Podcasts about caesar

#top .av-special-heading.av-gs9o3p-65100a747722969df085d1220a240bc2{ padding-bottom:10px; } body .av-special-heading.av-gs9o3p-65100a747722969df085d1220a240bc2 .av-special-heading-tag .heading-char{ font-size:25px; } .av-special-heading.av-gs9o3p-65100a747722969df085d1220a240bc2 .av-subheading{ font-size:15px; } Through My Bible Yr 03 – July 21Acts 24:22 – 25:12 LISTEN HERE Through My Bible – July 21 Acts 24:22 – 25:12 (EHV) https://wels2.blob.core.windows.net/tmb-ehv/03-0721db.mp3 See series: Through My Bible Acts 24 22 Then Felix, [1] because he was rather well informed about the Way, adjourned the proceedings. He said, “When Lysias the commander comes down, I will decide your case.” 23 He ordered the centurion to guard Paul, but to let him have some freedom and not to prevent any of his friends from taking care of his needs. 24 Several days later, Felix appeared in public with his wife Drusilla, who was Jewish. He sent for Paul and listened to him speak about faith in Christ Jesus. 25 While Paul instructed him about righteousness, self-control, and the coming judgment, Felix became frightened and replied, “Leave me for now, but when it is convenient, I will send for you.” 26 At the same time, he was also hoping that Paul would give him money, [2] and for this reason he sent for him as often as possible and talked with him. 27 After two years had passed, Felix was succeeded by Portius Festus. But because he wanted to do the Jews a favor, Felix left Paul in prison. Paul on Trial Before Festus Acts 25 1 Three days after Festus arrived in the province, he went up to Jerusalem from Caesarea. 2 Then the high priests and the leaders of the Jews brought formal charges against Paul 3 and asked Festus for the favor of transferring Paul's case to Jerusalem. Their plan was to ambush and kill Paul along the way. 4 However, Festus replied that Paul was being held in custody at Caesarea and that he himself intended to go there soon. 5 “Therefore,” he said, “let some of your leaders go down with me and press charges against him, if there is anything evil about the man.” 6 After spending no more than eight or ten days among them, he went down to Caesarea. The next day, he sat on the judicial bench and ordered Paul to be brought in. 7 When he arrived, the Jews who had come down from Jerusalem stood around him and brought many serious charges that they could not prove. 8 Paul said in his defense, “I have not committed any offense against the Jewish law, against the temple, or against Caesar.” 9 But since Festus wanted to do the Jews a favor, he said to Paul, “Are you willing to go up to Jerusalem and stand trial before me there on these charges?” 10 But Paul said, “I am standing before Caesar's judicial bench, where I ought to be tried. I have done nothing wrong to the Jews, as also you yourself know very well. 11 If I am guilty and have done something worthy of death, I am not trying to escape death. But if there is nothing to the charges they are making against me, no one can hand me over to them. I appeal to Caesar!” 12 After Festus conferred with his council, he answered, “You have appealed to Caesar. To Caesar you will go!” Footnotes Acts 24:22 Some witnesses to the text add when he heard these things. Acts 24:26 A few witnesses to the text add in order that he might release him. #top .hr.hr-invisible.av-aocsdx-89cb4ca21532423cf697fc393b6fcee0{ height:10px; } The Holy Bible, Evangelical Heritage Version®, EHV®, © 2019 Wartburg Project, Inc. All rights reserved. #top .hr.hr-invisible.av-4vzadh-3f04b370105df1fd314a2a9d83e55b26{ height:50px; } Share this entryShare on FacebookShare on LinkedInShare by MailLink to FlickrLink to InstagramLink to Vimeo

As they get closer to the end of Punk Hazard on a big old minecart, Luke and Janine hit up one of the worst Treehouse of Horror episodes while over on One Piece, Franky gets to have a big old robot fight and Caesar is defeated. Covering One Piece Episodes 615-620 Cover art by Mike Patten Edited by Andie. Links! Itunes – https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/dohmance-dawn/id1620557454… Spotify – https://open.spotify.com/show/0iOBMkRGKTz04wJB2kitx7… RSS – https://pinecast.com/feed/dohmance-dawn… Bluesky – https://bsky.app/profile/dohmancedawn.bsky.social Patreon – https://www.patreon.com/lukeherr

Unity of Houston offers positive, practical and progressive teachings that support spiritual evolution and abundant living, emphasizing our Oneness in God and the goodness in people and all of life. We have an in person Sunday service at 11 AM. You can watch it live on Facebook or at www.UnityHouston.org. Podcast of our messages and meditations can be found on our website and on iTunes, as well as videos of service lessons. Follow Unity of Houston on YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and MeetUp.

Pastor Brian opens by drawing attention to one of the Bible's most consistent and powerful images: a river. From the river flowing out of Eden in Genesis 2, to the prophetic river in Ezekiel 47, to Jesus declaring in John 7 that rivers of living water would flow from those who believe in Him, all the way to the river of life in Revelation—this image traces the unstoppable flow of God's redemptive message throughout all of Scripture. Just as a river cannot be permanently stopped by rocks, logs, or even a dam, neither can the gospel of Jesus Christ be halted by any obstacle the world throws in its path. With that foundation laid, Pastor Brian walks through Acts 21–26, where Paul faces a furious mob, a corrupt governor, a two-year imprisonment, and a skeptical king—and yet the gospel keeps flowing. Each obstacle Paul encounters becomes a missional platform rather than a dead end. The angry crowd in Jerusalem, the political delays of Felix and Festus, and the royal audience with King Agrippa all become opportunities for Paul to tell his story of what Jesus accomplished in his life. Even Paul's appeal to Caesar—which seemed to close the door on his freedom—ultimately placed him in Rome, where he would write the letters that make up much of our New Testament today. Pastor Brian closes with a challenge for every believer: the river keeps flowing, but God calls His people to be faithful channels of it. Whether you are surrounded by people far from God or by fellow believers who need encouragement, your mission field is wherever you are. The question is not whether God's river will continue—it absolutely will. The question is whether you and I will be faithful enough to let it flow through us.

What destroyed the Roman Republic was not one man or one moment, but a slow collapse of trust, duty, and shared values. In this episode, Ryan and ancient historian Barry Strauss discuss the broken civic bargain, economic strain, political violence, and personal ambition that pushed Rome toward civil war. They also talk about Cato's refusal to compromise, Caesar's decision to cross the Rubicon, and the warning the fall of the Roman Republic still holds for us today.Barry Strauss is a bestselling author, classicist, military and naval historian, and one of the leading authorities on leadership lessons from the ancient world. He is a senior fellow at the Hoover Institution, the Bryce and Edith M. Bowmar Professor in Humanistic Studies Emeritus at Cornell University, and a leading expert on ancient military history. Barry is the author of ten books on ancient history, translated into twenty languages, including The War That Made the Roman Empire, Ten Caesars, The Death of Caesar, and his latest book, Jews vs. Rome: Two Centuries of Rebellion Against the World's Mightiest Empire.Follow Barry on Instagram | @barrystrauss

Kaum eine Figur steht so sehr fürs Römische Reich wie Gaius Julius Caesar. Der Feldherr eroberte Gallien, später wurde er Alleinherrscher und schließlich Opfer eines Attentats. Seine Politik veränderte nicht nur die römische Geschichte nachhaltig.**********Ihr hört in dieser Folge "Eine Stunde History":5:25 - Deutschlandfunk-Nova-Reporterin Wiebke Lehnhoff blickt Caesar beim Diktieren des "De Bello Gallico" über die Schulter10:56 - Altphilologe Markus Schauer erläutert, wie viel Wahrheit in "De Ballo Gallico" steckt23:37 - Althistoriker Ulrich Gotter erklärt, wie es zum Bürgerkrieg in Rom kam und wie die Alleinherrschaft Caesars die Römische Republik verändert hat37:45 - Althistorikerin Angela Pabst erklärt, was Augustus in seiner Amtszeit bewirken konnte – und was er für ein Mensch war**********Mehr zum Thema bei Deutschlandfunk Nova:2. Jh. v. Chr.: Die Seidenstraße als globaler Handelsweg287 v. Chr.: Plebejer erkämpfen ihre Gleichberechtigung im antiken Rom333 v. Chr.: Alexander der Große und das griechische Weltreich**********Den Artikel zum Stück findet ihr hier.**********Ihr könnt uns auch auf diesen Kanälen folgen: TikTok und Instagram .**********In dieser Folge mit: Moderation: Steffi Orbach Gesprächspartner: Matthias von Hellfeld, Deutschlandfunk-Nova-Geschichtsexperte Gesprächspartner: Markus Schauer, Professor für Klassische Philologie an der Universität Bamberg Gesprächspartner: Ulrich Gotter, Professor für Alte Geschichte an der Universität Konstanz Gesprächspartnerin: Angela Pabst, Professorin für Alte Geschichte an der Universität Halle Beitrag: Wiebke Lehnhoff, Deutschlandfunk Nova-Reporterin

Confused about voice over gear, home studio setup, or audio processing as a new voice actor or audiobook narrator? You're not alone — and this livestream is here to help.In today's live stream, I'm joined by voice actor, sound engineer, and long-time community member Caesar Esturco to break down what equipment you actually need to get started in voice over and audiobook narration, how to set up a home recording studio on a budget, and what audio processing is (and isn't) required to sound professional.We'll talk microphones, interfaces, recording software, room treatment, and common audio mistakes that can hold new narrators back — especially when auditioning for audiobooks, ACX, and online casting platforms. Caesar will also share pro-level insights from both a voice actor's and sound engineer's perspective, helping you avoid over-processing, overspending, and outdated advice.

Episode 4181 │ July 14, 2026 We handed sovereignty back to Caesar voluntarily. Nobody took it from us. We gave it away piece by piece. Kingdom first is the only way back. WHAT THIS EPISODE COVERS Scott Kesterson — nine days into a 26-day fast, with the clarity that comes after the corner is turned — opens with the NDAA Section 219 and Senate Section 1217, the United States-Israel Defense Technology Corporation Initiative that would embed Israel into America's highest levels of AI, quantum, space, robotics, and intelligence development without reciprocal obligation, and names it plainly: not a treaty, not an alliance, but a corporate merger designed to circumvent the Constitution and transfer sovereignty to a foreign power with a congressional rubber stamp. The episode then moves to the deeper diagnosis — John Winthrop's 1630 sermon aboard the Arbella warning that a people who anchor their fortune to anything other than fidelity to God will become a story and a byword through the world, Matthew 6:33's operative word first, and the Declaration's liberty under God doing all the work — building the case that America was never supposed to be the object of identity but the space where a sovereign individual answerable to God could be lived out without a king's permission. The episode closes with the only rightly ordered response Scott finds: not abandoning the earthly, not retreating from the world, but returning to the dual citizenship model — kingdom first, Caesar second — as the only identity sturdy enough to hold when the team loses, the market crashes, the war ends badly, and the politician fails to deliver. KEY QUESTIONS ADDRESSED What is NDAA Section 219 and Senate Section 1217 — and why does the deliberate use of the word corporation in the United States-Israel Defense Technology Corporation Initiative reveal that this is not a diplomatic relationship between sovereign nations but a structural merger designed to bypass constitutional treaty requirements and transfer America's highest-level technology sovereignty to a foreign power without reciprocal obligation? What did John Winthrop warn aboard the Arbella in 1630 — and why does his description of what happens when a people's fortune gets anchored to something other than fidelity to God read as a precise diagnosis of the inversion America is living through right now, 396 years later? What does the "under" in liberty under God actually mean — and why does Scott argue that the Declaration's founding premise, that nothing earthly gets to define you because something higher than Caesar already claimed you, is the only identity stable enough to survive everything the current system is engineered to make you fear, worship, or despair over? ABOUT BARDSFM BardsFM is a daily independent podcast covering faith, liberty, history, and information warfare. Hosted by Scott Kesterson — combat veteran, documentary filmmaker, and rancher. Over 4,100 episodes and 50 million lifetime downloads. New episodes every weekday. bards.fm This episode was researched and produced under the Spatial Terra Intelligence Methodology (STIM v5) — the analytical framework built by Scott Kesterson — with AI-assisted research synthesis at a 70/30 human/AI authorship ratio, fully disclosed. All analysis, conclusions, and editorial judgments are those of Scott Kesterson. BardsFM's faith archive includes hundreds of episodes on prayer, scripture, and walking the Way of Christ — available free in the full episode catalog. AFFILIATE LINKS Bards Nation Health Store: www.bardsnationhealth.com MYPillow promo code: BARDS >> Go to https://www.mypillow.com/bards and use the promo code BARDS or... Call 1-800-975-2939.  EMPShield protect your vehicles and home. Promo code BARDS: Click here Treadlite Broadforks...best garden tool EVER. Promo code BARDS26: TreadliteBroadforks.com EnviroKlenz Air Purification, promo code BARDS to save 10%: www.enviroklenz.com Morning Intro Music Provided by Brian Kahanek: www.briankahanek.com Founders Bible 20% discount code: BARDS >>> TheFoundersBible.com Windblown Media 20% Discount with promo code BARDS: windblownmedia.com White Oak Pastures Grassfed Meats, Get $20 off any order $150 or more. Promo Code BARDS: www.whiteoakpastures.com/BARDS Mission Darkness Faraday Bags and RF Shielding. Promo code BARDS: Click here DONATIONS: If you wish to support this podcast directly you can donate here... DONATE: Click here MAILING ADDRESS: Xpedition Cafe, LLC Attn. Scott Kesterson 591 E Central Ave, #740 Sutherlin, OR  97479

L'armée française n'en voulait pas. Pourtant, depuis la guerre en Ukraine, la production a quintuplé. Dans « La Story », le podcast d'actualité des « Echos », Pierrick Fay et Anne Vidalie racontent l'histoire mouvementée de ce canon français monté sur un camion.Vous vous informez beaucoup… mais retenez-vous vraiment l'essentiel ? La Sélection des Echos, c'est chaque jour les analyses et décryptages qui comptent vraiment, sélectionnés par notre rédaction. Retrouvez nos meilleures offres réservées à nos auditeurs.« La Story » est un podcast des « Echos » présenté par Pierrick Fay. Cet épisode a été enregistré en juillet 2026. Rédaction en chef : Clémence Lemaistre. Invitée : Anne Vidalie (journaliste pour « Les Echos week-end ») Réalisation : Willy Ganne. Chargée de production et d'édition : Clara Grouzis. Musique : Théo Boulenger. Identité graphique : Upian. Photo : Genya Savilov/AFP. Sons : Ministère ukrainien de la Défense, Xavier Tytelman, « Bayraktar » - Ukrainian War song (@Kronika24.pl), Armée de Terre. Hébergé par Acast. Visitez acast.com/privacy pour plus d'informations.

