not think enough of it. But certainly, if there is anything promised in the Bible it is this." -Charles Spurgeon, “[The Church of Christ](https://www.reformedreader.org/spurgeon/1855-28.htm)” June 3, 1855. ----------## ChargeChurch, your blessings have been given by the Lord, don't be arrogant toward others, including in your theology of Israel. Members of the body, your blessings have been given by the Lord, don't be arrogant against, or jealous of, other parts of the body. You have been grafted into blessings, the sap of God's salvation promises and grace makes you fruitful. ## Benediction:> May the God of endurance and encouragement grant you to live in such harmony with one another, in accord with Christ Jesus, that together you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. (Romans 15:5–6, ESV)

Você é produtor rural e não sabe o que é sistema de produção HALAL? Sabia que o Brasil é um dos maiores exportadores de proteína neste sistema para países Muçulmanos? Então te programa para ver este Campo e Batom que está prá lá de Bagdá! Os convidados Soha Chabrawi, uma das responsáveis pela Qualidade Fambras Halal e Marcus Vinícius, gerente de inteligência de Mercado da Câmara Árabe Brasileira, são especialistas no tema e estarão com Alessandra Bergmann falando sobre como se produz halal, quais os fatores fundamentais para certificação para entrar neste circuito, além de falar sobre os rituais do regime RAMADÃ praticado pelos muçulmanos e o que ele tem a ver com o produtor e a produtora rural brasileira. Te inscreve no canal OFICIAL : ⁠https://bit.ly/Campoebatom⁠ Siga Campo e Batom nas Redes Sociais: ⁠https://www.facebook.com/campoebatom⁠... Todas as edições do programa estarão disponíveis nesses canais, além do Spotify, onde podem ser ouvidos na forma de podcasts.

Bagdádské obchody s alkoholem nezlikvidovaly ani bombové útoky sunnitských extremistů. Teď proti prodeji lihovin vytáhli vládní šíitští politici. Iráčané se ptají, jestli je to konec popíjení, a také jestli suchý zákon není předzvěstí další islamizace veřejného života

Nos siga no twitter: ■ https://twitter.com/marciosbarrios ■ https://twitter.com/JhoCarneiro ■ https://twitter.com/OctavioTenan Faça compras na Amazon utilizando nosso link: ■ https://amzn.to/3FwXVnG Curtiu o programa? Você pode contribuir: ■ http://apoia.se/maaarcio Não quer contribuir financeiramente? Sem problemas, clicando no botão CURTIR ou divulgando a atração nas redes sociais já é uma baita ajuda.

TDAgiantslayer@gmail.com    Brought to you by wellbuiltbody.com    97X     PODBEAN   Apple Podcast      New idea 12 Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, 2 fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. 3 Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.   Gert rid of hinderances WHY? So you can run faster and so it is easier to persevere.  Many of us are trying to run the race with rocks in our pocket. When I owned a gym and someone would train with me for a while, lose weight, and start to lose motivation.. I would ask them to pick up a kettlebell weighing anywhere from 30 pounds to 80 and ask them to carry it around the gym… from exercise to exercise, they must carry it at all times… when they would finally put up a hissy fit I would ask them… if you quit working out, YOU WILL Gauranteed gain back the weight you took off which is how much you are carrying around today… so do you want to go back to carrying this weight around every day 24/7?    My question is why would you want to try to live for Jesus carrying around dead weight… you sin is death.      And Jesus scorned the shame  SCORNED: a negative (hostile) outlook; to despise, thinking down on (thinking little of); esteem lightly, seeing as insignificant or detestable; to treat with contempt or disregard (BAGD); devalue; to depreciate (scorn); pay no regard to (because something seems of no account); " 'despise, scorn,' and show it by active insult" (Souter). [2706 /kataphronéō (literally, "think down") refers to holding someone in contempt, deeming them unworthy and hence despised   SHAME: Those things you ought to be ashamed of and are not… So God even more points out your demonic mindset… You should be ashamed but you think its normal so i will shame you. Jesus did this also in Luke 13:17… he shamed the acts and mindsets of the Pharisees.    that came from delivering the gospel… truly delivering it. - Jesus is saying you think I am not the Messiah… just wait 3 days. You think my death is final… wait until it redeems that which has been stolen. You think sin and darkness and the powers of evil are fake or overrated… wait until I cross over the line and wake up the demonic in a harsh way… in 3 days when I say “im baaaaack” you will eat your words.  And consider it… hey wake up, this is what he did and this is what you need to do!    So lets take a week to look at shaming the hinderances that so easily  drag you down from being who you are meant to be… it might get ugly, but you will be better for it. And there are 3 basic foundational hinderances I am going to hit… and I mean HIT! Because they build on each other. We will go after the first one tomorrow and it is GOING TO CHURCH…. HANGING WITH STRONG GODLY MEN… READING AND PRAYING FOR AMMO TO LIVE    PART 2 HEBREWS 12 Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, 2 fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. 3 Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.   First H - Going to church A recent survey by Ellison Research found that 31% of men never attend church even on holidays - WHY?    1. THEIR FATHERS DIDN'T ATTEND CHURCH “Many men give their sons the impression that the church is not a place for real men by stereotyping Christian men as passive, effeminate, and henpecked – qualities no man desires,” says Frederick Davis, assistant pastor of the Almeda Church of Christ in Houston, TX. “As a result of their macho posturing, these men are inadvertently teaching their sons that church is only for women and wimps, and propagating new generations of unchurched men.” A man's lackadaisical attitude towards church attendance can influence his children's perceptions of religion. This behavior is especially destructive if the man has a son. It is difficult for a mother to convince her son that attending church is important if her husband invalidates her arguments by sleeping late on Sundays. “I would always wonder why my mom made me go to church when my father didn't,” says Andre Ligon, a 40 year-old lawyer. “I didn't think church was important because he never went.”   2. THEY HAVE TO WORK As companies downsize and lay-offs lurk around every corner, men feel compelled to work as much as they can to provide some measure of security for their families. Neglecting their own spiritual growth is a small sacrifice for men who desire to keep their families out of dire straits. George O'Neil, Sr., 63, retired, concurs. “When I got married and had children, I had to stop going to church as much as I used to because I had to get a steady job. I worked whenever I could get something which often meant on Sundays,” O'Neil said. “Something had to give -unfortunately, it was church.”   3. TOO MANY COLLECTIONS With rising unemployment, higher taxes, and other financial woes, the last thing any man wants to see when he goes to church is a pastor with his hand out asking for more than his fair share of his income. “I couldn't take it anymore,” says Paul Johnson, a 52 year-old mailroom supervisor. “Before I could put my wallet away from the first offering, a battalion of collection plates would bombard me again. At one point, I thought I'd have to start paying admission.   4. SERVICES ARE TOO LONG AND INFLEXIBLE Kenneth Davis, a 53-year old teacher, is a football fanatic. He loves to watch games from the kickoff until the finally seconds tick away; however, going to church usually spoils his plans. “By the time they're done with announcements, hymns, and excruciatingly long sermons, it's almost halftime,” Davis says. “I know that going to church is important, but I like some time on Sundays to relax and do what I like to do.” Reverend John L. Hart, acknowledges that services are sometimes too long, but he attributes it to waning church attendance. “It's true that we sometimes have too many things going on during service, but the   pulpit is challenged to get in as much as possible because Sunday is the only day we see most the men we do have,” he said.   5. THEY HAVE LOST FAITH IN GOD OR DO NOT BELIEVE IN GOD Men who grew up with a firm religious foundation have an easier time coping with adversity, but a test of faith sometimes can be enough to send even the most faithful servant fleeing from the fold. Dwayne Monroe, for example, was a model Christian. As a teenager, Monroe never missed a chance to worship the Lord. He attended Sunday school, Bible study, and was the pioneer of his church's youth ministry. But his faith was tested when his father grew ill with prostate cancer. Monroe, whose mother died in a car accident, prayed daily for the Lord to heal his father, but to no avail. The elder Monroe died when his son was seventeen leaving the frightened child parentless. Feeling the Lord had forsaken him, Monroe cut all ties with his church and has not been back since. “I was always so faithful,” says the 26-year-old sales clerk. “But God took both of my parents from me and left me all alone. How could a God I'd been so faithful to leave me all alone?” But he is only one of a swelling rank of men who refuse to accept the concept of an Almighty God. “I have never seen any physical evidence of God's existence,” said James Turner, a 37 year-old engineer.  “We're taught to be logical in all aspects of our lives, but when it comes to religion, we are supposed to throw our logic out of the window and rely solely on faith. I'm sorry, but I just can't do that. Besides, if there were really a God, do you think the world would be so screwed up?” Reverend Clarence James, lecturer and author of a series chronicling African-American history, culture, and involvement in the Christian church, understands their dilemma. “Given the state of America, I can empathize with the men who refuse to believe that God would allow this country to become such a rancid place. But things can only get worse if our men stop believing and lose faith,” James said. “All I can do is ask non-believers to come to church one Sunday. Hopefully, we will say something or they will see something that will convince them that God is alive and working in their lives.”   6. THE CHURCH IS HYPOCRITICAL Immoral behavior such as sexual misconduct and embezzlement by ministers and church leaders were cited as reasons why men avoid the church. “I was appalled by all the backbiting and pettiness at my former church,” says Eric Townshend, a 22 year-old student. “Those people were supposed to be Christians, but they sure didn't act like Christians. I feel that I exhibit the tenets of Christianity outside of church much better than many of those people who attend church religiously.” While Hart acknowledges the hypocrisy in the church, he believes that it should not deter men from attending. “There are many untrue images in the church, but people must realize that their commitment should be to Christ rather than the people who comprise the church. People often believe that Christians are supposed to be perfect when in fact, we aren't,” Hart said.   7. INSENSITIVE PULPIT Several of the men interviewed for this piece agreed that the church is unsympathetic to their plights. Since many men attend church to mend their battered egos, they get upset when the minister adds insult to injury by attacking them in his sermon. “I admit that men are victims of an insensitive pulpit,” Hart said. “Historically, we (ministers) have spewed unintended condemnations toward men. Now they are rebelling against the church by not showing up.” Whereas, it is difficult to rebel against employers or other authority figures in their lives without negative consequences, insurgence against the church is easier because the consequences are not so immediate. “By not attending church, men feel powerful and in control because they are finally able to challenge authority and get away with it,” James says. “All any man wants to hear is that he is doing a good job. The church needs to be more sensitive to that fact.” Second H - Being with Godly men Third H - Spending time with Christ