Ryan's glowing review of Toy Story 5, why he's counting down the hours until The Odyssey, and the Andy Serkis interview that led to an unexpected debate about why Caesar from Planet of the Apes has so many female admirers. Plus, Robert Harris's latest historical epic, holiday reading recommendations, the crime novel built around Japan's real-life “disappearing” agencies, and why your local charity bookshop might be the best place to discover your next great read.Follow the show:Instagram: @bookshelfpodcastTikTok: @bookshelfpodcastFollow Ryan:Instagram: @instatubridy Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Le défilé militaire du 14-Juillet est bien plus qu'une cérémonie républicaine. Derrière les avions, les blindés et les uniformes qui remontent les Champs-Élysées, se joue aussi une bataille économique. Véritable vitrine du savoir-faire français, l'événement est devenu un rendez-vous incontournable pour l'industrie de la défense, à l'heure où le réarmement mondial accélère. Comme chaque 14-Juillet, près de 7 000 femmes et hommes défilent sur les Champs-Élysées, accompagnés de centaines d'avions, d'hélicoptères et de véhicules militaires. Mais derrière la symbolique républicaine et la démonstration de force, le défilé est aussi un immense rendez-vous d'affaires. Dans la tribune présidentielle et autour de la place de la Concorde, il n'y a pas seulement des responsables politiques et des diplomates. Des délégations militaires étrangères sont également présentes pour observer les matériels français et poursuivre des discussions engagées parfois depuis plusieurs mois. Chaque appareil qui survole Paris, chaque blindé qui descend les Champs-Élysées, chaque équipement présenté est scruté avec attention. Pour les industriels français, le défilé constitue une vitrine unique de leur savoir-faire, dans un décor qu'aucun salon professionnel ne peut reproduire. À lire aussiL'Europe se réarme, le secteur de la défense se frotte les mains Un marché de la défense en pleine accélération Cette année, le contexte géopolitique donne une dimension encore plus stratégique au défilé. Avec la guerre en Ukraine, les tensions au Proche-Orient et le réarmement engagé dans de nombreuses régions du monde, le marché mondial de la défense connaît une forte accélération. Les budgets militaires augmentent, les États cherchent à reconstituer leurs stocks, à moderniser leurs armées et à se doter rapidement de nouveaux équipements. Dans ce contexte, les industriels français bénéficient de nombreuses opportunités, même si la concurrence s'intensifie face aux groupes américains, sud-coréens ou encore turcs. La France s'est d'ailleurs imposée comme le deuxième exportateur mondial d'armement, derrière les États-Unis. Le Rafale illustre parfaitement cette dynamique. L'avion de combat de Dassault est devenu la locomotive des exportations françaises, avec des commandes qui se comptent désormais par centaines d'appareils. Et lorsqu'un pays achète un Rafale, il n'achète pas seulement un avion : il signe aussi pour des décennies de maintenance, de formation, de pièces détachées et de fournitures de missiles. Mais le succès français ne repose pas uniquement sur les avions de chasse. Les canons Caesar, dont les performances ont été remarquées en Ukraine, les frégates, les sous-marins, les hélicoptères, les missiles ou encore les radars de Thales séduisent eux aussi de nombreux pays. À lire aussiLa guerre au Moyen-Orient relance le marché mondial de la défense aérienne Le défi des industriels : produire plus vite Ces exportations donnent un bol d'air à la balance commerciale française, mais elles créent aussi un paradoxe pour les industriels du secteur. La filière de défense emploie plus de 200 000 personnes, directement ou indirectement. Pourtant, les carnets de commandes sont aujourd'hui si remplis que certaines usines peinent à suivre le rythme. Les industriels investissent massivement pour augmenter leurs capacités de production. Ils recrutent, agrandissent leurs sites, automatisent certaines chaînes et cherchent à sécuriser leurs sous-traitants. Malgré cela, plusieurs sites sont confrontés à des goulots d'étranglement qui ralentissent les livraisons. Or, dans un contexte où les besoins militaires sont immédiats, attendre plusieurs années avant d'être livré peut pousser certains clients à se tourner vers d'autres fournisseurs. Le défi de l'industrie française de la défense n'est donc plus seulement de vendre ses équipements. Il est désormais de les produire en quantité suffisante et surtout suffisamment vite.

SPONSORS: 1) REMI: Go to https://shopremi.com/JULIAN and use code JULIAN at checkout for 55% off with Remi Club Subscribe & Save. 2) MONARCH MONEY: Write your own money story with Monarch. Get 50% off your first year of Monarch Core at https://monarch.com with code JULIAN. JOIN PATREON FOR EARLY UNCENSORED EPISODE RELEASES: https://www.patreon.com/JulianDorey CLIPPERS DISCORD: https://discord.gg/8QmWEKJ3BT (***TIMESTAMPS in Description Below) ~ Joseph Scott Morgan is a Forensics Expert, Author & YouTuber. His book, “Blood Beneath My Feet” is considered by many the greatest forensics memoir ever written. JOSEPH's LINKS: - YT: https://www.youtube.com/@josephscottmorgan - IG: https://www.instagram.com/josephscottmorgan/?hl=en - X: https://x.com/JoScottForensic - BOOK - https://a.co/d/08xwD7ML - POD: https://open.spotify.com/show/385AEt9XDYJoCyWtGZo3bw?si=f0f475b745094756 FOLLOW JULIAN DOREY INSTAGRAM (Podcast): https://www.instagram.com/juliandoreypodcast/ INSTAGRAM (Personal): https://www.instagram.com/julianddorey/ X: https://twitter.com/julianddorey JULIAN YT CHANNELS - SUBSCRIBE to Julian Dorey Clips YT: https://www.youtube.com/@juliandoreyclips - SUBSCRIBE to Julian Dorey Daily YT: https://www.youtube.com/@JulianDoreyDaily - SUBSCRIBE to Best of JDP: https://www.youtube.com/@bestofJDP ****TIMESTAMPS**** 0:00 - Death, Desensitization & the Kirk Assassination 10:08 - Kirk-Robinson Prelim Breakdown Begins 19:50 - Strange Anomalies & Andrew Kolvet's Suspicious Tweet 31:08 - The .30-06 Round That Killed Charlie Kirk 42:28 - Why Didn't the Bullet Do More Damage? 51:08 - Utah Has Had No Coroner Since 1972 1:03:35 - Charlie Kirk's Body Is Now Evidence 1:12:50 - Triple Execution & Forensic Secrets 1:20:15 - Funeral Homes Found Wounds Nobody Investigated 1:32:03 - Why Students Can't Attend Autopsies Anymore 1:35:12 - Caesar's Autopsy & the Godfather of Forensics 1:45:19 - Back to Kirk — The Actual Crime Scene 1:55:18 - No Ambulance on Site & the Site Was Paved Over 2:07:57 - Kirk Crime Scene vs Parkland — Optics Are Bad 2:16:16 - Contractor Says FBI Told Him to Pave It Quickly 2:24:57 - FBI Involvement, Kash Patel & the Weapon Breakdown 2:36:10 - Bald Man in Car, TPUSA Meeting Morning of Shooting 2:48:05 - DNA Planting — Is It Mathematically Possible? 2:55:44 - Twiggs Texts, Limited Immunity & Trajectory Rods 3:06:59 - Joseph's Work CREDITS: - Host, Editor & Producer: Julian Dorey - COO, Producer & Editor: Alessi Allaman - https://www.youtube.com/@UCyLKzv5fKxGmVQg3cMJJzyQ - In-Studio Producer: Joey Deef Julian Dorey Podcast Episode 448 - Joseph Scott Morgan Music by Artlist.io Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This message examines Revelation 2:8–11, exploring the persecuted church in Smyrna, the imperial Caesar cult, and the historical witness of martyrs like Polycarp. We see how the church's suffering and poverty were met with Christ's promise of eternal reward. The episode draws connections between first-century trials and present-day faithfulness, highlighting the call to endure, the meaning of the “crown of life,” and the assurance of victory over the second death. Listeners are encouraged to trust Christ in hardship, learn from the Smyrna church's testimony, and respond to the gospel today.