  TDAgiantslayer@gmail.com    Brought to you by wellbuiltbody.com    97X     PODBEAN   Apple Podcast      New idea 12 Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, 2 fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. 3 Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.   Gert rid of hinderances WHY? So you can run faster and so it is easier to persevere.  Many of us are trying to run the race with rocks in our pocket. When I owned a gym and someone would train with me for a while, lose weight, and start to lose motivation.. I would ask them to pick up a kettlebell weighing anywhere from 30 pounds to 80 and ask them to carry it around the gym… from exercise to exercise, they must carry it at all times… when they would finally put up a hissy fit I would ask them… if you quit working out, YOU WILL Gauranteed gain back the weight you took off which is how much you are carrying around today… so do you want to go back to carrying this weight around every day 24/7?    My question is why would you want to try to live for Jesus carrying around dead weight… you sin is death.      And Jesus scorned the shame  SCORNED: a negative (hostile) outlook; to despise, thinking down on (thinking little of); esteem lightly, seeing as insignificant or detestable; to treat with contempt or disregard (BAGD); devalue; to depreciate (scorn); pay no regard to (because something seems of no account); " 'despise, scorn,' and show it by active insult" (Souter). [2706 /kataphronéō (literally, "think down") refers to holding someone in contempt, deeming them unworthy and hence despised   SHAME: Those things you ought to be ashamed of and are not… So God even more points out your demonic mindset… You should be ashamed but you think its normal so i will shame you. Jesus did this also in Luke 13:17… he shamed the acts and mindsets of the Pharisees.    that came from delivering the gospel… truly delivering it. - Jesus is saying you think I am not the Messiah… just wait 3 days. You think my death is final… wait until it redeems that which has been stolen. You think sin and darkness and the powers of evil are fake or overrated… wait until I cross over the line and wake up the demonic in a harsh way… in 3 days when I say “im baaaaack” you will eat your words.  And consider it… hey wake up, this is what he did and this is what you need to do!    So lets take a week to look at shaming the hinderances that so easily  drag you down from being who you are meant to be… it might get ugly, but you will be better for it. And there are 3 basic foundational hinderances I am going to hit… and I mean HIT! Because they build on each other. We will go after the first one tomorrow and it is GOING TO CHURCH….

God saved us so that we would “proclaim the excellencies of him who called [us] out of darkness into his marvelous light” (1 Peter 2:9). “Once [we] had not received mercy, but now [we] have received mercy” (1 Peter 2:10). His election and His mercy are worthy of praise. The word translated “excellencies” (τὰς ἀρετὰς) is a frequently used word by Greek authors. Homer used it regularly where military valor or exploits resulted in recognition and renown for heroes. Excellence was a quality to pursue as promoted by Plato and the Stoics, describing one having “uncommon character worthy of praise, virtue” (BAGD). Not just excellence, but *consummate*, perfect, supreme, ultimate excellence. To have excellence is to be surpassing, to be outstanding. The “chosen” (the Greek word in verse 9 is ἐκλεκτόν), those called out of darkness, are brought to light to praise the Light. We are made God's people in order to make known God's excellencies, plural. And one of His excellencies is His election unto mercy. It's sovereign grace. # Righteous in All His WaysIn Romans 9 Paul is dealing with the apparent problem that so many of his Jewish brothers had *not* received the Messiah (Romans 9:1-5). If the gospel was the power of God to salvation for Jews first, why were so many Jews not believing? Was God not actually that powerful? While it was a heavy burden for the apostle, it did also have biblical precedent (9:6-13). God had been choosing some rather than all throughout Israel's history, including His choice of Jacob/Israel over Jacob's twin. God chose Isaac over Ishmael for covenant promises, as well as Israel over Esau. God's choice was not based on anything He saw in the boys, but “in order that God's purpose of election might continue” (Romans 9:11). As Paul answers one question about God's righteousness he provokes another. The initial explanation for why God's word hasn't failed is that God's word—His promises—were intended for the elect. Though He had elected the entire nation in one way He had not elected every individual in the nation in another way. “Not all who are descended from Israel belong to Israel” (9:6). God is faithful to all those He chose. But does that make God unfair? If God elected Jacob instead of Esau, isn't that unjust? If God had chosen based on what either of them had done, then it would only be unjust if He chose the doer of bad over the doer of good. If God saw that Jacob was going to be more virtuous than Esau, and God chose Jacob because of it, then there would be no question about God's righteousness. But He chose before they were born, before they had done good or bad. “What shall we say then? Is there injustice on God's part?” We've jumped out of the frying pan into the theological fire. Wouldn't it be better if God was weak rather than wicked? Wouldn't it be better if He made promises He couldn't keep rather than keep promises that were arbitrary/random/reasonless. Was Esau a victim of divine discrimination? Did Ishmael get fair treatment from God? Paul not only denies that God is unrighteous in His purpose of election but even proclaims God's purpose of election as part of what makes God so glorious. God reveals, and God celebrates in, God's sovereignty. Election belongs with His excellencies. His excellencies aren't that we found out way out of darkness and once we got ourselves into the light we finally could say, “Wow, look at Him!” The excellencies start with His mercy to us sinners. This is really radical stuff. We need some time to work through it. I am not in the cage-stage of Calvinism, but I'm not sure I'm close to maximizing my finite abilities to grasp His infinite excellencies, including how glorious His mercies are. # The End of the WorldThe first time I preached this passage was almost twenty years ago, April 2003. It happened in God's providence that I was also reading a book by Jonathan Edwards titled, _The End for Which God Created the World_. I'd grown up finishing every prayer that God would do everything for His glory, and I'm amazed at how much there is to consider in that request. It also belongs with Paul's explanation of God's righteousness in Romans 9. One of Edwards' most profound and puritanical illustrations requires a little imagination. Imagine that there existed in the universe a being that had only one function: to judge worth. And one day this 3rd-party judge was presented with two objects for consideration: God and creation, all-creation, taken together. It is already leaning heavily in the direction of the Creator; as great as creation is, all that glory belongs to the one who gave it being. Even without the sin parts, creation is not eternal, omniscient, omnipotent, or even omnipresent. The judge of worth might be taxed on other days distinguishing value between two types of butterflies, or which book in the Ransom trilogy is best, but the exercise of deciding between God and creation would be laughable if it weren't so crucial. In God we live and move and have our being (Acts 17:28). In God we have our source of categories, physical (day and night, water and land, seeds and trees of their kinds, sun and moon and stars) as well as moral (do and do not, right and wrong, love and hate, love this with all). As it turns out, there is a perfect judge of worth, and He is God Himself. > Who has measured the Spirit of the LORD, > or what man shows him his counsel? > Whom did he consult, > and who made him understand? > Who taught him the path of justice, > and taught him knowledge, > and showed him the way of understanding? > Behold, the nations are like a drop from a bucket, > and are accounted as the dust on the scales; > behold, he takes up the coastlands like fine dust. > Lebanon would not suffice for fuel, > nor are its beasts enough for a burnt offering. > All the nations are as nothing before him, > they are accounted by him as less than nothing > and emptiness.> > To whom then will you liken God, > or what likeness compare with him? > (Isaiah 40:13–18 ESV)For what it's worth, Isaiah 40:13 is quoted in Romans 11:34. God knows all, truly and fully. He knows what is good and great and greatest. He knows, He reveals, and it turns out He also encompasses what is excellent. He knows what is right and it is His *delight*. He shares with us what is right and a cause of delight. It is right for Him to delight in our delight of what is right. He glories in His glory. God celebrates God's glory. # The Excellencies of Mercy and WrathLet's bring it into the salvation discussion. “God is love” (1 John 4:16). He is the one who defines love, He also has demonstrated it better than anyone in the universe in the sending of His Son to take on the humble form of a servant and then obey unto death, even death on a cross *for rebels* (Philippians 2:8, Romans 5:8). His love is infinite, His love is infinitely excellent. If God exalted any love over His own love He would be wrong. “Gracious is the LORD, and righteous; our God is merciful” (Psalm 116:5). As Moses told the Israelites, “For the LORD your God is a merciful God” (Deuteronomy 4:31). There is no higher Platonic form of mercy than God's actual mercy. His mercy is infinitely excellent. If God pointed away from His mercy He would be untrustworthy. Mercy is the first issue in Romans 9:14-18. “I will have *mercy* on whom I have mercy,” “it depends…on God who has *mercy*,” “he has *mercy* on whomever he wills.” The first comes in a quote, both of the following come as conclusions in his argument. We'll see more through the paragraph next Lord's Day.For now, consider the context of the first OT quote. By no means is there injustice in God “For he says to Moses, ‘I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion.'” The original source is Exodus 33:19. In the last half of Exodus 33 Moses is pleading with the LORD to come with Israel (Exodus 33:12-23). God was sending Israel from Sinai to the Promised Land, but He was only sending an angel to go before them; “I will not go up among you, lest I consume you on the way, for you are a stiff-necked people” (Exodus 33:1-3). This was a “disastrous word” (verse 4), no good to go without God's presence. Moses reminds the LORD that this “people” had been chosen by the LORD (verse 13), and that it was in God's “going with” that Israel was distinct from every other people (verse 16). The LORD agrees to go (verse 17), and then Moses said, “Please show me your glory” (Exodus 33:18). It is God's response in Exodus 33:19 that Paul quotes in Romans 9:15.> And he said, “I will make all my goodness pass before you and will proclaim before you my name ‘The LORD.' And I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will show mercy on whom I will show mercy. (Exodus 33:19)This is His **glory**, the answer to Moses' request, His *excellence*. This is His **name**, His nature as the “I am that I am.” This is what it means to be the “I am,” which is the freedom to be merciful to whomever He pleases. God's glory is sovereign grace. God tells Moses that His glory can be seen in unconditional election. Electing whomever He wants to receive His mercy is not only not unrighteous, it is among His excellencies. This is part of Paul's answer to the rhetorical accusation in Romans 9:14. God does not elect based on good or bad works (9:11) or on “human will or exertion” (9:16), but according to His own merciful purpose. That is not only not unjust, it is *godly*. It turns out that God elects unto hardening as well. He hated Esau, and He raised up Pharaoh to harden Pharaoh to show off His power in judgment. There are “vessels of wrath prepared or destruction” (Romans 9:22). But remember, God's justice and power and wrath are also infinitely excellent. # So WhatElection is God's glory. It's more than revelation, it is God's own celebration. He doesn't elect reluctantly, it's not a distasteful part of His job. It is His delight. He has made known the riches of His glory for vessels of mercy that we might proclaim—and have our hope in—His excellencies. > The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases; > his mercies never come to an end; > they are new every morning; > great is your faithfulness. > “The LORD is my portion,” says my soul, > “therefore I will hope in him.” > (Lamentations 3:22–24 ESV)----------## ChargeGod's righteousness is His commitment to showing off His excellencies. As you comprehend more of His fullness, and as His greatness expands your thoughts and excites your affections, present your members to God as instruments for righteousness, that is, present your bodies to showing off His excellencies.## Benediction:> [May] your love may abound more and more, with knowledge and all discernment, so that you may approve what is excellent, and so be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God. (Philippians 1:9–11, ESV)

# IntroductionThe thing that distinguishes the true God from every other wannabe-god is that the true God declares what is going to happen (Isaiah 46:10); He tells the end from the beginning. He predestines. In His omniscience He does more than consider all the possibilities or make great calculations based on likelihoods, He “does all that He pleases” (Psalm 115:3) and accomplishes all His purpose. When He gives His Word it's such a deep ocean that our hope ships will never run aground. His arm is never too short to accomplish His end (Isaiah 59:1), He “works all things according to the counsel of His will…to the praise of His glory” (Ephesians 1:11-12). The word that summarizes this perhaps better than any other is *election*. To elect means to choose, to choose one over another, one instead of another, this and this and not that. “God from all eternity did by the most wise and holy counsel of His own will, freely and unchangeably ordain whatsoever comes to pass” (Westminster Confession, 3.1). He elects it all. Such ultimate prerogative is what men wish they had, it is the hubris gas that drives the car of humanism. Sovereignty means deciding that is determinative. We think we can decide. Abraham Kuyper called these the only two real alternatives in viewing how the world works: either God decides or man decides. Romans 9:6-13 asserts the electing purposes of God to such an extent that Paul raises the objection about God's righteousness. How can God find fault with anyone if they are only doing whatever God elected them to do (9:14-23)? But that is the second question about God's righteousness. The first question about God's righteousness has to do with the fact of God's election of Israel. The Lord made covenants with Israel, and it appears that His Word may not be reliable. In Romans 9:1-5 Paul has heartache that his kinsmen, the Jews, who had been given such exclusive privileges as a people, had for the most part rejected the Messiah. That calls God's covenants into question.In Romans 9:6-13 Paul begins the explanation of his covenant confidence. God's covenant-promises to Israel are completely reliable, but that requires understanding that God's election purposes have distinguished/elected between individuals within the nation, until a time when all the individuals will be included. “All Israel will be saved” in accordance with the covenant as Paul asserts in chapter 11. For now he's answering the possible charge that God's Word can't be trusted. If He changes His mind, or is unable to fulfill what He said, then our hope is gutted.# The Affirmation of God's Covenant Faithfulness (verse 6a)The rest of the paragraph demonstrates this truth: **But it is not as though the word of God has failed.** The **word of God** isn't just all Scripture, it is especially summarizes “the covenants” and “the promises” as referred to in verse 4. Those covenants were given to “the patriarchs” mentioned in verse 5, and the covenants were especially focused on the Messiah. Paul's burden in the previous paragraph is that all the covenant-promises to the patriarchs about the Christ seemed to point to the whole nation being saved, yet many of his Jewish brothers were “accursed and cut off from Christ” (verse 3). Doesn't that call God's faithfulness into question? No. The word of God has *not* **failed**. This word (ἐκπέπτωκεν) has the idea of “to drift or be blown off course and run aground, to become inadequate for some function” (BAGD). Paul is about to show in verses 6b-13 the *first* explanation about how this hasn't happened, and chapters 10-11 give a second explanation about how it hasn't happened. Election in Israel's history included only some, and election of all in Israel will be the end of history. # The Clarification of God's Covenant Faithfulness - Two Cases (verses 9:6b-13)God makes distinctions, and we see it in His election promise through Isaac and His election purpose through Jacob. ## Supernatural Promise - Not Ishmael but Isaac (verses 6b-9)The first explanation about God's covenant faithfulness is that God makes internal distinctions within the external category. This can be seen three different ways.- For not all who are descended from Israel belong to Israel, - and not all are children of Abraham because they are his offspring- it is not the children of the flesh but the children of the promise.Paul introduced this reality in Romans 2:28-29 - “For no one is a Jew who is merely one outwardly, nor is circumcision outward and physical. But a Jew is one inwardly, and circumcision is a mater of the heart, by the Spirit.” Yet he immediately asserts that there *is* still advantage in being a Jew, “much in every way” (3:1-2). **Not all who are descended from Israel belong to Israel.** Two things about this. One, this only makes sense if we recognized that they do indeed belong in one way, but not in another way. The “Israelites” as identified in verse 4 *are Israel*, but there is a subset of individuals who had the corporate privileges *and* who believed. Two, this isn't about any who are not descended from Israel belonging to Israel. This isn't yet the grafting in of Gentiles but the sifting out of Jews. **Not all are children of Abraham because they are his offspring, but “Through Isaac shall your offspring be named.”** Again, Ishmael *was* a child of Abraham. Even more, God promised to bless Ishmael and make many nations from him. But Ishmael was *not* the son elected by God to receive God's covenant. Abraham argued with God about it, but God elected to work supernaturally to bring it about. **This means that it is not the children of the flesh who are children of God, but the children of the promise are counted as offspring.** The “flesh” could be natural descent, but based on the explanation in verse 9, the flesh here is through man's efforts. Ishmael was a child of the flesh when Sarah gave her servant Hagar to Abraham. Abraham didn't have an heir of his own, but then **this is what the promise said: “About this time next year I will return, and Sarah shall have a son.”** This is the supernatural *promise*, found in Genesis 18:10, with an emphatic, “Is anything too hard for the LORD?” in 18:14. So both Ishmael and Isaac were children of Abraham in one way, but God worked a miracle in the 100 year-old dad and 90 year-old mom to provide the **children of the promise**. The distinction is *divine*. ## Sovereign Election - Not Esau but Jacob (verses 10-13)The second case example is even more decisive. Both of these boys not only had the same father (like Ishmael and Isaac), they had the same mother. As R. C. Sproul once said, they were “wombates.” If someone had pointed to the natural distinction between a son of Hagar and a son of miracle, they had no similar argument here. **And not only so, but also when Rebekah had conceived children by one man, our forefather Isaac, … she was told, “The older will serve the younger,”** This is more than out of the ordinary regarding firstborn rights. Thus far recorded history. But verse 11 provides the how it happened and verse 13 provides the why it happened. **though they were not yet born and had done nothing either good or bad—in order that God's purpose of election might continue, not because of works but because of him who calls—** It was God's choice, and it was not because He saw who would choose Him so He chose them back. The “corridors of time” or “God is outside of time” arguments say the opposite of this verse. Election was *not* by parentage, *not* by character (good or bad), *not* by conduct (works).Not only does Paul say that the reason wasn't in them, he gives two parallel phrases about the reason being in God: **God's purpose of election** and **because of him who calls**. Verse 13, while maybe not describing motivation in the same way that humans choose, does describe God's clear distinguishing. **As it is written, “Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated.** This is from Malachi 1:2-3, and in context, speaks about Jacob and Esau as individuals but also in the peoples that came from them, the Israelites and Edomites. Some interpreters conclude that Romans 9 isn't about election of individuals to salvation at all, but about God's election of Israel in history. God *did* elect Israel as a whole (see as examples Deuteronomy 7:7-8; Psalm 33:12), but this didn't need explanation, it was acknowledged (verses 4-5), and it was that very fact that presents the problem. The question isn't whether the nation had privileges, that is agreed upon. The covenant questions are about why there are individuals within the elect nation that rejected Christ. **Loved** is not mere acceptance or promotion but *salvation*, and **hated**, while not vindictive, is more than not accepting. Esau was not just “loved less,” he was rejected. This pattern of election was visible in Paul's own day among his brothers. > What then? Israel failed to obtain what it was seeking. The elect obtained it, but the rest were hardened, (Romans 11:7 ESV)Yet his covenant confidence is that for a time, the individuals are some not others, and that at the end of time, it will be all the individuals. > As regards the gospel, they are enemies for your sake. But as regards election, they are beloved for the sake of their forefathers. (Romans 11:28 ESV)# ConclusionGod did not promise that each individual Israelite who ever lived in history would be saved. But He did promise that at a certain point in history He would save each individual Israelite living at that time. So, Physical descent from Abraham is not enough, but it is not useless either. There is Israel by flesh and by promise. There are children by descent and by election. For now, among the entire race there is only an elect remnant. There are chosen persons among the chosen people. But one day, the circles will overlap completely. *All Israel will be all Israel and all Israel will be saved.* So the word of God has not failed.> "In chapter 9 it is sufficient to demonstrate that Israel's unbelief and rejection were not *total*; there was a remnant. In chapter 11:11–32 Paul discloses what at 11:25 he calls “this mystery” that the rejection of Israel is not *final*.” —John MurrayAnd this is all what provides foundation for our hope in the promise of the gospel. “Who shall bring any charge against God's elect?” (Romans 8:33)Perhaps these truths are confusing, or seem irrelevant, or are even disagreeable. Remember that we are in chapter 9, so these are not the *first* things Paul says about the gospel. However you define God's election, and whatever you think about your election status, the main question is: have you believed in Christ? There is forgiveness from sin and deliverance from death in Him alone. “There is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved” (Acts 4:12). Before there is confidence in His Word, you must receive His Word. Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved. ----------## ChargeChristians, you don't know when you will see each other again. Lord willing, some of you will see some others later this evening for fellowship, others next Lord's Day for worship, some maybe again in the summer for celebration, and then some, you do not know if or when. As the Lord has given You eternal comfort by His Word, so share that comfort today with your brothers. ## Benediction:> Now may our Lord Jesus Christ himself, and God our Father, who loved us and gave us eternal comfort and good hope through grace, comfort your hearts and establish them in every good work and word. (2 Thessalonians 2:16–17, ESV)