This week, Lex and Drea are back with another hilarious solo episode straight from LA. From debating whether Caesar from Planet of the Apes was fine to asking if animals have celebrities in their own communities, the conversation goes completely off the rails—in the best way. The ladies catch up on life on tour, adjusting to nonstop travel, moving plans, weight gain, and why they're both ready to get back into their routines. They also share stories from their time in Los Angeles, talk about celebrity encounters, true crime obsessions, and why Lex is convinced she could solve a murder. Later, they introduce a new segment breaking down iconic song lyrics, debating everything from 50 Cent's relationship questions to the real meaning behind Next's "Too Close." As always, the laughs are nonstop, the stories are unfiltered, and the conversations somehow end up everywhere except where they started. Pour up and tune in.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Welcome back to Gnostic Insights and to the Gnostic Reformation on Substack. Dr. Cyd Ropp and Bishop Nathan Wilson Today's episode is the last installment of my interview with Bishop Nathan Wilson of The Gnostic Union. Brother Nathan continues with his illustration of how correct translation of the original Koine Greek of the New Testament changes the way we may interpret Biblical scripture more precisely. The translations he shares come from his freely available Gnostic Christian Truth Bible that you can find online in PDF form, with side by side comparisons of the original Koine with English. I'm including the link here in the transcript of the episode, so if you are listening to this in podcast form, you may wish to go to Gnostic Insights dot com to read the transcript. His Bible and other Gnostic scriptures could use another round of editorial polishing, in my opinion, to insert an indexed table of contents, so it may be a bit difficult to make your way through it. And in next week’s episode, I’ll take a long look at what we’ve been hearing for the last four weeks. If you have anything you would like me to discuss or any questions coming off of Bishop Wilson’s discussion, bring them up and we can talk about them on next week's episode. I know I’m going to want to talk about the role of Sophia and the Divine Feminine and the concept of gender on the ethereal plane. I would also like to talk to you about how the study of history and philology differs from theology and philosophy and how they are not necessarily gnosis. And here at Gnostic Insights, of course, and on the Gnostic Reformation, I avoid talking about gnosis and only share gnosis itself. So I’d like to explain that to you about that as well. So please drop me some comments here at the end of this episode and I can address them in next week’s episode. Bishop Nathan Wilson: So Mark 8:17. All right. So this would be Jesus here. “And having gnosis, he said to them, why reason because you have no bread or do you not understand that the heart of you has been hardened?” So this is among disciples arguing that they have no bread. Jesus having spiritual gnosis, understanding what’s going on, says, “What are you arguing about?” Which is kind of interesting that he mentioned, but I’ll mention something that’s a real kick in the can. So this is in Mark 15:42. And this is a text that no theology want to give you because it would make them feel uncomfortable. And it’s regarding Pontius Pilate having gnosis regarding Jesus crucifixion. So this is a note they definitely do not want. I was kind of thinking about what does this mean? And I figured out what it’s regarding to. Mark 15:45. Okay, so this is Pontius Pilate. I’ll read 15:44 first. “But Pilate wondered if he had already died, having called to him the centurion and questioned him if he had already died. And with gnosis from the centurion, he granted the body to Joseph.” AI generated image of Pilate questioning the Centurian. The three crucified men were inserted by the AI to symbolically represent the crucifixition of Jesus and the two thieves. Golgotha is actually not that close to the palace window. So that meaning inside knowledge from the centurion has been given to him about Jesus. So that could imply that he was still alive and that Pontius might have been involved in this plot. That’s what that text would imply; it doesn’t necessarily have to mean that. It can just mean that within a knowledge he’s been told by the centurion Jesus is dead, so it can apply that too. So however you want to read that text is up to you. But I found that quite fascinating and I had to really look at that. I’m like, well, I'm sorry, we can’t have that in there. That’s why that’s been censored. But that’s fascinating. So we even have Jesus having a gnosis and leaving an area and that’s in Matthew 12:15. I’ll jump into that too. So there’s a couple of scenes that Jesus has gnosis. There’s even times he has gnosis in regarding what other people were thinking. So having to understand them mentally. So that’s cool. So gnosis appears quite often. It’s just it doesn’t appear in the English text. But in the Old Testament it’s even more. Cyd:That's interesting. Bishop Nathan Wilson:Yes, it is. Very. Okay. So “withdrew from the area” Matthew 12:15 I want. Right. “And Jesus having gnosis, withdrew from there and many great multitudes followed him and he healed them.” Or it can translate to took care of them or cured them all. So that word here we have can be for a therapeia or a therapeo. And this word meaning to heal someone or to spend time with them, to heal them with God’s word or with medicine, to heal them with medical substance, so narcotics. It can be just simply curing them or just spending time with someone so say talking to someone, healing them and their emotions. So healing their emotions. So that’s beautiful. Not just simply Jesus hocus pocus and and leaving. It’s he’s spending time with people. And this word has been used in ancient Greek medical texts for implying medical substances or therapy. So the word therapeia is where our word therapy comes from. So this can be Jesus the therapist. So that’s beautiful. Absolutely fantastic. I like that. So it gives more power to the text. Shows that one person can make a difference. So any one of us can do this and heal multitudes through spiritual touch, through spiritual messaging, through the simple act of love. So that’s powerful. That’s useful. Cyd:And this is something that only people can do. Well, no, actually dogs are very good therapists as well. But I wouldn’t think that an AI therapist or an AI Jesus has any gnosis truly. Bishop Nathan Wilson:I’m not really one big for AI because I think AI is basically just all secondhand information. It’s just built from all our information that we’ve already got. So we have here something else. This is something pretty interesting too. Matthew 16:8. And it’s Jesus having gnosis: “Why do you argue amongst yourselves? You of little faith because you have no bread” [or meaning food.] But say, regarding to the word for artos being bread. So when you have the Jesus prayer, Give us this daily bread, this could translate to give us our daily necessaries of life. That’s much more. So daily maintenance, so being maintained spiritually, being maintained by God, for God giving us the means to live spiritually as well as physically. So it’s much more powerful than just simple, just bread and food. So Jesus speaking a lot of times symbolically. So the symbolic teachings are meant to be useful to all of us. So something that we can practically take on, not simply does something that’s outside of ourselves. So that’s within ourselves that we can actually use. So gnosis. And I’ll go into Matthew 22:18. And that’s with Jesus about having gnosis on the wickedness of the Pharisees. So this doesn’t mean that all Pharisees are bad though. Jesus had Pharisees that followed him. This just means a select few of them. So basically the rich corrupted ones of them. So he was also against the Sadducees too. Mostly Sadducees probably because they were the richer lots. But he was not really a friend to those who were corrupt and using the money that they were given to further subject the people to more condemnation, which Jesus was very much pro-life, was equality where the Pharisees and Sadducees in large numbers were not. Which is a shame. Okay, so 22, I think it was I’m looking for. Matthew 22:18. Okay. Cyd:You know that Old Testament God of the Sadducees and Pharisees doesn’t have love. So they are not getting any gnosis from that Jehovah level. Bishop Nathan Wilson:No. And it goes back to where it’s first worshipped. The first to worship this God, Yahweh, were very violent. They were the Shasu. They were known to force marry the Egyptian and Ethiopian young girls they raided. So when we look at the depictions of the Shasu, they are mixed in colour—they're black, they’re white, they’re copper skinned. They didn’t care what colour you were, they just took. They were looking for sex slaves, basically wives. So what’s interesting is the same river that they used, the Euphrates River, not all of them were river-based pirates. Some were just tent dwelling nomads. But some of them did have the funds or means to use ships. So we certainly had sea people. So some of those sea people were Canaanite raiders. So they’ll use the Euphrates River to go out raiding, to go out to the main street or elsewhere to raid outside of their own lands. Muslim pirates would use the same river to do the same thing. So that’s interesting.[Editor’s note: The speaker appears to be connecting several groups—nomadic Shasu, Sea Peoples, and later Muslim-era raiders. While the Euphrates served as an important transportation corridor, the specific claim that the Shasu or Sea Peoples used it as river-pirates is not clear from the sources consulted by the CoPilot AI and may reflect an interpretation rather than an established historical consensus. Of course, the AIs are relaying to us approved, conventional data, so their data bases would not contain the types of stories Bishop Wilson speaks of.]All in the name of this Jehovah, in the name of Yahweh, in the name of the demiurge, this evil gets done. And it’s always the poor that suffer, the poor and women. And who are the ones that Jesus is speaking to? The poor and to women. So it’s shocking. So most Christians don’t look at this either. A lot of Muslims don’t either, because they will be following Jesus [Isa]. So who they call Isa, they clearly don’t. So the message contradicts. So Muhammad called himself a man of war. Moses as well. But it depends on what version of Moses you’re looking at as well. So during the time of Jesus, as I mentioned, there were different versions of Judaism. There were different Torahs and different Jewish Bibles. So some believed in a peaceful Moses and even a peaceful Abraham. Others believed in Abraham the Pirat. So Abraham the Pirate. And some didn’t take this view. So others believed in Abraham ready to sacrifice his son. And others believed that he was hearing a fallen angel, mistook it for God, and God had to intervene. And we see this sort of in the Essene story somewhat. So that’s more of a Gnostic take. Some Essenes view, because they’re Dead Sea Scrolls, which is a Qumran Essene sect, they believe that it was Belial that was behind the scenes doing this. And God was basically aware that Belial was doing it and would interfere. So he would do this in order for Belial to expose himself and then be shamed. So a very different story. So the story of Job we read is the Pharisee story, which is Satan being in the angelic courts. So being asked by God, so not acting outside of God. So he was only there to test human beings. So Satan’s not the bad guy in that story. It’s Yahweh. But when we look at other stories, it’s different. Even the Ethiopian version is different. They have two stories. One with Belial and the other one with a figure called Mastema, who is the opponent against God trying to cause the sacrifice of Abraham’s son. So, trippy. So this is regarding to the Pharisees as well. “So Jesus, having gnosis of the wickedness of them, said, Why do you test me, you hypocrites?” So this is in reference to the coin, when he showed them the icon. So what’s interesting about that scene is Judas, who was a Zealot, basically, I think it was Judas of Galilee, who rebelled against Rome, he also said the same thing. “Give to Caesar what is Caesar’s and give to God what is God’s.”[Matthew 22:21] So when Jesus is speaking in the scene, he doesn’t touch the coin. The icon on there in question is the emperor who is stating, you know, son of Caesar, son of God. Jesus is saying, no, basically give this back to Caesar and give to Israel, God, what is God’s, which is the land. So Israel. But I don’t think it’s more from the land—I think that’s a zealot opinion. I think when he’s talking about this, when he says Israel, I’m thinking he’s looking at the word context and he’s meaning El preserved so those who belong to El. So when he says those who belong to Israel, he’s not saying just anything, he’s talking about the lost sheep of El Elyon. So those were in other lands, lead them back here. So ones who have gone astray, which is interesting. So ones who are worshipping pagan gods or worshipping Yahweh. So he’s saying, bring them back to El, bring them back to God, repentance. This is why the Pharisees and Sadducees disliked him. He had a different God. Some that liked him as well, but they had trouble understanding it. Cyd:Right. Well, and that is still the case. Hey, we’re going to have to wrap this up in just a few minutes. So is there any scripture you would like to make sure that you share before we wrap it up? Bishop Nathan Wilson:Okay. Well, if you like, I can share either the temple scene, which is a Matthew 21:12, or I can share the little, the short scene of the Pharisees being condemned by Jesus for basically dressing up like prostitutes. You might have a, you might have a lot of that. Cyd:Yeah. Okay. That, that looks to be the one you want to share the most. Papyrus Oxyconocus 840 Bishop Nathan Wilson:So I’ll share that one. It’s very short. So this is the text in general. Just this little bit. Okay. The Greek side is on here. [Nathan displays his fragment facsimile.] So I have the Greek side by side. So this is side one and side two. So side two is even shorter. “So before committing injustice, he carefully plans it all.” So this is Jesus speaking about the evil. “Be on guard, lest you suffer the same things as they.” So this is the Pharisees and Sadducees he’s talking about. “For the evil doers among people do not receive punishment only in this life, but also suffer judgment and great torment. And having received them, he brought them into the purification area. And as he was walking in the temple, a certain Pharisee, a high priest named Soreb [conventional translation is Levi; editorial note],” Which is kind of interesting. That word Zoar/Tzoar [uncertain], is Tsa'ar, [uncertain] which is a city condemned by God [but ultimately spared by God; editorial note]. So this is kind of like a pun on the Pharisee leader being punished by God. So like, possibly, maybe a Pharisee Messiah figure. So meaning they’re rejecting Jesus because they already have their Messiah they believe. So that’s something to be taken into a note. So this Soreb [Levi ?] approaches, met them and said, “Zoar, who gave you permission to walk in the purification area and to look upon these holy vessels, not having washed, nor your disciples having their feet baptized, but having being unclean, you have trampled upon this holy place, which is pure, which no one may enter unless you have bathed and changed into the garments of those baptized. Nor does anyone dare to touch these holy vessels.” So they’re in the temple right now in the inner sanctuary, touching the holy relics and not wearing the same baptism clothing as them. They’re not liking this. So this is what Jesus says. “The Savior answered and said to him, Woe to you blind ones who do not see. You wash in these poured out waters in which dogs and pigs have been thrown into day and night. And after washing your outer skin, you wipe it. And just like the prostitutes and flute players anoint themselves and wash and wipe and adorn themselves to cause the desires of men. But from within, they are full of scorpions and all evil. But I and my disciples who you say are not baptized have been baptized in the waters of eternal Zoe. That has come from God. But woe to those…” And the ending is missing. That’s why side two has not been given. [referring to side two of the fragment which is partially destroyed and not in the public domain] Cyd:Right. Now that’s a fragment. Where was that fragment found? Bishop Nathan Wilson:I forgot. The fragment is called Papyrus Oxyconocus 840. But you can just type in P. Oxy 840. I would say that was probably if I’d gone by memory, that might have been discovered maybe in Alexandria, if not maybe in Thrace, but I believe it was Alexandria, Egypt that might have been discovered. There was one, I believe, that was discovered in the Middle East, maybe Jerusalem. But I believe that one there was discovered in Alexandria. I might be wrong about that. I have to relook where that was discovered. But it is important. So a text that has not been given to public domain yet, which is quite a shame. Cyd:Yeah. Well, it’s been delightful talking to you. And you certainly have an encyclopedic knowledge of these ancient texts. It’s very beautiful. It’s very nice being around you. You have the good vibe. Bishop Nathan Wilson:It’s been a pleasure speaking to you as well, Dr. Cyd Ropp. It’s been an absolute pleasure. So I’m stoked. So sorry if I get excited and all that sort of stuff as well. I love meeting new people, especially fellow spiritual people. Always lovely to see, especially Gnostics. Cyd:Yeah. Well, I recommend The Gnostic Union. Go check out the Facebook site. That’s where all the action is, right? It’s the Facebook site. Bishop Nathan Wilson:And on the YouTube, yeah. We can all get together. Cyd:On the YouTube. Bishop Nathan Wilson:I’ve got a few old videos as well. So you can see the difference in my theology, how it’s changed. My whole belief system changed when I start translating, so I found out I was wrong about a couple of other things. So I still keep some old videos because some people might want to hang on to some of those beliefs as well. I have no problems with that. I’m very open-minded and whichever people want to believe, they can believe, as long as we’re loving to each other and kind. It’s all that matters. Being good humans. Cyd:Right. Well, since we’re going to be putting this on your site as well as mine, let me tell people that I have a Substack called The Gnostic Reformation. And my homepage is GnosticInsights.com. Well, it’s just been a blessing. Thank you very much. Bishop Nathan Wilson:You’re welcome. And feel free to share your stuff on The Gnostic Union Facebook page too. If you ever want to share stuff, feel free to. We accept other people’s work too. So feel free to share it. Cyd:How often? I mean, I post weekly. You don’t want me cross-posting weekly. Bishop Nathan Wilson:Oh, that’s fine. We don’t mind. You can post there weekly. We won’t mind. Anything that’s Gnostic, we’ll gladly accept. So we want to encourage all Gnostic schools of thought and everyone that wants to seek it, we want to encourage that. Cyd:Oh that’s excellent. Okay. Well, thank you so much for being with me today, Bishop Nathan Wilson. God bless us all. Bishop Nathan Wilson:God bless as well. Thank you for having me. Cyd:Okay. Bye-bye. Thank you. Well, that’s the conclusion of that long interview with Bishop Nathan Wilson of The Gnostic Union. These episodes have been running long, a half hour and more, so I think we’ll keep this one short, and give you a break. Until then, drop some comments and questions that I can address in next week's episode.This interview was recorded via Zoom, and so I have the video of the interview as well as these audios, and I’ve left it as one long video to post to YouTube. So I’m putting it up on YouTube now that we’re done with the audio podcast versions, and you can go to YouTube if you’d like to watch Brother Nathan talking about these things. He does have a few visual aids. His papyrus facsimiles and whatnot are pretty cool to look at. So I encourage you to go to my YouTube channel, Cyd Ropp, and it’s under the Gnostic Insights playlist, and leave a thumbs up. I’m going to try to grow the Gnostic Insights presence there on YouTube. It’s going to take a lot of effort and a lot of support on your part. So please give me a hand here, and let’s kick it off with this Bishop Wilson. The other YouTube video that’s already there is that animated version of my children’s book, Children of the Fullness: A Gnostic Myth. So if you haven’t watched that yet, you could catch it as well. Until then, God bless us all, and Onward and Upward. Until then, drop some comments and questions I can address in next week's episode. God bless us all and onward and upward. Children of the Fullness: A Gnostic Myth is the first gnostic book written for young children. Click here to go to amazon.com