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# IntroductionPaul told Timothy what it would be like in the last days. > But understand this, that in the last days there will come times of difficulty. For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, heartless, unappeasable, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not loving good, treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power. Avoid such people. (2 Timothy 3:1–5 ESV)Note the bookends: the times would be difficult and the godliness would be in appearance only. The KJV calls them “perilous” times, the NIV “terrible” times, the NRSV “distressing” times. They are “troublesome, hard, difficult” (BAGD definition for χαλεπός). Brothers, without being too dramatic, these days of difficulty, as prophesied by Paul, are here in the room with us. The last part is the worst part, and also the part that explains the rest of the list. There is only an “appearance of godliness” but no power of godliness, form without force. Their godliness is as deep and as dynamic as laminate. A godly silhouette without godly strength could be personal, it could be liturgical. A group can go through the motions, like a church, or an entire denomination of churches, or even a generation of churches. It's religious people who would even give a rat's behind about *looking* godly. It's a great threat to any people to play a part without the heart, to hide under liturgical practice instead of increasing in godliness and godly power through the liturgy. **Godliness** is the key term, and we're talking about *godly worship*. My take is that church people don't talk about being godly like they used to. We don't sort people by godly/ungodly categories, let alone godly in greater/lesser categories. Aspiring to godliness is even less how we walk. Wanting to be more righteous, wise, disciplined, spiritual, these are good, but so is *pursuing godliness*. Make godliness great again. The Greek word for godliness is εὐσέβεια, “awesome respect accorded to God, devoutness” (BAGD). That certainly belongs with our worship. In English, godliness and piety are overlapping synonyms, to be godly is to be pious, even if piety spills over into recognizing and fulfilling one's relational duties, to family, to countrymen, to God Himself. Thomas Watson wrote, “Godliness consists in an exact harmony between holy principles and practices” (_A Godly Man's Picture_, p. 7). I read through the Pastoral Epistles a couple times between Christmas and New Year's, and they are full of instructions for shepherds of the flock; “I am writing these things to you so that, if I delay, you may know how one ought to behave in the household of God, which is the church of the living God, a pillar and buttress of the truth” (1 Timothy 3:14–15 (1 Timothy 3:15). In fact, this church/household of God who has the great confession of *godliness*: “Great indeed, we confess, is the mystery of godliness” (1 Timothy 3:16), more about that in a moment. Godliness is referred to 14 times in 1 Timothy, 2 Timothy, and Titus taken together. And it's a great angle with application for our new year as a church and in this series of reminders about our liturgy. *How can we know what liturgy is powerful?* We know liturgy is not just in appearance but power when we see *godly men and women* who keep growing in godliness. I've grouped Paul's teaching on godliness throughout the Pastorals into four headings, four threads (more than just a word study, it's our worship study).# 1. Godliness comes from truth. There is no godliness without truth. This is why we need/use so much Bible/Scripture, why we use *words* not just dim lights and deep chords, why the confession exhortation and communion meditation and sermon in between are so teaching and statement oriented. There are propositions, doctrines. > Great indeed, we confess, is the mystery of godliness: > He was manifested in the flesh, > vindicated by the Spirit, > seen by angels, > proclaimed among the nations, > believed on in the world, > taken up in glory. > (1 Timothy 3:16 ESV)The first part of godliness, the first part of truth (verse 15), is a confession of faith about Jesus Christ. Godliness is personal, the **He** is a Person, but His greatness has contours; it is possible to be *wrong* about Him, which can't help but send us in the wrong direction. The **mystery of godliness** is a summary phrase for God's message of salvation which is the gospel, here put in a poetic, hymn-like structure. The revelation is meant to be definable, memorable, repeatable, and venerable to the Lord. A couple other passages connect doctrine, words, and teaching with godliness. > If anyone teaches a different doctrine and does not agree with the sound words of our Lord Jesus Christ and the teaching that accords with godliness, (1 Timothy 6:3 ESV)> Paul, a servant of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ, for the sake of the faith of God's elect and their knowledge of the truth, which accords with godliness (Titus 1:1 ESV)The teaching/truth that **accords with godliness** in both verses marks the nature of the truth, what makes the truth the kind of truth it is, what makes it peculiar. The teaching belongs with *obedience* (see Matthew 28:20), expertise in loves and choices not just in fact management. # 2. Godliness is a lifestyle. Truth that is known but not seen in godliness is not the full truth, not true truth, not the right result of what is right. The formula for gasoline does not fire any engine forward, an entire set of flashcards doesn't make a fluent lover. So godliness is a manifest lifestyle, not an impressive library. We are to pray for our government so that they will facilitate a place we we can live godly lives (which I think means more than praying that they would just leave us alone). > [supplications] … for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way. (1 Timothy 2:2 ESV)God's grace forgives us and trains us to live godly amidst those who are *un*godly. > [the grace of God has appeared] … training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age, (Titus 2:12 ESV)Men are told to pray, *women* are told to “adorn themselves in respectable apparel” > with what is proper for women who profess godliness (θεοσέβειαν)—with good works. (1 Timothy 2:10 ESV)Professing it, making a claim of it, could be no better than having the appearance of it. **Good works** are what godliness means. Adult *children* show godliness by how they care for their families.> if a widow has children or grandchildren, let them first learn to show godliness to their own household and to make some return to their parents, for this is pleasing in the sight of God. (1 Timothy 5:4 ESV)And *men*, especially those who would be pastors and leaders in the church, must *pursue* godliness. > Have nothing to do with irreverent, silly myths. Rather train yourself for godliness; (1 Timothy 4:7 ESV)**Train** is γύμναζε, get yourself in the gym (the Greek word was used for gymnastics, and we get our English words from the Greek; progymnasmata are writing exercises), so to speak, to exercise and discipline oneself to get fit in godliness. > But as for you, O man of God, flee these things. Pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, steadfastness, gentleness. (1 Timothy 6:11 ESV)**Pursue** is “move rapidly and decisively toward an object.” *Get after it*. Among the list is godliness. # 3. Godliness is great gain. It's not just a brute force expectation; do it or else. Godliness is not all sweat without any sweet. > Have nothing to do with irreverent, silly myths. Rather train yourself for godliness; for while bodily training is of some value, godliness is of value in every way, as it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come. (1 Timothy 4:7–8 ESV)Value now and forever. Godliness has immediate promise, instant but not only temporary benefit. You can use it. > constant friction among people who are depraved in mind and deprived of the truth, imagining that godliness is a means of gain. But godliness with contentment is great gain, (1 Timothy 6:5–6 ESV)The conference speaking/best-seller “godliness” might have a lot of followers, but real godliness, godliness that puts things in perspective with thanks, is **great gain** (πορισμὸς μέγας). # 4. Godliness has power.This is where we started. > having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power. Avoid such people. (2 Timothy 3:5 ESV)The contrast, of course, to denying would be accepting, embracing, and embody it's power. Godliness that is not just Sunday-clothes deep, or five Cs of liturgy deep, is powerful. So may each of you be more and more powerfully godly. Be such people, and assemble with such people. # ConclusionThe power, and even promise of reward, are important because in its exercise and embodiment godliness provokes persecution. > Indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted, while evil people and impostors will go on from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived. (2 Timothy 3:12–13 ESV)The elders pray that our liturgy would promote godliness and strengthen the flock to live in powerful godliness. We see our worship as more than an audience, but as an assembly of the godly. And how would that godly participation in worship not spill over into godly participation in the rest of the work of the week? We do know, and see, *by God's grace*, our worship resulting in the gain of godliness. We are blessed. Boom!----------## ChargeHis power gives what we need for godliness. Godliness has divine power. Pursue godliness, through worship and for all your work all week. May He make your godliness full-strength. ## Benediction:> His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence, by which he has granted to us his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire. (2 Peter 1:3–4, ESV)