Caesar and Sami risked everything to show the world what was truly going on in Syria after the 2011 revolution. The Caesar files are a collection of tens of thousands of photos documenting human rights abuses and torture in Syria under the dictator Bashar al-Assad. They have become the cornerstone of Syrian war crime prosecutions around the world.This is the story of the one of the most remarkable and daring collections and the courageous men behind it. A collection which may not just steer the course of international justice, but will serve as a permanent historical archive of a horrifying legacy for Syrians. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jay Cicero, the president of the Greater New Orleans Sports Foundation, joined Sports Talk. Cicero previewed the X Games at the Superdome and shared information about the premier season raffle for over 500 event tickets to home games for the Saints, Pelicans, LSU Tigers, and LSUNO Privateers.

Send us Fan MailThis is part two of my conversation with Dr George Athas, Director of Research at Moore Theological College and author of Bridging the Testaments.In this episode, George explains why “Jesus is Lord” is not merely a private spiritual statement. In the world of the New Testament, where Caesar was lord and Rome promised peace, to confess Jesus as Lord was deeply political.We also talk about one of the most moving parts of the whole conversation: the Samaritans. I had always heard the Samaritan woman described mainly through the lens of Jewish hostility toward “mixed” people, but George explains the deeper history of Samaria, Mount Gerizim, Davidic hope, and why Jesus' conversation at the well is so significant.We also discuss:What Christians can learn from political instabilityWhy “Jesus is Lord” challenges every earthly powerThe tragedy and judgment in the GospelsThe Samaritans and the woman at the wellActs and the reunification of Israel under King JesusThe Dead Sea Scrolls and the EssenesWhat the Apocrypha is and how Protestants should think about itHow prophecy helps us read both the Old and New TestamentsPurchase George's book wherever you get your books!Bridging the Testaments: The History and Theology of God's People in the Second Temple PeriodFollow @hertheology on Instagram & YouTube. Head to hertheology.com to find out more.

23:1 And the whole multitude of them arose, and led him unto Pilate. 23:2 And they began to accuse him, saying, We found this fellow perverting the nation, and forbidding to give tribute to Caesar, saying that he himself is Christ a King. 23:3 And Pilate asked him, saying, Art thou the King of the Jews? And he answered him and said, Thou sayest it. 23:4 Then said Pilate to the chief priests and to the people, I find no fault in this man. 23:5 And they were the more fierce, saying, He stirreth up the people, teaching throughout all Jewry, beginning from Galilee to this place. 23:6 When Pilate heard of Galilee, he asked whether the man were a Galilaean. 23:7 And as soon as he knew that he belonged unto Herod's jurisdiction, he sent him to Herod, who himself also was at Jerusalem at that time. 23:8 And when Herod saw Jesus, he was exceeding glad: for he was desirous to see him of a long season, because he had heard many things of him; and he hoped to have seen some miracle done by him. 23:9 Then he questioned with him in many words; but he answered him nothing. 23:10 And the chief priests and scribes stood and vehemently accused him. 23:11 And Herod with his men of war set him at nought, and mocked him, and arrayed him in a gorgeous robe, and sent him again to Pilate. 23:12 And the same day Pilate and Herod were made friends together: for before they were at enmity between themselves. 23:13 And Pilate, when he had called together the chief priests and the rulers and the people, 23:14 Said unto them, Ye have brought this man unto me, as one that perverteth the people: and, behold, I, having examined him before you, have found no fault in this man touching those things whereof ye accuse him: 23:15 No, nor yet Herod: for I sent you to him; and, lo, nothing worthy of death is done unto him. 23:16 I will therefore chastise him, and release him. 23:17 (For of necessity he must release one unto them at the feast.) 23:18 And they cried out all at once, saying, Away with this man, and release unto us Barabbas: 23:19 (Who for a certain sedition made in the city, and for murder, was cast into prison.) 23:20 Pilate therefore, willing to release Jesus, spake again to them. 23:21 But they cried, saying, Crucify him, crucify him. 23:22 And he said unto them the third time, Why, what evil hath he done? I have found no cause of death in him: I will therefore chastise him, and let him go. 23:23 And they were instant with loud voices, requiring that he might be crucified. And the voices of them and of the chief priests prevailed. 23:24 And Pilate gave sentence that it should be as they required. 23:25 And he released unto them him that for sedition and murder was cast into prison, whom they had desired; but he delivered Jesus to their will.

This week, Greg and Nathan step away from their regular series for a special Independence Day episode as America celebrates its 250th anniversary. What does it mean for Christians to love their country well? Where is the line between healthy patriotism and misplaced nationalism? And how should followers of Christ think about flags, freedom, and faith? Together, they explore the fascinating religious story behind America's founding, the biblical call to seek the good of our nation without confusing it with God's Kingdom, and why our ultimate citizenship is in heaven. Along the way, they discuss the Liberty Bell's surprising biblical inscription, the Founders' diverse beliefs, the history behind "under God" and "In God We Trust," the Jefferson Bible, and what Jesus meant when He said, "Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's." Whether you're celebrating the Fourth with fireworks or reflecting on America's upcoming semiquincentennial, this conversation offers a thoughtful, gracious, and distinctly Christian perspective on loving your country without losing sight of the One to whom your highest allegiance belongs.

Something is very wrong in the opening scenes of the Odyssey. The master of the house is gone. His wife is besieged. His son is powerless. And the men eating him out of house and home are waiting for the right moment to strike. Welcome to Part 1 (of 6!) of our new series, where we cover Homer's great epic. Part 1 covers Books 1 to 4, the monsters haven't arrived yet — but the groundwork for everything is laid here. What does it take to reestablish order once it has fallen? What kind of man can do it? Follow Telemachus as he learns to speak, to threaten, and to travel among serious men, and meet the figures who shape his fate: Athena, Penelope, Nestor, Menelaus, Helen, and the doomed suitors led by Antinous. As Christopher Nolan's film approaches, it's a perfect time to dust off a copy of Homer's Odyssey, and follow along this epic story in our 6-part retelling.Timestamps:0:00 Why the Odyssey begins with Odysseus's absence1:08 Introducing the show1:25 Book One: Athena visits Ithaca4:05 Telemachus welcomes the stranger7:33 The poem's opening lines and Odysseus's epithets10:06 Odysseus and the wrath of Poseidon11:43 The Council of the Gods13:58 Athena's plan to help Telemachus17:20 Athena's instructions: call an assembly19:08 The story of Orestes and Telemachus's zeal22:08 Penelope's first appearance27:00 Telemachus finds his courage29:25 Book Two: The Assembly begins31:56 Antinous defends the suitors35:59 The omen of the eagles37:55 Telemachus's plan revealed40:16 Athena returns as Mentor45:15 Telemachus sets sail for Pylos46:48 Book Three: Arrival at Pylos52:41 The story of Agamemnon and Aegisthus1:02:17 Book Four: Arrival in Sparta1:05:28 Helen's grand entrance1:11:41 Helen's magic drug1:19:50 Menelaus and Proteus, the shapeshifting sea god1:27:08 Menelaus's fate: the Elysian Fields1:32:09 The suitors plot to kill Telemachus1:33:23 Closing thoughtsCallouts:Special thanks to Dr. Richard Johnson for his longtime support of the show. You are Caesar and Odysseus's Top Guy!In tribute to the life and aspirations of Savitha Shanmugasundaram, a University of Texas at Austin honors student who died tragically in the March 1 mass shooting, her parents have established the Savitha Shan Endowed Scholarship at UT Austin. The fund is intended to extend Savitha's legacy by supporting the educational journeys of future UT Austin students. Please consider donating if you can. 

You'd never call it rebellion. You'd call it "bettering yourself." Living your truth. But Psalm 2 exposes the slow drift — one compromise at a time — that pulls us from God.In Episode 27, Pastor Johnny and Pastor Tim dig into the most quoted psalm in the New Testament: why Psalm 1 and 2 belong together, the Hebrew word hagah (everyone's meditating on something — the question is what), what "begotten" really means, and teshuvah — the invitation to return.It all comes down to one question: you may know Christ as Savior, but is He your Lord? There's a tension between the Caesar in your life and Christ. Who's gonna win?

Send us Fan MailSome churches look successful and are dying. Smyrna looks crushed and Christ calls them rich. We open Revelation 2:8-11 and slow down long enough to feel the weight of a city where emperor worship is normal, loyalty to Rome is celebrated, and Christians become targets because they refuse to confess “Caesar is Lord.” That one act of refusal isn't symbolic, it's costly: scrutiny, discrimination, and poverty that reshapes daily life. We also bring in the early church history Smyrna is known for, including Polycarp, a leader tied to this congregation and remembered for his martyrdom. His famous line about serving Christ for eighty-six years isn't just a quote for textbooks, it's a window into how conviction is formed over time. Smyrna becomes a lasting picture of Christian perseverance, not because suffering is romantic, but because faithfulness is possible when pressure is real. From there we lean into Christ's own words of comfort: “I know your works… your tribulation… and your poverty… but you are rich.” We talk about why Jesus introduces himself as the One who was dead and is alive, and how resurrection hope becomes a survival mechanism for believers who may lose freedom, status, and even life. We also test the modern application: what happens when our loudest loyalties drift toward politics, culture, or any banner that competes with the kingdom of God. If you want a clear, Scripture-driven study of the church of Smyrna, Christian persecution, spiritual riches, and faithful endurance, press play and stay with us through the hard questions. Subscribe, share this with a friend who needs hope, and leave a review with the line that challenged you most.Support the showBE PROVOKED AND BE PERSUADED!

The year is half over. Are you halfway to your goals, or halfway to another year of almosts? In this episode, Todd DeWalt breaks down why so many construction business owners stay stuck overthinking the decision they already know they need to make, still camped on the wrong side of their own Rubicon, waiting on a little more research and a little more certainty before they move. ⚡Schedule a Business Evaluation Call with The Construction Leading Edge Team: https://go.constructionleadingedge.com/qualification?utm_source=audio%20podcast&utm_medium=audio&utm_campaign=451

What Belongs to God | Genesis 1:26–27 & Matthew 22:15–22 What if Jesus' famous words about Caesar and the coin are really about us? In this sermon, Rev. Anna Dickson explores one of Jesus' most well-known teachings through the lens of Genesis, where we learn that every person is created in the image of God. When Jesus asks whose image appears on a Roman coin, he invites his listeners to think beyond taxes and politics. If the coin bears Caesar's image and belongs to Caesar, what about those who bear God's image? This message is a reminder that our deepest identity is not found in what we own, what we accomplish, or what the world says about us. We belong to the God who created us, loves us, and calls us by name. As we learn to live from that identity, we begin to see ourselves and our neighbors differently. We discover that every person carries the image of God and is worthy of dignity, compassion, and love. What belongs to God? The answer is more personal—and more hopeful—than we often imagine. Preached by Rev. Anna Dickson at First Presbyterian Church of Charlotte on July 5, 2026.

The story of America's founding cannot rightly be told without talking about the Baptists. Because while polished statesmen were debating liberty in halls of power, Baptist preachers were paying the price for it in the prison houses, courtrooms, and hostile colonial towns. They were fined, mocked, taxed, beaten down by religious establishments, and in some cases jailed simply for preaching the gospel without permission from the state. These were not men trying to build a secular nation without God; they were Bible believers fighting the old Roman spirit of state-controlled religion dressed up in Protestant clothing. The Baptists understood that Jesus Christ is the head of the church, not Caesar, not Congress, not a magistrate, and not a government-approved religious machine.“Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine.” 2 Timothy 4:2 (KJB)On this episode of the Prophecy News Podcast, what the Baptists helped secure in America was not a godless public square, but liberty of conscience—freedom to preach, freedom to assemble, freedom to baptize believers, freedom to print and distribute the Bible, and freedom to worship God without asking permission from a state church. Men like John Leland and Isaac Backus stood against the religious powers of their day and helped push the nation toward the protections that would become the First Amendment. America was not founded as the Kingdom of God, and it was never the Church, but it was founded in the shadow of an open Bible. The tragedy of our day is that the liberty Baptists fought to preserve is now being used by modern America to reject the very God who made liberty worth having. Also present at the founding of the United States of America was the “Bible of the Revolution”, a King James Bible New Testament published by Robert Aitken in 1771. It was so small the soliders of the Continential Army could easily carry it their pockets. And you wonder how it is we beat the strongest army on Earth? With the word of a King! By 1782, the fledgling Congress would authorize the publication of a complete King James Bible, and that became the pillar on which America began. The King James Bible was one of the foundational texts of English-speaking colonial America, shaping literacy, preaching, law, morals, rhetoric, and education. Harvard, Yale, and Princeton were all born in a world where King James scripture was treated as the central authority of truth, and ministers were among their chief educational products. Where we are here in 2026 is a Podcast for another day. Join us as we journey back to when America began, and meet the Baptists, and the Bible, that God used to start our nation.

On this episode of The Alan Sanders Show, we dive deep into Caesar Rodney's heroic midnight ride that secured America's vote for independence, which is a powerful reminder of courage and sacrifice. We explore the Christian principles that shaped our Founding Fathers and the Republic they built. Plus, breaking news: Gav's ally wore a wire, Cynical Publius breaks down contemptuous speech versus supporting the chain of command, and timely reflections as we head into Independence Day. From history's unsung heroes to today's political intrigue and cultural battles, this show delivers sharp analysis, unfiltered truth, and a call to reclaim our Constitutional foundations. Don't miss it. Please take a moment to rate and review the show and then share the episode on social media. You can find me on Facebook, X, Instagram, GETTR, TRUTH Social, TikTok, YouTube and Rumble by searching for The Alan Sanders Show. And, consider becoming a sponsor of the show by visiting my Patreon page!

Send us a message!We finish the Book of Acts by following Paul from shipwreck on Malta to house arrest in Rome, watching how God turns setbacks into open doors. I also wrestle with the abrupt ending of Acts and ask what it looks like to treat our own “stuck” moments as mission fields. • Acts as the story of Jesus working through obedient people • The question of what “the acts of” our lives would reveal • Proverbs 16:9 and the gap between our plans and God's steps • Acts 28 highlights: Malta's kindness, the viper bite, healings on the island • Paul's arrival in Rome and the courage that comes from other believers • Paul's message to Jewish leaders and the mixed response to Jesus • Why Acts ends where it does and what we can infer about Paul's death • “Caesar's household” and the gospel reaching unlikely places • Practical application: airports, hospitals, waiting rooms as opportunities to share hope  At outloudbible.com, you can find free resources to help you study the Bible. And while you're there, send us a message to say hi, or start a conversation about having us at your church or event. If Outloud Bible has been a valuable part of your understanding of the Bible, please consider supporting the ministry by visiting outloudbible.com.Support the showCheck out outloudbible.com for helpful study resources, and to discover how to bring the public reading of God's word to your church, conference, retreat, or other event.

When the two sides demand you pick one, Jesus refuses both and runs a different test on the coin in your hand, render Caesar the metal that bears his image and refuse him your neighbor, your enemy, and yourself, who bear God's.

Send us a message!Paul stands before Festus and Agrippa with no proven charges, then uses his defense to tell the truth about Jesus and the resurrection. We talk through Paul's appeal to Caesar, his Damascus road testimony, and why sharing the gospel can make you sound “insane” to people who don't want to hear it. • Festus taking over after Felix and inheriting Paul's case • The failed attempt to move Paul to Jerusalem and the threat of ambush • Paul's clear defense and his legal appeal to Caesar • Festus explaining the case to Agrippa and admitting the charges do not add up • Paul's testimony: Pharisee background, persecution, and the Damascus road encounter • Jesus' commission to open eyes and call people from darkness to light • The core message: repentance, forgiveness, and the resurrection promised in Scripture • Festus shouting “you've lost your mind” and Paul's calm reply • Agrippa's “are you persuading me” moment and Paul's wish for everyone to believe • Our takeaway: you cannot control perception, only faithfulness to speak  At outloudbible.com, you can find free resources to help you study the Bible. And while you're there, send us a message to say hi, or start a conversation about having us at your church or event. If Outloud Bible has been a valuable part of your understanding of the Bible, please consider supporting the ministry by visiting outloudbible.com.Support the showCheck out outloudbible.com for helpful study resources, and to discover how to bring the public reading of God's word to your church, conference, retreat, or other event.

More stories of Reb yehoshua Ben chanyana and the Caesar,the moon and it being made smaller,and hashem wanting tefila of tzadikim

  The Philippics, a Tragic Alliance, and a Heroic End. Guest Author: Josiah Osgood. In the chaotic aftermath of Caesar's death, Cicero delivered the Philippics to trash Mark Antony's reputation. In an attempt to destroy Antony, Cicero formed an alliance with Caesar's young heir, Octavian. He believed he could use the boy to further his own political goals, but this strategy backfired. Octavian eventually joined forces with Antony and Lepidus, and together they ordered Cicero's execution as an act of vengeance for Caesar. Legend says that Cicero faced his death heroically, extending his neck to the soldiers sent to kill him. This account was likely perpetuated by his loyal secretary, Tiro, who published Cicero's works after his death. Two thousand years later, Cicero's writings remain a staple for students of Latin and rhetoric. His speeches are still valued for their entertainment value and their insightful political put-downs. His life serves as a testament to the high stakes and theatrical nature of Roman political life, illustrating the end of a republic and the birth of an empire. 8SULLA

Civil War, the Ides of March, and the Spiritual Godfather. Guest Author: Josiah Osgood. Cicero eventually returned to Rome, but the republic was sliding toward civil war between Caesar and Pompey. Although Cicero tried to remain neutral, he eventually joined Pompey's side but was pardoned by Caesar after the latter's victory. Cicero was present in the Senate on the day Julius Caesar was assassinated. While he was not part of the conspiracy, he celebrated the act and was famously hailed by Brutus as a spiritual "godfather" of the plot. The aftermath was chaotic, as the assassins' hope for celebration was met with a swift popular reaction against them. This shift was largely due to Mark Antony, who gave a dramatic funeral eulogy and displayed Caesar's blood-spattered toga to the crowd. Cicero recognized that Antony's genius utilized the same rhetorical techniques he had mastered: demonstrating feelings rather than just talking about them. This moment locked Cicero into a final, deadly contest with Antony over the future of the republic. He began writing and delivering the Philippics, a series of speeches designed to destroy Antony's political standing. 71450 VIRGIL

It's Monday, June 29th, A.D. 2026. This is The Worldview in 5 Minutes heard on 140 radio stations and at www.TheWorldview.com.  I'm Adam McManus. (Adam@TheWorldview.com) By Adam McManus Hungarian homosexual pride march draws 100,000 On June 27th, at least 100,000 Hungarians gathered in 100-degree heat in Budapest to celebrate their 31st annual Homosexual Pride march, reports the Associated Press. It's the first such event since conservative Prime Minister Viktor Orbán was defeated in the April election. To his credit, Orban had prohibited the portrayal or "promotion" of homosexuality and gender transition to minors in schools and media aimed at children. Plus, the Hungarian Parliament amended the civil registry law so that official documents permanently record a person's "sex at birth" which ensures that citizens cannot legally pretend to be the opposite sex. And the Parliament limited adoption to married heterosexual couples. Hungary does not allow homosexual marriage. Sadly, under new leadership, all of that may change. Leviticus 18:22 says, “Do not have sexual relations with a man as one does with a woman; that is detestable.” Venezuelan death toll skyrocketed to 1,430 people Tragically, the death toll in those two major Venezuelan earthquakes last Wednesday has skyrocketed from 164 to 1,430 as of June 27th, reports NBC News. Plus, there are an astounding 51,000 people missing. According to the BBC, emergency teams are still searching for people trapped in buildings that collapsed in the earthquakes. Antoan Marín said, "Rescue workers are overwhelmed. They are pulling people out with their bare hands.” Over 2,000 rescue units from 21 international groups are on the ground in Venezuela or en route. Samaritan's Purse airlifted an Emergency Hospital to Venezuela On Saturday, the Samaritan's Purse cargo plane airlifted life-saving supplies, including an Emergency Field Hospital, to Venezuela. Hospitals in the hardest hit areas were already strained before the earthquakes. Now, many are damaged and overwhelmed with people in desperate need of care. The Samaritan's Purse Emergency Field Hospital is capable of treating more than 100 people each day. It will be equipped with multiple operating rooms, a critical care unit, pharmacy, and laboratory. The ministry has also airlifted emergency shelter material, solar lights, and blankets to provide relief to families who are suffering. Franklin Graham, the president of Samaritan's Purse, said, “Roads have been split wide open and hundreds of buildings have collapsed. People are living on the streets—terrified of aftershocks. It's heartbreaking to see the suffering and loss. We love the people of this country, and we want to do all that we can to help in Jesus' Name.” Send a much-needed gift to help equip Samaritan's Purse in their rescue efforts in Venezuela through a special link in our transcript today at www.TheWorldview.com. 1 John 3:17 says, “If anyone has material possessions and sees a brother or sister in need but has no pity on them, how can the love of God be in that person?” Three Democratic Socialists win in New York Three Democratic Socialists of America candidates beat establishment Democrats in New York City's June 23rd primary, winning with the backing from the city's democratic socialist mayor, Zohran Mamdani, reports USA Today. Claire Valdez and Darializa Avila Chevalier won in the 7th and 13th Congressional Districts for the U.S. House. Aber Kawas won in New York State Senate District 12. Chevalier and Valdez vowed to abolish Immigration and Customs Enforcement. And Chevalier once said, “I forgot to get napkins so I just wiped my hand on the American flag behind me." Plus, she wants to close down prisons and abolish the police. In 2017, Kawas, a Muslim woman, told a panel that the 9/11 attacks were America's fault, the result of "capitalism and racism and White supremacy ... and Islamophobia." Democrat Senator John Fetterman of Pennsylvania, said this on social media: "Anti-Israel. Anti-America. Anti-Western Civilization. Why am I the only Democrat in the U.S. Senate that refuses to excuse this or defend any of those self-identified communists?" And Republican Congressman Randy Fine of Florida sounded off as well. FINE: “It's a sad day for America. I mean, these people are bad people. We've got to be worried about the future of the country. “The Democrats are no longer the loyal opposition. In many cases, they are the enemy of the country. And I don't think it's hyperbole to say that. These are people who hate America and who seek its destruction.” Texas considers removing American Revolution from mandated history lessons The Texas State Board of Education is proposing changes to mandated school curriculum for the 5.5 million Texas students that would remove lessons about the American Revolution and would marginalize our Founding Fathers, reports Christian talk show host Todd Starnes. Conservatives are alleging that three Republicans joined Democrats to push through radical changes recommended by the Council on American Islamic Relations. Julie Pickren, a conservative Republican on the Texas Board of Education, exposed the group behind these radical changes. PICKREN: “About nine months ago, a foreign terrorist organization called the Council on American-Islamic Relations, which the FBI says is the face of the Muslim Brotherhood in America, they got involved in this process. And they got involved pretty heavily. They started showing up at all of our meetings and testifying, sending a lot of emails, making a lot of phone calls and text messages.” The Texas School Board specifically objected to the stories of Valley Forge as well as the battles of Lexington and Bunker Hill. Instead, the board wanted to provide lessons on modern-day Americans like Oprah Winfrey rather than our first president George Washington. References to the Black Robed Regiment were also removed. That regiment was comprised of a group of Protestant pastors who supported and fought for the American Revolution. Julie Pikren revealed that the three liberal Republicans who sided with the radical Muslim re-write of American history were Pam Little, Will Hickman, and Keven Ellis.  Together with the five Democrats, they formed an 8-person majority voting bloc. Mrs. Pikren explained the motivation of the Muslim lobbyist group. PIKREN: “The terrorists, they don't want U.S. history taught. They don't want founding documents taught. They don't want presidents and founding fathers taught. And it's very sad that these Republicans are aligning with the mandate from a terrorist organization and joining the Democrats in passing this.” Send a polite, but firm short email to these three liberal Republicans on the Texas Board of Education to let them know your objections.  pam.little@sboe.texas.gov,  will.hickman@tea.texas.gov, ellisSBOE@gmail.com   You can find their email addresses in our transcript today at www.TheWorldview.com. Julian the Apostate acknowledged Christ's victory over paganism And finally, 1,663 years ago, on June 26th A.D. 363, Roman Emperor Julian the Apostate died on the battlefield in modern-day Iraq. As his name suggests, he spent his life seeking to restore paganism in the Roman Empire and undo Christian reforms brought by Emperor Constantine the Great. However, in his dying words, Julian admitted, “Thou hast won, O Galilean,” referencing Jesus Christ. These words represented the victory of Christ over Caesar in the first 300 years of history since the Resurrection. Close And that's The Worldview on this Monday, June 29th, in the year of our Lord 2026. Subscribe for free by Spotify, Amazon Music, or by iTunes or email to our unique Christian newscast at www.TheWorldview.com.  Plus, you can get the Generations app through Google Play or The App Store. I'm Adam McManus (Adam@TheWorldview.com). Seize the day for Jesus Christ.