# IntroductionRomans 8:29-30 are sometimes called the Golden Chain of salvation. God Himself chose a people to love. He loves those rebels out of hostility into righteousness and peace; those who were in the chaos of sin He calls into conformity to Christ. He brings the broken into glory, the dying to eternal life. Is there a more potent reality in time and space than God's love? Jesus is the Son of love, the Spirit sheds the love of God in our hearts.The sending of the Son by the Father, and the sacrifice of the Son, and the help of the Spirit, along with all the promises through suffering, are *love*-driven. Sovereign authority and power and grace are focused through a laser-like love for the elect. We cannot be separated from this love, and in this love we cannot lose, even if we lose our physical possessions or status or breath. Romans 8:32 still is the crux and crest of (what I'm calling) the Golden Wave of comfort. God does not make partial provision for His people. The gift of Christ to death includes all gifts for our salvation, including sanctification, including endurance and peace and hope through suffering. Bring on the accusers. God is *for us*, God has counted us righteous. Jesus is praying for us even now. So bring on the trouble and troublers and threats. We are loved (verses 35, 37, 39): the love of Christ, loved by Him, the love of God in Christ. May these certainties fill the sails of your faith and propel your hope and courage forward, that you might know yourselves to be unconquerable sheep. God is the greatest Champion, the one who fights for us. He is the greatest Benefactor, who does us good. He is the greatest Judge and Advocate. All of this is out of His love; He is *the greatest Belover*. (Of course, “beloved” is our word, not *belover*, but this is the point.)The rhetorical questions keep flowing from verse 31 into verse 35, then Paul quotes a psalm, asserts our position, and finishes with an emphatic exultation. # Categorical Questions (verse 35)There are two bursts of threats, one in verse 35, the second in verses 38-39. The first list seems very personal while the following is cosmological. To call these categorical means that they are not ambiguous, they are not open to more than one interpretation, but they are explicitly emphatic. Even more, they establish mental shelves where our thoughts about God's love fit. **Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword?**A "who" made charges (verse 33), a "who" attempted to condemn (verse 34), now some whos try to separate. Sin separated us from God, and this is our greatest loss. Separation from God is hell, it's death. But our salvation from sin means that none can separate us from the Son's love (this is a subjective genitive, referring to Christ's love for us, not an objective genitive, which would be our love for Christ. We know better than to depend on the resoluteness of our affections. Verse 37 leaves no doubt: “He who loved us.”)The second question is personal, even though the persons are included by the damage they inflict.**Tribulation** is “pressure” and **distress** is to be “narrowed” or squeezed, so both are more general words for pain than **persecution** which includes hostility and harassment, but this isn't caused by gravity, it's caused by haters. Sinful men don't want to see anyone happy, at peace, enjoying love. **Famine** or “hunger” and **nakedness** could be from weather, but more likely from tyrants and commies making bad policies, such as wicked rulers in the Psalms and modern day Democrats. **Danger** and **sword** are violence, even execution, whether one-off or movements of whole armies.No one, intentionally or unintentionally, directly or from a distance, can mess with or cut us off from the affection of Christ. # Categorical Quotation (verse 36)It's a quote that takes a moment to put together, especially heading into the "more than conquerors" in the next verse.> As it is written, **”For your sake we are being killed all the day long; we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.”**It's from Psalm 44:22, written by the Sons of Korah. The people are suffering, but it doesn't seem to be discipline for sin. They claim that they haven't forgotten the LORD (verses 17, 20), that they hadn't disobeyed (verse 18), and yet it seemed in that moment that God was hiding His face and had forgotten their affliction (verse 24). The comparison is between sheep who can't be separated from their shepherd's love and sheep who are also lined up to be killed. They aren't just sheered, shorn of wool, but **slaughtered** as if for meat; this isn't even for sacrifices but for selling. The shepherd loves them but here it looks like others destroy the sheep because of the shepherd, it's happening **for your sake**.There is a kind of inseparable love that not even slaughter can touch.# Categorical Conquering (verse 37)The straight answer:**[But] in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.**In suffering and groaning, even to butchering like livestock, which is the extreme, **in** rather than instead of, and in them **all**, we win.**More than conquerors** at least goes back to the Geneva Bible in 1560, picked up by the KJV, NIV, ESV. Other English translations for the phrase: NASB "we overwhelmingly conquer", HCSB "we are more than victorious", NET "we have complete victory", Tyndale "we overcome strongly."It's one word in Greek: ὑπερνικῶμεν (*hupernikōmen*) a compound verb: super-victory-ing, hyper-nike-ing, over-conquering. Which means that we do need to consider the divine definition of hyper-winning.Our young people need to know this. Our older saints need to know this. We need to know it for the culture "war," for the cultural mandate, for every millennial position, for making Jews jealous, for living *and dying* like those in the Hall of Faith “of whom the world was not worthy” (Hebrews 11:32-38), whether by faith they conquered kingdoms or were sawn in two. In the Apocalypse men *conquer* the accuser of the brethren by the blood of the Lamb as they “loved not their lives even unto death” (Revelation 12:11). In Deuteronomic blessings as far as the curse is found, in holiday bonuses enjoyed in hope that there are even better joys that await the faithful, and in joyful accepting of the plunder of property in anticipation of a better possession (Hebrews 10:34). We are more than winners, so we don't need a sad-sack attitude.It's all **through the one having loved us**, a substantival participle; He can be characterized by the heart of His cross work. So we conquer through the cross, and even in dying there's a winning, a thousand sleepless nights or one shot to the head.# Categorical Exultation (verses 38-39)Paul can get **for** happy (there are four “for”s in the first six verses of chapter 8). Here is “for” leads into more exultation (triumphant jubilation) than explanation (relevant reasons). **For I am sure that neither death nor life, neither angels nor rulers, nor things present or things to come, neither powers, or heights or depths, nor anything also in creation will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.**He's convinced, and he shares it, that we also might have comfort and courage. A second thought about this list not only distinguishes this set from verse 35 in scale but also in species. Verse 35 is personal, and not many of them can be spun positive. Not all, maybe not even most, are negative here.The lexical groupings start with **death** and **life**. Death would be the end of persecution and killing, or old age, and often feared as a threat, but what of **life** separating us? **Angels** probably doesn't refer to demons, which is typically a different Greek word, though good angels could be a temptation to some to worship (see Colossians 2:18). **Rulers** (or “principalities”) don't have to be the contrast, but spiritual beings, whether possible idols, or considered in all their mustered hostility, they still aren't more powerful than God. **Present things**, problems or distractions, **future things**, fears or failures, or even any *good*, now and then. **Height** and **depth** are more than spatial considerations, they were typical terms of astronomy, “the space above the horizon (which would be the domain of many transcendent forces” (BAGD). Neither any other thing of creation, whatever else, no other part anywhere, can separate us. # ConclusionThere is no question about His position toward us; He is *for us*. There is no question about His provision for us; He will give us all things necessary. There is no question about His protection of us; no accusations stick. There is no question about His eternal love for us. Beloved, is your faith weak or strong? It may be often and in many ways assailed and weakened. But according to the authority of God's Word, and in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, I exhort you to “keep yourselves in the love of God.” > But you, beloved, building yourselves up in your most holy faith and praying in the Holy Spirit, keep yourselves in the love of God, waiting for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ that leads to eternal life. (Jude 1:20–21)Thank God for the victory He gives us through our Lord Jesus Christ (1 Corinthians 15:57). In His love we are winning a most glorious victory, come hell or high sorrow.  ----------## ChargeChurch, neither brain bleeds or cancer, neither too much or too little money, neither cranky neighbors or disobedient kids, neither hospital days or holidays, neither sickness or sleeplessness, can snatch you out of the Father's or the Shepherd's hand. So give an Amen of faith to the truth of His love, and follow where He leads. ## Benediction:> [M]ay you have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.> Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen. (Ephesians 3:18–21, ESV)