A series of stories about Rabbi Yehoshua ben Haninah interacting with Roman officers, conversing with the Caesar, etc. Some of these stories need unpacking and investigation: including God as described as a lion (Amos). Plus, the lion whose roar pulled down the walls of Rome (and caused its women to miscarry). All of which points to the power residing with God, and not the Caesar. Also, how God controls the events of the world via nature -- another question by the Caesar, and Rabbi Yehoshua has a demonstration for him. Fundamentally, the series of stories provide some measure of comfort for a Jewish audience. Also, an investigation into the verses that describe the creation of the world in Genesis -- specifically, the story of the moon as a diminished light in comparison to the sun, and God's ostensible regret in how He handled the moon. Plus, the production of the world's vegetation in creation.

On the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, it's worth asking: What was the American Revolution actually about? We all remember the broad strokes we learned in school: Independence from the British crown. Taxes on tea. Life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. But on a deeper level, the American Revolution was—and is—a revolution in political theory, reimagining what a legitimate government is and what its relationship to its citizens should be. Washington's troops won the ground war 245 years ago at Yorktown, but the ideological battle continues against forces on both the left and the right who are pursuing a ruthless assault on America's core values. The American Revolution isn't over. Inscribed inside the dome of the Jefferson Memorial are the words: "I have sworn upon the altar of God eternal hostility against every form of tyranny over the mind of man." Thomas Jefferson wrote that in an 1800 letter, but that feeling of hostility toward the tyranny of a distant monarch is what drove him and his fellow revolutionaries in 1776. Supreme Court Justice Neil Gorsuch summarized the Declaration's core ideas in an interview with Reason: "The Declaration of Independence had three great ideas in it. That all of us are equal. That each of us has inalienable rights given to us by God, not government. And that we have the right to rule ourselves." That's why Jefferson declared that a legitimate government requires the "consent of the governed." Thomas Paine put it more scathingly in his 1776 pamphlet Common Sense, writing that "government by kings was first introduced into the world by the Heathens." Monarchy was the Devil's most effective and enduring form of "idolatry." We don't fret over tyrannical kings in today's America. Only ceremonial vestiges of hereditary monarchy remain in the modern world. The Revolution achieved a complete victory in that sense. Yet a counterrevolution is underway, one that views the American Revolution and the republic it birthed as a failed liberal regime that has outlived its usefulness. And these counterrevolutionaries sit remarkably close to the levers of power. Self-Rule Under Threat Three years before he became vice president, J.D. Vance told podcaster Jack Murphy that America had reached a point of no return. "We are in the late republican period," he said. "If we're going to push back against it we have to get pretty wild and pretty far out there and go in directions that a lot of conservatives right now are uncomfortable with. Indeed, among some of my circle the phrase 'extra-constitutional' has come up quite a bit." Vance regularly cites and associates with a group of so-called "postliberals." He appeared on a panel with one of this movement's leading intellectuals, Patrick Deneen, a Notre Dame political science professor and the author of Regime Change: Toward a Postliberal Future, in 2023. Deneen believes there is an unbridgeable divide between the "elite" and "ordinary" people. "What is needed," he writes in the book, "in short, is regime change—the peaceful but vigorous overthrow of a corrupt and corrupting liberal ruling class," which will be replaced by a more virtuous one. He envisions the kind of aristocratic government favored by the ancients like Plato and Aristotle, endorsing "aristopopulism," where an elite class works to further the interests of the masses. "The replacement of the current elites in our society ought to be more closely aligned to the interests of ordinary people," Deneen said at the panel. He invokes a "premodern conception of liberty—expressed in the pages of Plato, Aristotle, the Bible," where institutions like the family, the church, and the state worked together to impose "guardrails" protecting individuals from becoming "slaves" to their own desires. My colleague Stephanie Slade writes about the postliberal right for Reason magazine. "He says people like [himself] should just be in charge of our government. That's what he means by regime change," Slade says. "[That] we should replace the current elites." She notes that postliberals are willing to frame the entire American Founding as a mistake: "They might say, yeah, America did have a liberal founding and that's why it was a mistake. Actually, this whole experiment was a mistake, and it maybe took a couple hundred years for that mistake to play out….We now can see that it doesn't lead to good conservative outcomes." In his book Common Good Constitutionalism, Adrian Vermeule, a postliberal Harvard Law professor and appointee to President Donald Trump's Council of the Administrative Conference of the United States, wrote that "the central aim of the constitutional order is to promote good rule, not to 'protect liberty' as an end in itself." That's a rejection of the spirit of 1776. Paine saw the existence of government as a necessary evil because of "the inability of moral virtue to govern the world." A minimal state, in his view, should be restricted to supplying "freedom and security." As Gorsuch put it in the same Reason interview: "If you think of the Declaration as kind of our mission statement, our ideals, and the Constitution is the how-to manual—well, the Constitution is all about dividing power. Madison realized men are not angels and that their aspirations for power need to be checked and checked and checked again." The "regime change" Deneen and Vermeule call for isn't explicitly violent. Deneen describes "Machiavellian means to achieve Aristotelian ends." The strategy manifests as a steady expansion of presidential authority, as we've seen under Donald Trump's second term: the 143 executive orders he signed in just his first 100 days, more than any other president in history; his decision to send troops to American cities without permission from local authorities; his declaring of 21 national emergencies while in office; and his decision to send illegal immigrants to overseas prisons in defiance of the judicial branch. Incidentally, one of the grievances listed in the Declaration of Independence was King George III's penchant for shipping the accused "beyond Seas to be tried for pretended offenses." Before he became vice president, Vance encouraged Trump to emulate Andrew Jackson and dare the Supreme Court to try enforcing its rulings against him. "If I was giving him one piece of advice," Vance said, "fire every single mid-level bureaucrat, every civil servant in the administrative state, replace them with our people, and when the courts—because you will get taken to court—and when the courts stop you, stand before the country like Andrew Jackson did and say, 'The chief justice has made his ruling, now let him enforce it.'" "That's a really dangerous idea to be even casually trotting out there, let alone for somebody who is now the sitting vice president to be on the record," Slade says. "He said it a number of years ago when he was just a candidate for office, but I've never seen anything from him since he's been in office that makes me think that he doesn't ultimately believe in that sort of approach to politics." Some postliberals call for measures far more dramatic than the steady erosion of constitutional restraints currently underway. Michael Anton, who worked in Trump's State Department over two terms, wrote in his book The Stakes about the prospect of a "Red Caesar"—a right-wing dictator who would rise from the ashes of the fallen republic. "Caesar's word replaces constitutionalism and even, in the final analysis, law," he wrote. In a podcast conversation with pro-monarchist blogger Curtis Yarvin, Anton discussed what that might look like. "Caesarism is a form of monarchy, but that follows a nonfunctioning republic, a republic that doesn't work anymore," Anton said. Yarvin proposed that the path to power would begin with declaring a state of emergency in an inaugural address, "taking direct control over all law enforcement authorities….Basically like Caesar, you're using all of the force available to you."  "There is just clearly much more of a sense that government power is meant to be used to advance our side in the face of our enemies," Slade says. "And the enemies are the left, the political left, and anyone on the right who isn't going to line up with [them]. [They believe] political power should be used to reward our friends and punish our enemies, and that to me is a clear violation of one of the core principles of rule of law, which is equal treatment for everyone under law." In the COVID era, President Joe Biden imposed national mandates by executive fiat, and his administration tried to suppress dissent by pressuring tech companies to censor critics. The Democratic Party has also flirted with the idea of packing the Supreme Court to get its way, which is not a new impulse for the party. When President Franklin Delano Roosevelt tried to pack the Court in 1937, it cost him the support of progressives who had previously backed the New Deal. FDR is revered by progressives and cited by Yarvin as a prototype for an American Caesar. "Was FDR a dictator? What does it mean to be a dictator? What does this pejorative word mean?" Yarvin asks. "A dictator is somebody who rules alone. And that, I think, is a beautiful thing." The Revolution was, first and foremost, about self-rule: We would no longer abide by a diktat from an overseas king. From the very beginning of the republic, power-seeking men have tried to undermine that vision. In its earliest days, there was a plot to install a Prussian prince as king of a new American monarchy. Jefferson accused John Adams and Alexander Hamilton of being monarchists, recounting in horror a dinner conversation in which Hamilton told him "the greatest man…that ever lived was Julius Caesar." But monarchy is seductive because strongmen promise order in chaotic times. In the wake of Shays' Rebellion, a post-Revolution farmer's uprising, Jefferson worried the Constitution's drafters were overreacting by creating a powerful presidency that would devolve into a monarchy. "What country can preserve its liberties if their rulers are not warned from time to time that their people preserve the spirit of resistance?" he wrote. And then, famously: "The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants. It is its natural manure." Hopefully, patriots won't be shedding blood anytime soon. But Jefferson's point stands: Preserving the promises of the Revolution will always be an ongoing battle. Self-rule was one of those promises. Another was self-ownership, which includes the right to do what you want with your own property. The Rise of 'Right-Wing Progressivism' The Declaration accused the king of "cutting off our Trade with all parts of the world." The American colonies experienced unprecedented economic growth, a topic of keen interest to the laissez faire economist Adam Smith, whose book The Wealth of Nations also turns 250 this year. Smith was fascinated by the American colonies, observing that their "progress has been more rapid than that of the English in North America. Plenty of good land, and liberty to manage their own affairs their own way, seem to be the two great causes of the prosperity." Other imperial powers, such as the Spanish and Portuguese, mandated that their colonists trade only through state-created monopolies. Smith pointed out that because American colonists could export lumber to the wider European market, they were incentivized to clear and improve land. Low taxes enabled them to reinvest their profits. Smith criticized England's Navigation Acts for prohibiting colonists from buying from other countries and for discouraging manufacturing to protect domestic competitors. Although England's "mercantile spirit" hampered the economy, Smith believed that in virtually every other respect the liberty of the English colonists "to manage their own affairs their own way is complete," concluding that both England and the colonies would be better off with an independent America that traded freely with England. Like the American revolutionaries, Smith described economic freedom as not just smart policy, but as a natural right. "To prohibit a great people…from making all that they can of every part of their own produce," he wrote, "is a manifest violation of the most sacred rights of mankind." That revolutionary understanding is still under attack today from both the left and the right. Socialists like Sen. Bernie Sanders (I–Vt.) and New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani talk about individual profits as if they are the property of the collective. And Trump has the same mercantilist instincts toward trade that Smith argued against 250 years ago. "I love tariffs. Most beautiful word," Trump said in September 2025. "I said my favorite word in the English dictionary is the word tariff."  The postliberal right argues that laissez faire economics has undermined the working class. "Conservatives have outsourced our economic and domestic policy thinking to libertarians," Vance said at a 2019 National Conservatism Conference. "Do we serve pure unfettered commercial freedom, do we serve commerce at the expense of the public good, or do we serve something higher? And are we willing to use political power to actually accomplish those things?" "It is really important to recognize that what the postliberal right is pushing in terms of economics is progressivism," Slade says. "It's not conservatism." Tucker Carlson made the point in 2019 when he praised Elizabeth Warren's "economic patriotism" platform, noting it "sounds like Donald Trump at his best." What the so-called "economic patriots" of the left and right are converging on is a rejection of the spirit of 1776 and an embrace of monarchy. In the 18th century, many colonists could trade only through state-licensed monopolies. Warren has proposed remarrying corporations and the state through "stakeholder capitalism," in which political appointees sit on corporate boards to steer them in the right direction. Trump took a major step toward the corporatist approach in 2025 when directing the federal government to take a 10 percent stake in Intel. Before him, President Barack Obama took stakes in GM and Chrysler as part of a bailout package. "I don't think it's really a sustainable political equilibrium to have two parties that are both economically leftist," Slade says. "The American people are not on board with that. That is the horseshoe in action. And it's part of why I think there is an opportunity for old-school Reagan-style free-market conservatism to make a comeback." The slow abandonment of the revolutionary ideas of self-rule and private property that American patriots fought for in the late 18th century is downstream of a third, fundamental aspect of the American Revolution that is also under attack: freedom of conscience. Remarrying Church and State The postliberal right wants to tear down the wall between church and state. "They want to integrate church and state instead of separating them," Slade says. In some cases, it's Catholic integralists like Harvard's Vermeule, who has described a strategy of turning the government Catholic by "strategically locat[ing]" integralists "within liberal institutions…to undo the liberalism of the state from within." Deneen has suggested passing "blue laws" that would ban pornography, online gambling, and operating businesses on Sundays. A Protestant variety of Christian nationalism is embodied by pastor Doug Wilson—a spiritual mentor to Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, who invited Wilson to lead a prayer at the Pentagon. In a recent interview, Wilson said the "governing authorities should recognize formally that Jesus rose from the dead" and that "the basis of law would have to be Christian, and I would want it to be Protestant." Most of the revolutionaries were Christian Protestants, but they insisted on separating church and state to avoid the horrific religious wars that had ravaged Europe. "Torrents of blood have been spilt in the old world" to end religious discord by establishing state churches, wrote James Madison in opposition to taxes that would have funded an official church of Virginia. An even deeper problem for these devout believers in divine providence was that marrying religion to the state removed the very freedom to choose faith that God desires. In his opposition to the Virginia law, Jefferson wrote that "Almighty God hath created the mind free" and that "all attempts" to force religious belief "are a departure from the plan of the holy author of our religion." Madison argued historically that Christianity reached its "greatest lustre" in the times before it incorporated with the state, and that religious laws would counterproductively discourage nonbelievers from entering a region he hoped would become a beacon of Christianity. "Religion then of every man must be left to the conviction and conscience of every man." Slade draws on her own Catholic faith in making the case. "I am a libertarian because I'm a Catholic, because I believe that every person was created in the image of God," she says. "I just think it's morally wrong from a Catholic or Christian perspective to try to use the coercive, violent power of the state to make people live a certain way. Even if the way that these guys would like to make people live—going to church on Sunday, praying, investing in your community and your family, self-sacrifice—all these good Christian values. They're good Christian values, but they can't be coerced or imposed from the top down. It's wrong and morally offensive from a Christian perspective." Slade says she understands the despair postliberals feel about the collapse of faith and virtue in contemporary America and that they have a point about the progressive capture of institutions. "What they're channeling is a really influential belief, which isn't totally wrong, that the left made a very concerted effort to make what is often referred to as a 'long march through the institutions' and to capture so many of our elite institutions—both at the governmental level but also at the cultural level: higher education, Hollywood, the mainstream media." Critics of the progressive agenda—or "wokeness"—often describe it as its own kind of religion. Linguist and social critic John McWhorter has argued that it has "slowly transmogrified into a kind of replacement for Protestant Christianity" among its adherents. Whether religious or not, progressives have imposed their social values on Americans through public school curricula, federal policy, and civil rights law. They have violated the freedom of conscience that Jefferson and Madison wrote about in a way very similar to how mandating religion would. Postliberalism is part of the political backlash. A poll conducted in early 2021 of people who voted for Trump in 2020 didn't find agreement on nationalist economic policies—tariffs, industrial policy, any of that—but found near-universal agreement on a sense of cultural siege. About 90 percent agreed with statements like "the mainstream media has become just an arm of the Democratic Party" or "Christianity is under attack today." "This sense that the culture has been captured by people who are hostile to people like me and who hate me and want to drive me out of the public square has created so much resentment and so much of a backlash that's driving this postliberal right-wing politics," Slade says. "I don't think it's possible to understand what's going on on the right without looking at what's been going on on the left, definitely ramping up during the period referred to as the great awakening." Slade's new book argues that the remedy to this postliberal moment is a rediscovery of "fusionism"—the reintegration of liberty and virtue. "A good society needs to be both free and virtuous. And the Founders certainly believed this," she says. John Adams wrote just 13 days before the signing of the Declaration that "the only foundation of a free Constitution is pure Virtue, and if this cannot be inspired into our People…they will not obtain a lasting Liberty." "What he's saying is, we can have a limited government in a free society, but if the people aren't naturally virtuous, if they don't trust each other, if they aren't good to each other—that [the Republic] is going to end up succumbing to tyranny and to a strongman government," Slade says. His fellow revolutionary and intellectual adversary Jefferson flipped the equation by writing that liberty "is the great parent…of virtue." Balancing liberty and virtue means reconstructing some of the civic "guardrails" that Deneen laments having lost in modernity—but not handing the power to regulate our conscience to the government. "What we're seeing a lot is people who are focused either on liberty but don't spend a lot of time thinking about how do we cultivate virtue, or who say, forget your liberty, we want virtue at the point of a gun," Slade says. "Government's job is to protect our basic rights and liberties. It should be prioritizing the protection of liberty." "That doesn't mean that virtue isn't important. In fact, it's the highest, most important thing in life—to pursue a virtuous life," Slade continues. "But it's not OK to expect government to do that for us. Government protects our freedom and we use that freedom to pursue virtue." The solution, Slade argues, has to be ground-up. She invokes Alexis de Tocqueville, who observed when he came to America in the 1830s that Americans excel at coming together and creating voluntary community solutions to social problems. "We should have some muscle memory here. We should be able to get back to that idea of thinking of ourselves as being on the front lines of solving problems, building new civil society institutions, nongovernmental institutions that can try to solve the problems we see in our society," Slade says. "Good policy can make this easier. And bad policy can crowd it out and make it a lot harder." The Declaration of Independence is 250 years old, but the Revolution it started is as vital as ever. During the final days of the Constitutional Convention, Benjamin Franklin was famously asked what kind of government they were in the process of designing. "A Republic," he said, "if you can keep it." Photo Credits: Horst Galuschka/dpa/picture-alliance/Newscom/ Dennis Flaherty / Jaynes Gallery / DanitaDelimont.com / Danita Delimont/ Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call/Newscom/ TIA DUFOUR/UPI/Newscom/Antonio Perez/TNS/Newscom/ Aaron Schwartz - Pool via CNP/picture alliance / Consolidated News Photos/Newscom/ Ron Adar / SOPA/ Images/Sipa USA/Newscom/ JT Vintage/ZUMAPRESS/Newscom/ AdMedia/SIPA/Newscom/ Hugh Rooney / Eye Ubiquitous/Newscom/ Bonnie Cash - Pool via CNP/CNP / Polaris/Newscom/AdMedia/Newscom/ Graeme Sloan/Sipa USA/Newscom/ Polaris/Newscom; Eric Lee - Pool via CNP/ZUMAPRESS/Newscom; Department of Defense The post The American Revolution Isn't Over appeared first on Reason.com.

The Secure MindPhilippians 4 Welcometo Pastor's Chat. Today we begin our study of the fourth and final chapter ofPaul's wonderful letter to the Philippians. As we begin this last chapter, I'dlike to remind you of the great theme that has run throughout this book.Philippians is often called "The Epistle of Joy." In these four shortchapters, Paul mentions joy or rejoicing at least sixteen times. What isamazing is that he wrote this letter while he was under house arrest in Rome,chained to a Roman soldier and awaiting trial before Caesar. Howcould Paul have such joy in the midst of such difficult circumstances? Theanswer is found in having the mind of Christ. In Philippians 2:5 Paul tells us,"Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus." Aswe have walked through this letter together, we have discovered that eachchapter reveals another aspect of the mind of Christ that produces a joyfulheart. Inchapter one, we learned about the single mind. Paul's heart and life werecentered on one great purpose—to know Christ and make Him known through theGospel. Whether in prison or free, whether living or dying, his passion neverchanged. That is why he could say, "For to me to live is Christ, and todie is gain." A joyful heart begins with a single mind that is fixedon Jesus Christ and His Gospel. Then,in chapter two, we learned about the submissive mind. Paul pointed us to thegreatest example of humility the world has ever seen—the Lord Jesus Christ, whohumbled Himself and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. ThenPaul gave us three living examples of that same servant spirit: himself,Timothy, and Epaphroditus. They each considered others before themselves andwillingly sacrificed for the sake of Christ. A joyful heart is found in humbleservice. Inchapter three, we discovered the spiritual mind. Paul reminded us to place noconfidence in the flesh—not in our achievements, our religion, or our ownrighteousness. Instead, we are to count all things but loss for the excellencyof the knowledge of Christ Jesus our Lord. Like Paul, we should have one greatdesire: "That I may know him." The spiritual mind is always growing,always pressing forward, and always pursuing a deeper relationship with JesusChrist. Nowwe come to chapter four, where we will discover the secure mind. This chapterteaches us how to stand fast in the Lord when life becomes difficult. Itteaches us to rejoice in the Lord always, to bring every care to God in prayer,and to experience "the peace of God, which passes allunderstanding." It teaches us to discipline our thoughts by thinkingon things that are true, honest, just, pure, lovely, and of good report. Itteaches us the secret of contentment in every circumstance. Andit brings us to two of the most beloved promises in all of Scripture. In verse13 Paul declares, "I can do all things through Christ which strengthensme." Then, in verse 19, he assures us, "But my God shallsupply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus." Whatwonderful promises! As we study this final chapter together, I pray that Godwill give each of us a secure mind—a mind that stands firm in Christ, rejoicesin every circumstance, prays about everything, thinks on the right things,rests in God's peace, and trusts completely in His unfailing provision. Myfriend, that kind of mind produces a joyful heart. Let'spray. Heavenly Father, thank You for the wonderful truths You have taught usthroughout the book of Philippians. As we begin this final chapter, help us todevelop a secure mind that is anchored in Christ. Teach us to rejoice always,to pray about everything, to think on those things that honor You, and to trustYou completely for every need. May we truly experience the peace and joy thatonly You can give. In Jesus' precious name we pray. Amen. Godbless and may you have a wonderful wonderful day!