Stāsta serigrāfijas studijas LONO galvenais inženieris Gints Ozoliņš Mūsdienās oforts joprojām ir viena no populārākajām dobspiedes grafikas tehnikām. No vienas puses tā ietver diezgan komplicētu ķīmisko procesu, proti klišejas mehāniskas gravēšanas vai šķiedras griešanas vietā, darbietilpīgāko procesu veic kodinātājs. No otras puses - mākslinieks zīmējuma līniju var izteikt ar spontānu ekspresiju, bet ar vairākkārtējas kodināšanu palīdzību - modulēt daudzplānu kompozīciju. Pulētu metāla plāksni, visbiežāk vara vai cinka, noklāj ar aizsarglaku. Pēc lakas nožūšanas tajā ar speciālu instrumentu - spalvaskātā iestrādātu adatu – ieskrāpē zīmējumu. Pēc tam plāksni pakļauj kontrolētai korozijai, uz noteiktu laiku ievietojot to kodinātājā. Tādējādi plāksnē esam ieguvuši zīmējumu ar negatīvu reljefu. Kad kodināšanas process noslēdzies, aizsarglaku no plāksnes ar šķīdinātāju nomazgā, iestrādā plāksnes virsmā krāsu un ar oforta preses palīdzību liela spiediena apstākļos krāsu no līnijām iespiež samitrinātā papīrā. Oforta sākotne saistāma ar Augsburgas amatnieka Daniela Hopfera vārdu 15. un 16. gadsimta mijā, tomēr dažādu materiālu kodināšanas prakses līdz tam bijušas pazīstamas jau gadsimtiem ilgi. Kādi tad ir šie oforta, jeb zīmējuma kodināšanas evolūcijas ceļi? Indas ielejas civilizācijā ornamenti uz akmeņiem tika kodināti ar sārmiem. Šāds kodinājums gan neveidoja reljefu, taču efekts bija virsmas tonālās izmaiņas, līdzīgi kā hennas zīmējumi uz ādas. 5. gs. p.m.ē. Ķīnā tipiska bija ornamentālu rakstu kodināšana bronzas spoguļos, šķēpu uzgaļos un zobens asmeņos. Savukārt Ziemeļamērikā, netālu no Kalifornijas līča mītošā Hohokamas cilts, sākot no 4 gs. p.m.ē. līdz eiropiešu kolonizatoru atnākšanai praktizēja ornamentālu rakstu kodināšanu gliemežvākos. Šie piemēri uzrāda visai sporādisku un savā starpā nesaistītu notikumu virkni. Turklāt šie atsevišķie artefakti mums neko nevēsta par šādas prakses tehnoloģisko procesu. Ja vēlamies izprast metāla kodināšanas pirmsākumus, tad jāiepazīstas ar seno ieroču izgatavošanas tradīcijām. Neišateteles apkārtnē Šveicē atrastie La Tenes kultūras ķeltu ieroči datējami ar 1 gs. p.m.ē. Tie ir ne vien amatnieciski teicami darināti dzelzs ieroči, bet arī izcili lietišķās mākslas paraugi. Izmantojot metāla kodināšanu, tajos iestrādāti ģeometriski raksti, līdzīgi Ķīnas amatnieku darinājumiem. Ievērojamais Antīkās pasaules vēsturnieks Sicīlijas Diodors savā “Vēstures bibliotēkā” (60-30 g.p.m.ē.) savukārt apraksta Ibērijas ķeltu zobenu darināšanas tehnoloģiju. Saskaņā ar viņa vēstījumu, ķelti dzelzs plāksnes uz noteiktu laiku ieraka skābā augsnē, ļaujot virsmai pārklāties ar rūsas slāni, pēc tam to mehāniski noskrāpējot. Šāda apstrāde dzelzi padarījusi daudzkārt izturīgāku. Vandaļu karalis Trazamunds reiz nosūtījis divus lieliskus zobenus Ostgotu karalim Teodorikam, kura sekretārs Kasiodors pateicības vēstulē Trazamundam uzsvēris zobenu neparastās kvalitātes – asmeņos iestrādātās līnijas un spožo mirdzumu. Metāla mirdzumu iespējams panākt ar pulēšanu vājas skābes vidē. Visticamāk ķeltu amatnieki izmantojuši etiķi - šī pārtikas produkta izmantošanu novērojam dažādās amatnieciskajās praksēs arī vēlākajos gadsimtos. Mikrokodināšanas rezultātā iespējams mainīt materiāla virsmas tekstūru un tonālo nokrāsu, taču nav iespējams iekodināt izsmalcinātu reljefu zīmējumu. 12. gs. arābu zinātnieku pētījumu tulkojumi apvienojumā ar Ķeltu kalēju tradīciju pārmantošana kalpo par pamatu viduslaiku Eiropas amatnieku prasmēm. Attīstās divas metālu kodināšanas metodes – ar vara sulfāta šķīdumu un slāpekļskābi. Viena no šīm metodēm - dzelzs noturēšana vara sulfāta šķīdumā – saistāma ar zobenu zeltīšanas metodi. Šīs procedūras gaitā vara joni piesaistās dzelzs virsmai un izveido vara slāni, kas kalpo par pamatni zeltam. Senākais zināmais šādas tehnoloģijas apraksts atrodams 8. gs. Lukas pilsētas manuskriptos. Tiek norādīts, ka vienādās daļās sajaucami sārmi, alauns un varāmais sāls, maisījums izšķīdināms ūdenī, bet kā aizsargslānis trafareta veidošanai izmantojami dabīgie sveķi tragakants. Paralēli kodināšanai ar vara sulfāta šķīdumu, ap 13. gs. Eiropā kļūst pazīstama kodināšana ar slāpekļskābi. Par šīs metodes pieejamību ir jāpateicas militāro tehnoloģiju attīstībai. Proti, viens no slāpekļskābes komponentiem - salpetris, jebšu kālija nitrāts - ir šaujampulvera pamatsastāvdaļa. Tieši ar šaujampulvera nozīmes pieaugšanu kaujas laukā, attīstās salpetra masveida ražošana un līdz ar to arī iespēja destilēt slāpekļskābi tādos apmēros, lai tā kļūtu pieejama dažāda aroda amatniekiem. Slāpekļskābes destilācijas noslēpumi rodami viduslaiku alķīmiķu laboratorijās. Tā viens no citētākajiem avotiem ir Pseido-Gēbers un viņa 13. gs. manuskripti - Summa perfectionis magisterii un De inventione veritatis. Tiek minēts, ka patiesais šo traktātu autors varētu būt Paolo di Taranto no Apūlijas, tomēr sacerējumi ir piedēvēti 8. gs Bagdādē dzīvojošajam alķīmijas ciltstēvam Džābiram ibn Haijānam. Pseido-Gēbera sacerējumā sniegts aqua-forte – “stiprā ūdens” jeb slāpekļskābes, destilācijas apraksts, proti – jāņem viena mārciņa vitriola, pusmārciņa salpetra un ceturdaļmārciņa alauna. 13. gs beigās aqua-forte destilācijas procesu savos traktātos apraksta arī Ķelnes teologs un zinātņu doktors Alberts Lielais (pastāv spekulācijas, ka viņš 1260. gadā viesojies arī Rīgā) un katalāņu mistiķis un filozofs Raimunds Lullijs. 13. un 14. gadsimta mijā Francijā dzīvojošajam franciskāņu bīskapam Vitālam de Furno piedēvētie pētījumi “stiprā ūdens” destilācijā savukārt atklāj sekojošu receptūru: jāņem viena mārciņa salpetra un viena mārciņa vitriola, jāsajauc ar alkoholu un divreiz jādestilē kopā ar labu vīnu. Destilāts iekrāsojot vilnu dzeltenu, kā arī spējot šķīdināt ikvienu metālu. De Furno apraksta arī praktiskus paņēmienus metālu kodināšanā. Lietā liekama sekojoša formula – lazdu zaru kokogli saberž kopā ar vara acetātu un izšķīdina urīnā vai etiķī. Kodināmais objekts iemērcams izkausētā vaskā un šajā slānī iestrādājami burti vai zīmējums. Šādi sagatavotu objektu uz vairākām dienām iegremdē kodinātājā, līdz sasniegts vēlamais rezultāts. 15. gs. manuskripti atklāj vismaz desmit dažādus metālu kodināšanas paņēmienus. Visbiežāk dzelzs plāksne tiek pārklāta ar vasku, eļļas laku vai eļļas krāsu un attēls tajā tiek ieskrāpēts un pēc tam kodināts. Cita metode mums piedāvā kodinātāju sajaukt ar saberztu kokogles pulveri un zīmējumu uz plāksnes uznest ar šo kodīgo maisījumu. Iespējama arī attēla uznešana virsmai ar eļļas krāsu, tad kodināmi zīmējumam apkārtesošie laukumi. Vēl kāda metode instruē kodīgo sāļu pildīšanu ar etiķi mitrinātā drēbes maisiņā, pēc tam novietojot to uz kodināmajām plāksnes daļām. Visas šīs alķīmiķu un amatnieku amata gudrības gadsimtu gaitā aizvien tikušas pilnveidotas un savu triumfu sasniedz metāla bruņu mākslinieciskajā apstrādē. Viens no šādiem amata meistariem ir iepriekš piesauktais Daniels Hopfers (1470-1536). Viņš dzimis nelielā švābu pilsētiņā Kaufbeirenā, bet savu pārticību kā zirgu un kavalēristu bruņojuma meistars guvis vienā no tālaika ieroču ražošanas centriem Augsburgā. Hopfera izgudrojums ir divu tradīcijām bagātu amatu savietošana vienā – proti vara gravīras un dzelzs bruņu rakstu kodināšanas apvienojums jaunā iespiedtehnikā – ofortā. Te jāpiezīmē, ka tehnikas nosaukumam dažādās valodās pastāv dažādas tradīcijas – vienā tiek izteikts metāla apstrādes veids – asēšana (angļu – etching un vācu – radierung), bet citās – kodinātājs, tātad “stiprais ūdens”, kas arī latviešu valodā pārņemts no romāņu valodām (itāļu aqua-forte un franču eau-fort).   Pirmās kodināta zīmējuma iespiedklišejas Hopfers izgatavojis ap 1500. gadu. Labi situētajam Augsburgas kalēju ģildes loceklim nekas netraucēja mūža laikā izgatavot ap 230 oriģināldarbus, vai ievērojamu mākslinieku darbu oforta kopijas. Savu izgudrojumu Hopfers ierādīja arī Albrehtam Dīreram. Slavenā Nirnbergas gleznotāja un grafiķa pirmie oforta darbi datēti ar 1515. gadu, tomēr paliekošu interesi jaunais medijs meistarā neraisīja un Dīrers palika uzticīgs vara gravīrai. Taču viņa darbnīcā 1521. gadā viesojās holandiešu gleznotājs un virtuozais gravieris Lukass van Leidens, kurš oforta tehnoloģiju uzņēma ar entuziasmu un paņēma sev līdzi uz Holandi. Vēl bija nepieciešams vesels gadsimts līdz kāds cits Leidenes pilsētas dēls pilnā apmērā novērtēja oforta sniegto māksliniecisko brīvību. Nereti nesaprastā, bet ekstraordināri domājošā un jūtošā mākslinieka vārds ir Rembrants van Reins. Tieši viņš aizsāk oforta tehnikas uzvaras gājienu. Un arī Eiropas mākslinieciskā izteiksme šajā gadsimtā aizvien pārliecinošāk atbrīvojas no viduslaiku kanonizētā stīvuma, kas tik pretējs Holandiešu mākslas Zelta laikmetam 17. gadsimtā. Oforta ekspresija ir kā antitēze līnijgravīras kanonizētajai tradīcijai. Oforta adata slīd pār metāla plāksni bez vismazākās pretestības un grafiķis, kurš piekopj šo tehniku, var izjust absolūtu māksliniecisko brīvību.  

Agatha Christie, nejvydávanější spisovatelka všech dob, napsala tolik románů, povídek a divadelních detektivek, že skoro nejdou spočítat. Své náměty, zápletky i postavy přitom hledala všude kolem sebe. Díky zkušenosti z práce válečné zdravotní sestry se vyznala v lécích, a tím pádem i v jedech. Díky druhému manželovi se dostala k archeologickým vykopávkám v Bagdádu, což přineslo do jejích detektivek orientální téma.Všechny díly podcastu Dopolední host můžete pohodlně poslouchat v mobilní aplikaci mujRozhlas pro Android a iOS nebo na webu mujRozhlas.cz.

# IntroductionAs often found in this world of binaries, we come to another one or the other. These two categories go by other names in addition to what's found in Romans 8, but these divisions are important to bear in mind when it comes to how people relate in the world. The line is between flesh and Spirit. There is a world of difference between the two. That is not exaggeration. It's less like the difference between rain flowing east or west off the top of a ridge, and more like the difference between living in the desert or living in the ocean. A man lives “according to” the principles of either the flesh or the Spirit, one has his “mind set” on either flesh or Spirit. One lives in a realm where death is normal, the other has died in order to be transferred to a realm of life and peace. One is an enemy to God and His ways, the other has God's Spirit dwelling inside of him and is being transformed into a lover of God's ways. It's not apples or oranges, but apples or bricks. Before looking at these verses, keep in mind that the line dividing flesh and Spirit is a vertical line, a personal line, one that runs through every individual heart. (Read this article for more on the two lines: [Straight from the Pit](https://dougwils.com/books-and-culture/s7-engaging-the-culture/straight-from-the-pit.html)) This means something about the world. The way to life and peace and pleasing God is not being on the right side of any other line. Karl Marx did a number when he tried to classify righteousness by rich and poor. He made an economic dividing line that was horizontal. Men are drawing horizontal lines all over the place these days: men oppress women, whites oppress other colors, heterosexual cisgender normies oppress homo-bi-question marks. Humans love drawing horizontally, and they want to be on the side of the oppressed, the victims, who are by default the right (until they get the downside turned up, but that's a problem for later). But you can be either gender, in any tax bracket, having completed any level of schooling, be any sort of professing religious person, in the center or on the fringe of society, even a minority actually worked over by an unjust system, anywhere at all in any of these demographics and be condemned or not condemned by God. You can be a monk and have your mind set on the flesh. You can be a Fortune 500 CEO and have your mind set on the Spirit. A missionary who thinks he's more spiritual because he gives up all his money and temporal comforts is defining himself by the things of the flesh. Fools can believe the gospel and are in a better position than life-time religious pros who like to judge others by unspiritual standards, or in unspiritual ways. Claiming to be wise, they showed themselves of the flesh. In Romans 8:5-11 we have flesh and Spirit as dominating worldviews, and the descriptions fit unbelievers and the regenerate respectively. But in context, Paul is instructing believers about acting *consistently* and that means they can act *inconsistently*. When they look to the law (and hold the law over the heads of others) they are toying with fleshly, deadly things. # Compare and Contrast (verses 5-8)Verse 5 is the third verse in the chapter that starts with “For” (with two more “for”s in verses 6 and 7). We just saw in verse 4 that the no-longer-damned do obey but their obedience is a fruit of another's power; they walk according to the Spirit. More explanation about that here. **For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit.** “According to” points to a standard. You prepare a meal according to the recipe, which means you keep according to the measurements. If you got a covid vaccine according to government mandates about loving your neighbor (rather than according to your own research and conclusions), it's okay, you can be forgiven.The key word is **set their minds** (φρονοῦσιν), which means giving careful consideration to those things (BAGD). It's an attitude, an outlook, being opinionated (according to standard) that keeps looking at things in a certain way. It's not *what* you think about necessarily, but *how* you think about all the things. So it's less what preoccupies you and more your perspective on your occupations. It can't be limited to certain times, but what limits your view of the times. It's not unrelated to what Jesus told Nicodemus: “That which is born of the flesh is flesh, that which is born of the Spirit is Spirit. … Unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God” (John 3:6, 3).Everyone gets a paycheck, how do you view it? What is the system that your paycheck acknowledges? The paper and ink, the dollar amount and the items purchased, are not by definition fleshly. Whose kingdom is it *for*? Your quiet time could be more fleshly than your commute time. The line is vertical, in your heart. Verse 6 explains the outcome. **For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace.** Death and life are certainly final issues, corroborated in verse 11. But they are also current issues. They are different worlds, different cities (per Augustine), different kingdoms. How can so many women lionize their own abortions? How can any doctor call abortion reproductive healthcare? Why do some families not seem to be able to escape the bondage of cyclical criticism, toward each other or toward outsiders, telling themselves stories about how they've been misunderstood and mistreated? It's because they dwell in the Land of Thanasia. That's their language. The “self-indulgent is dead even while she lives” (1 Timothy 5:6). It's madness. On the other side, for the un-damned, are **life and peace**. They are raised to life to walk in newness of life. Verses 7 and 8 drill in on the current condition of the fleshly-deathly. **For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God's law; indeed, it cannot. Those who are in the flesh cannot please God.** This is a quad-shot of nothing good. 1) Hostile to God. It's enmity of enemies, *Inimicus*. It's spiritual war. There is antithesis, antagonism. 2) Does not submit to God. See the law, shake one's fists at the law. Know the requirements, break them. 3) Cannot submit to God. This isn't an excuse, it is the basement level of blame. The inability is a fault of sin not an alibi for it. 4) Cannot please God. This is the life of the damned. Whatever common graces, including restraints from evil that would be consistent with their nature, they still don't have God's favor, which they didn't want, and which makes them Cain-kind of mad.As John Calvin mocked: “Behold the power of free-will!”While this consistently applies only to unbelievers, it should cause believers to hate their damned sin and give thanks to God and His sovereign grace for delivering them out of their depravity into a new paradigm for seeing the world. We live in and walk according the Spirit. It's not red-pilled or blue-pilled or black-pilled, but this living mindset is larger and more local than any of those.# Life to Life (verses 9-11)The person changes, from the “us” in verse 4 to the “those” in verses 5-8 back to the “you” in verses 9-11.The application is binary. This does *not* equal an expectation of perfectionism, as [Keswick theology](https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/blogs/kevin-deyoung/why-let-go-and-let-god-is-a-bad-idea/) and a strand of Wesleyan teaching promoted. We can live inconsistently with our identity, but that calls us to understand and live according to our nature as those united to Christ. **You, however, are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if in fact the Spirit of God dwells in you. Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him.** No Spirit, no salvation; those who are united to Christ are the ones living in the realm of the Spirit. When the Spirit dwells in us there is the abolition of man's flesh. **Spirit of God** is the same as **Spirit of Christ**, because Christ is God, and because both Father and Son sent the Spirit. You are **in the Spirit** and the **Spirit…dwells in you**. This is belonging to Christ. This is a Trinitarian union and identity. **But if Christ is in you, although the body is dead because of sin, the Spirit is life because of righteousness.** The Spirit in us and Christ in us is a wonderful weapon. Why would we sin with divine presence around and within? Our body has limits, even to physical death, but the Holy Spirit renews the inner man and leads us in Spirit ways, in *holy* Spirit ways. **If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who dwells in you.** Regeneration, resurrection. Life to life. Spiritual life, eternal life, physical life. # ConclusionThe vertical line between flesh and Spirit changes everything. If you are in the Spirit it's a whole new world, a deliverance from the futile traditions of fleshly fathers and the desires of the flesh in the world and the condemnation and mindset of death. In the Spirit there is freedom and fruit, freedom *for* fruit. The Spirit is supernaturally fixing our minds on peace and hope and learning to love pleasing God. You might be immature, but you're either initiated or not; it's anathema or blessing.There really ought to be some experienced differences. This is the power of the gospel from faith to faith: giving us a living mindset.----------## ChargeAnger, division, rivalry, envy, "and things like these" are not fruit of the Spirit. You, beloved, are in the Spirit. You belong to Christ. Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires (Galatians 5:24). Live in the Spirit, keep in step with the Spirit. Let the Spirit fix your mind on pleasing the Lord. ## Benediction:> May the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, give you a spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of him, having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe according to the working of his great might that he worked in Christ when he raised him from the dead. (Ephesians 1:17-20a, ESV)

O novo Assassin's Creed ganhou mais rumores, dessa vez revelando um possível nome, uma ambientação em Bagdá, e uma “volta às origens”, abandonando os elementos de RPG dos últimos jogos da franquia. Nesta edição do Ping, Isadora Basile comenta essa e outras notícias, incluindo o novo Horizon Chase, o que vem por aí na Tokyo Game Show, e os jogos da Games with Gold e da PS Plus para setembro. Confira!

O que é essa serie do Resident Evil na Netflix? Uma das PIORES SÉRIES JÁ FEITAS NA HISTÓRIA do entretenimento, carrega o nome de uma poderosa franquia e a internet não perdoou!!!Assassin's Creed Rift deve ser próximo game da série e deve se passar em Bagdá. De acordo com várias fontes, Assassin's Creed Rift vai colocar o jogador no papel de Basim – personagem introduzido em Valhalla – e levar a aventura para a região do Iraque.

Přesvědčení, že budoucnost se mění okamžikem, nezastával bezpečnostní poradce Lumír Němec vždy. Vrátil se s ním z války.  „Bavil jsem se s britským vojákem, mladým klukem, a ten říkal, že je to jeho poslední mise u pěchoty, že se vrací za tři týdny domů a chce jít dělat pilota Apache (bitevní vrtulník pozn. red.). A druhý den se útočilo na Rahim Kalay, což bylo městečko v provincii, kde jsme byli. On to schytal od snipera,“ popisuje bývalý velitel operační skupiny SOG v Afghánistánu a účastník misí v Kosovu i Bagdádu zážitek, který ho přiměl přehodnotit přístup k životu i smrti, jež vnímá jako jeho nedílnou součást. Ať už měl ale na sobě policejní, nebo vojenskou uniformu, nikdy si ji nepřipouštěl.

Avante HQueiros, hoje vamos debater sobre uma obra que é impossível se sentir indiferente após a sua leitura, estou falando de "Os Leões de Bagdá". Ambientada em 2003 durante a guerra entre os Estados Unidos e Iraque, 4 leões escapam de um zoológico em Bagdá, e o que vem a seguir são momentos de muita tensão e incertezas. Brian K. Vaughan se baseia em fatos reais para criar uma história que vai muito além dos ocorridos e nos entrega uma aula de reflexão sobre guerras, humanidade e liberdade. Leitura obrigatória! Então afiem as suas garras e se junte a nós pelas ruas bombardeadas de Bagdá. Participe do nosso podcast, mande sua mensagem para contato@hqueiros.com.br ou envie um áudio, de até um minuto, para o nosso whatsapp: (11) 96244-9417.

Visit my page at fb.me/ReadBibleDanny Message me at m.me/ReadBibleDanny John 1:29-34 29 The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world. 30 This is he of whom I said, After me cometh a man which is preferred before me: for he was before me. 31 And I knew him not: but that he should be made manifest to Israel, therefore am I come baptizing with water. 32 And John bare record, saying, I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and it abode upon him.r 33 And I knew him not: but he that sent me to baptize with water, the same said unto me, Upon whom thou shalt see the Spirit descending, and remaining on him, the same is he which baptizeth with the Holy Ghost. 34 And I saw, and bare record that this is the Son of God. King James Version (KJV) Public Domain 991 blépō – properly, to see, be observant (watchful). 991 (blépō) suggests "to see something physical, with spiritual results (perception)." That is, it carries what is seen into the non-physical (immaterial) realm so a person can take the needed action (respond, beware, be alert). From Cognate: 2400 idoú (a demonstrative particle, used chiefly in the LXX for hinnēh; "properly, the imperative, the aorist middle of eidon/horáō, to see," Abbott-Smith, BAGD) – behold, which especially calls attention to what follows from it. See 2396 (ide). From Isaiah 53:7 King James Version (KJV) 7 He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth. Psalm 14:3 King James Version (KJV) 3 They are all gone aside, they are all together become filthy: there is none that doeth good, no, not one. Genesis 1:2 King James Version (KJV) 2 And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters. Genesis 8:7-12 King James Version (KJV) 7 And he sent forth a raven, which went forth to and fro, until the waters were dried up from off the earth. 8 Also he sent forth a dove from him, to see if the waters were abated from off the face of the ground; 9 But the dove found no rest for the sole of her foot, and she returned unto him into the ark, for the waters were on the face of the whole earth: then he put forth his hand, and took her, and pulled her in unto him into the ark. 10 And he stayed yet other seven days; and again he sent forth the dove out of the ark; 11 And the dove came in to him in the evening; and, lo, in her mouth was an olive leaf pluckt off: so Noah knew that the waters were abated from off the earth. 12 And he stayed yet other seven days; and sent forth the dove; which returned not again unto him any more. King James Version (KJV)

No momento em que o psicológico está abalado por conta do Coronavírus, é hora de cuidarmos de nossa mente, de nosso corpo, de nosso asseio e de nossa vida. Agora é hora de solidariedade, hora de ver o que pode fazer para ajudar, proteger os idosos e os mais novos. Essa é a hora que temos para limpar a casa e fazer as reformas necessárias pra recomeçar. Tenha essa pandemia como uma oportunidade a mais pra viver melhor depois que tudo passar. Um conto da tradição Sufi está circulando pelas redes sociais, ele já é muito antigo e retrata o que estamos passando, de certa forma: A Peste ia a caminho de Bagdá quando encontrou Nasrudin. Este perguntou-lhe: – Aonde vais? A Peste respondeu-lhe: – A Bagdá, matar dez mil pessoas. Depois de um tempo, a Peste voltou a encontrar-se com Nasrudin. Muito zangado, o mullah disse-lhe: – Mentiste-me. Disseste que matarias dez mil pessoas e mataste cem mil. E a Peste respondeu-lhe: – Eu não menti, matei dez mil. O resto morreu de medo. No episódio de hoje, esse conto deu a introdução do episódio, com a participação de …como Nasrudim e … com a voz da Peste. Vamos Juntos. Entre em contato com o Paulinho Siqueira PESQUISA COACHCAST BRASIL Pra entrar nos nossos grupos de Ouvintes, clique abaixo: Whatsapp Telegram Seja um Partner do Coachcast Brasil Entre em contato conosco pelo email: contato@coachcast.com.br Instale o iTunes aqui Acesse o Canal Homens de Valor no Telegram

El viaje interior es un proceso de purificación y de transformación mediante el cual cada ser humano tiene la posibilidad de descubrir su propia naturaleza, para descartar todo lo que no es a fin de concentrarse en lo que es. Por esta razón, Junayd al-Bagdâdi decía que el sendero a la iluminación es un camino de un solo paso y que este paso era simplemente salir de sí mismo, desprendernos del Ego para focalizarnos en el Ser. Este viaje de un solo paso consiste en el abandono consciente de nuestras limitaciones, que es la única forma de alcanzar una libertad plena. Un solo paso, ¡pero qué paso tan difícil de dar! Los sabios de la humanidad han coincidido en que esta travesía interna es la tarea más complicada y desafiante que podamos emprender nunca, pero -por otra parte- es la única que puede otorgar sentido a nuestra existencia.

Na coluna Direto de Brasília desta segunda-feira, 6, Eliane Cantanhêde comenta o início de 2020 já sob forte tensão no cenário internacional. Na última sexta-feira, 3, os Estados Unidos empreenderam um ataque no aeroporto internacional de Bagdá, no Iraque, que terminou com a morte do principal comandante militar do Irã, o general Qassim Suleimani. Desde então, Estados Unidos e Irã passaram a ampliar suas ameaças. O país persa fala em “vingança implacável”. Já o presidente americano, Donald Trump, disse que já possui 52 alvos para futuros bombardeios no Irã. E qual o posicionamento do Brasil diante deste conflito? Eliane Cantanhêde ainda trata de outros assuntos e responde a perguntas de ouvintes. Ela conversa ao vivo com Haisem Abaki e Carolina Ercolin, no Jornal Eldorado, da Rádio Eldorado (FM 107,3), de segunda a sexta, das 9h às 9h30. #PerguntePraEliane Os ouvintes podem mandar perguntas para Eliane Cantanhêde pelas redes sociais da Eldorado e pelo WhatsApp no quadro #PerguntepraEliane. Para participar, basta encaminhar suas perguntas com essa hashtag para o perfil da Rádio Eldorado no Facebook, cujo endereço é facebook.com/radioeldorado. O perfil do Twitter é @eldoradoradio e do Instagram, @radioeldorado. O telefone para participar via WhatsApp é (11) 99481-1777.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

3 em 1 - 03/01/2019 - Estados Unidos abatem líder militar iraniano em Bagdá, no Iraque

Na coluna De Olho no Mundo desta sexta-feira, 3, Roberto Godoy analisa o ataque realizado pelos EUA contra um aeroporto em Bagdá, no Iraque, que matou Qasem Soleimani, o chefe da Força Revolucionária da Guarda Quds do Irã, tido como um dos homens mais importantes do país.  Roberto Godoy traz um panorama do noticiário internacional na coluna De Olho no Mundo, no Jornal Eldorado, às segundas, quartas e sextas, às 7h15.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.