In this week's episode, we offer 7 tips indie authors can use to help their audiobooks turn a profit on production costs. This coupon code will get you 25% off the ebooks in the Ghost Night series at my Payhip store: JUNENIGHT The coupon code is valid through July 13, 2026. So if you need a new ebook this summer, we've got you covered! TRANSCRIPT 00:00:00 Introduction and Writing Updates Hello, everyone. Welcome to Episode 309 of The Pulp Writer Show. My name is Jonathan Moeller. Today is June 26th, 2026 and today we are sharing seven tips for audiobook profitability for indie authors. Before we get to that, we will have Coupon of the Week and an update on my current writing, publishing, and audiobook projects. First up is Coupon of the Week and this week's coupon code will get you 25% off the ebooks in the Ghost Night series at my Payhip store. That code is JUNENIGHT. And as always, the coupon code and the links to my Payhip store will be available in the show notes for this episode. This coupon code will be valid through July the 13th, 2026. So if you need a new ebook series to read this summer, we have got you covered. Now let's have an update on my current writing, publishing, and audiobook projects. I am pleased to report I am on the second editing pass of Blade of Thieves. I am about 13% of the way through that. And so if all goes well, I think the book will be out after the 4th of July weekend/second week in July, if all goes well. I have a few real life things to do that might slow that down, but I am very, very keen to finally have this book out after the 4th of July weekend. After Blade of Thieves is published, my next project will be Cloak of Frost, the 15th book in the Cloak Mage series. I am 17,000 words into that and I am hoping that will be out in August, if all goes well. I have no audiobooks currently in production, but that will change next month because Brad Wills will be recording Blade of Thieves once it's done. Hollis McCarthy will be recording Cloak of Worlds and Leanne Woodward will be recording Dragon-Mage. So we'll go from having no audiobooks being worked on to a bunch being worked on all at once. Funny how things tend to bunch up like that. So that is where I'm at with my current writing and publishing and audiobook projects. 00:01:59 The Economics of Audiobook Production for Indie Authors [All money amounts mentioned are in USD.] Now today I want to talk about a very advanced level indie author topic, namely audiobook production and the economics of it. Recently there's been some controversy because ACX (which is Amazon's audiobook production platform) has been changing its royalty model and rolling out what they call synthetic voice, which is basically an AI generated voice. Some writers have been using it because it's a lot cheaper than a good human narrator, but the flip side is that not many people like listening to it and won't pay money for it. Admittedly, synthetic voice is not fundamentally a new technology. Text to speech has been around forever. Macs have had it since I believe 1984, back when 120 kilobytes of RAM was a lot. As a brief digression, I wish the term AI hadn't been bandied about so liberally. Before the public backlash began against generative AI and data centers, the term AI was trendy, so it got slapped on a lot of things that are actually wildly different than generative AI. I saw a post where someone was complaining about the locations in Starfield being AI generated, when in fact they're procedurally generated, which is something totally different. Anyway, synthetic voice is just a more advanced version of the text to speech technology that's been around since the early 1980s. The fear is that AI generated audiobooks will swamp the market and dominate most of ACX's payment model. Now, while that is a valid fear, I strongly suspect that it is not going to work out that way, given the hostility I have observed towards synthetic voices, especially in fiction. I think what'll happen is authors who use synthetic voice will save a lot of money by not paying a narrator, but then they won't actually make any money because no one will want to buy these machine voiced audiobooks. I have some basis for that because in the early 2020s, I experimented with making synthetic voice versions of my Silent Order science fiction series and putting them on YouTube. The overwhelming response was that people liked the story but hated the computer generated voice. It might be different for nonfiction. A romance novel with a synthetic voice would obviously be quite flat, but that wouldn't matter as much for a primer on tax law or agriculture or something similar. So there's a lot of uncertainty on whether or not audiobooks can still be profitable for indie authors. However, I suggest this is nothing new. Audiobooks have always been indie publishing on hard mode, partly because they're expensive to produce and partly because they're harder to sell than ebooks and sometimes even paperbacks. That said, I'm on my eighth year of self-publishing audiobooks and some of them have made back their production costs and turned a profit. So I thought it would share seven tips on how to have profitable self-published audiobooks. #1: Think long term. If you want your audiobooks to be profitable, you need to think in the long term. ACX has this program called Royalty Share where rather than pay a narrator, you and the narrator split the royalties on the audiobook for the next seven years and after those seven years are passed, you get all these subsequent royalties. I've never taken this option, but I cite it here because I think seven years is not an unreasonable amount of time for an audiobook to earn back its production cost. People always blanch a bit when I say that, but I've been doing self-published audiobooks for eight years now, so let's see how some of them have done. The Frostborn audiobooks, 100% of them have earned back their production cost. Of the 24 Ghosts books in audio, about the first 10 have earned back their production cost. For Cloak Mage, of the 12 Cloak Mage books currently in audio, about the first three and a half have earned back their production cost. For Dragonskull, of the nine Dragonskull books, the first three and a half have earned back their production cost. For Malison, of the four Malison books, they have 100% earned back their production cost. It helps that they're short. For The Shield War, of the six Shield War books, the first one has earned back its production costs, but I only started the series in 2023. The Linux Command Line Beginner's Guide (my one nonfiction book) has totally earned back its production cost. So I don't think seven years is an unreasonable length of time to earn back the production cost for an audiobook. That means you have to think long term, almost like a small business owner buying a new piece of equipment. Depending on the business, the owner might budget for the equipment making back what he paid for it in four or five years, or if he has to take out a loan to buy the equipment, he'll calculate how long it'll take to pay back that loan. Like for example, I just had to pay a lot of money to have these struts in my car fixed and I expect the garage owner carefully considered how much he would spend on his vehicle hoist since I believe a new vehicle hoist and installation typically costs between $7,000 and $12,000 and how long it would take him to make back that money. All successful small business owners have to think like this. Now this mindset is a bit tricky for indie authors because we often have a strong tendency to think in the short term, especially new indie authors who want their books to make a ton of money right now. But as I said above, audiobooks are self-publishing on hard mode, so you need to decide whether it is worth the investment and if you're comfortable waiting a few years to earn back the production cost over time. The reality is that if you are paying a professional narrator to create an audiobook, you're paying $200 per finished hour or above, which is a small business expense. So for that kind of money, you need to think about the audiobook like a small business owner. #2: Deductions First off, I am not a lawyer and this is not legal advice and I am not an accountant and this is not investment/financial advice. If you want financial/investment advice, you should talk to an accountant or financial planner properly certified with the tax laws of your state, province, and nation. If you want legal advice, you should talk to a lawyer licensed to practice in your jurisdiction. The way my writing business is set up, I can take the production cost of audiobooks as a deduction against my taxes. This initially was one of the reasons I got into self-published audiobooks in the first place way back in 2018. I realized that if I was going to have to pay the money in taxes anyway, I might as well spend some of it on audio production instead, since that way I'll at least get a revenue generating asset out of it. Other small businesses will sometimes do this when they approach the end of their fiscal year and realize they have more tax liability than expected, so it's probably time to invest in some new equipment or upgrades that they would need anyway. Like maybe the garage owner we mentioned earlier has a really good year so he decides it's a good time to spend that $12,000 on a new vehicle hoist so he doesn't have quite so high a tax bill at the end of the year. I once had someone tell me rather self-righteously that this was a tax dodge and therefore immoral, but that's ridiculous. [Transcriptionist's side note: I wish I had that person's level of unearned confidence. I'd use it for cliff diving or starting a library just for puppies and the weirdest, clumsiest orange cats. Literally anything else.] No less of an authority than Jesus Christ himself said that to render under Caesar what is Caesar. If Caesar says that audiobook book production is a deductible business expense, it is a deductible business expense. Business deductions are the government's way of saying, "spend this income on something that benefits the national economy or will take it as taxes." To a more immediate point, the IRS itself says you have the legal obligation to pay exactly the amount of taxes you owe, but there are also legal ways such as business deductions to reduce the amount of taxes you owe. Besides, no matter what you do, the government gets its cut anyway. At the end of the year, I have to file 1099s for the narrators because their payments are taxable income and every time one of the audiobooks sells, the government gets sales tax, the stores owe taxes on that income, and I owe taxes on the payment from the store. Uncle Sam has a lot of practice at getting his cut and he's very good at it. So depending on your business structure and the local tax laws where you live, audiobook production might be a deductible expense, which is very helpful on the financial side of it. #3: Promote the ebook. The easiest way I found to sell an audiobook is to have the audiobook of an ebook that sells well. Admittedly, this is a bit of a chicken and egg problem, isn't it? However, that can help you choose which titles to make into audiobooks. Like I mentioned above that Frostborn has paid back 100% of its production costs, and that's because it's my most popular series. It was easy for the audiobooks to sell well because the ebooks were selling well. By contrast, an ebook that sells more slowly will have a harder time selling audiobooks. One of the reasons I experimented with using synthetic voice on YouTube with the Silent Order series earlier in the 2020s was because I knew I would never make Silent Order into actual audiobooks because the series didn't sell well enough to merit it. So if you want your audiobook to sell, the easiest way to do it is to promote the ebook. If the ebook sells well enough, it will likely generate some audiobook sales as well. This can also help you determine whether or not you should even produce an audiobook of a particular ebook. If the ebook does not have strong sales, it is probably not a good idea to make an audiobook out of it. #4: Diversify We started out by talking about ACX, but ACX is not the only game in town. The other big audiobook distribution platform is INaudio, which is owned by Spotify. It was previously known as Findaway Voices, but then Spotify bought it and changed the name to INaudio. ACX will get your audiobook into Audible, Amazon, and Apple. INaudio will get your audiobook into every other platform: Google Play, Kobo, Storytel, Chirp, the library distributors, and a bunch of others. So if your audiobook is not exclusive to ACX, it's a good idea to use INaudio as well. That said, Google Play and Kobo now have direct upload for audiobooks and if your audiobook is not exclusive to ACX, it's a good idea to use the direct upload for Google Play and Kobo instead of relying on INaudio. There are a few significant advantages to this. First, you make a little bit more money since INaudio is not taking its distribution fee and the cumulative effect of that over time can be significant. Second, your audiobook will be eligible for Kobo Plus, which can generate extra revenue. I've had some of my best months on Kobo in 2026 thanks to Kobo Plus. Third and perhaps most importantly, you won't be completely dependent on INaudio because INaudio is frequently quite glitchy and in my frank and unbiased opinion, has gone downhill noticeably in quality since Spotify took over. Every single problem I've ever had with INaudio has come after Spotify bought Findaway and turned it into INaudio. I'm afraid that Spotify, like many other publicly traded corporations in the US, has the chronic problem of an upper management class who are buzzword prone MBA drones with an unhealthy enthusiasm for generative AI and indulging in self-destructive cost cutting and layoffs right before it's time to file quarterly reports. Very frequently, the QA process on INaudio will go berserk and declare that a book is AI generated and ineligible for distribution even when it's not. So direct upload to Google Play and Kobo avoids that problem. Because of these problems, another distributor called Author's Republic has been growing, but I haven't tried that out yet. Despite these problems, INaudio also gets you access to Chirp, which is our next bullet point. #5: Chirp Deals I said earlier that the best way to promote your audiobook is ebook promotion, but the one exception to that is Chirp. Chirp is run by BookBub, which is an email newsletter service that offers discounted ebooks to its subscribers. BookBub wanted to expand to audiobooks, but Audible very famously does not let indie authors control their prices and definitely doesn't let them do discounts. So to get around that slight problem, BookBub started its own audiobook store in the form of Chirp, which does let indie authors control their prices and therefore offer discounts. I've had some excellent results with Chirp deals over the years, usually with Child of the Ghost and Cloak of Dragons. In May, I had a Chirp deal with Dragonskull: Sword of the Squire, but since the dashboard on INaudio only updates every 30 days for Chirp, I'm not sure how it did yet. If you get a Chirp deal and you want to take a big swing with it, you can also set temporary discounts on the subsequent books in the series. For my earlier Chirp deals for Cloak of Dragons and Child of the Ghosts, the price for Cloak of Dragons was at $0.99 and I set the price of the subsequent two audiobooks at $2.99 each. I got good results from that and some of my best months on INaudio. For the recent Dragonskull deal, Sword of the Squire was at $0.99 and I temporarily set every other audiobook in the series at $2.99 on Chirp. It was the biggest swing I've taken with a Chip deal, so I'm curious to see how it plays out. #6: Direct sales It's a good idea to have a direct sales platform of some kind, whether it's Shopify or Payhip or Gumroad or a similar platform and offer direct sales of your audiobooks. There are numerous advantages to this. You can set your own price, which as we mentioned above, ACX does not let you do. You can very easily run sales and discounts. If you're a regular reader at the site, you know I do a different Coupon of the Week for my Payhip store every week and it's often for audiobooks. As I mentioned with the problems with INaudio, it provides a platform to get your audiobook to listeners even if the other stores are having technical problems. Sometimes ACX processing can take weeks and the site's past troubles sometimes stretched [it] into months. The difficulty is getting people to actually use the store. The term vendor lock-in means that the more a customer uses the platform, the less likely they are to switch. If someone has been building up their Kindle library or Audible library since 2009, they're unlikely to switch to a competitor. Most of my direct sales come from a combination of Coupon of the Week and new releases to people who don't like DRM. So having a direct sales platform is a long haul, but still worth doing. Besides, everything in audiobooks is a long haul. #7: Direct reader relationship via Patreon or a similar site. I've never done this myself so I don't have any specific tips, but I have seen some writers do it quite successfully. That said, you should only have a Patreon or a similar site if you're willing to put in the work. Readers are very unforgiving of a writer who does not live up to his or her Patreon obligations. However, if you include audiobooks as one of your patron tiers that can go a long way towards audiobook profitability. A regular Patreon type income can help fund regular audiobook production. Conclusion Audiobooks are indeed indie publishing on hard mode, but hopefully these tips will help increase the chances that your audiobooks will be profitable. Lastly, thanks to everyone who has listened to one of my audiobooks. So that's it for this week. Thanks for listening to The Pulp Writer Show. I hope you found the show useful. A reminder that you can listen to all the back episodes at https://thepulpwritershow.com, often with transcripts. If you enjoyed the podcast, please leave a review on your podcasting platform of choice. Stay safe and stay healthy and see you all next week.

King Charles has paid a £12.9 million tax bill, but is the royal tax system really fair? In this episode of Mark and Pete, we examine the King's personal tax payment, royal finances, the Duchy of Lancaster, the Sovereign Grant and the rather peculiar constitutional arrangement whereby the monarch pays tax voluntarily, rather than because HMRC has sent a brown envelope marked, in effect, “Your Majesty, kindly cough up.”King Charles reportedly paid £12.9 million in personal tax for 2024–25, up from £11.7 million the previous year, placing him among Britain's largest individual taxpayers. On the face of it, that is an enormous contribution. Most of us would consider it a fairly robust tax bill, possibly requiring a sit-down and a restorative biscuit. Yet the monarch is not legally required to pay income tax or capital gains tax. The payment is voluntary, following arrangements introduced by Queen Elizabeth II in 1993.So is this admirable royal transparency, or does it merely expose how unusual the monarchy's financial privileges remain?We look at the Duchy of Lancaster, the historic estate that provides the King with private income, and ask how royal earnings differ from the publicly funded Sovereign Grant. We also examine the cost of maintaining royal palaces, the refurbishment of Buckingham Palace, royal engagements, official duties and the argument that the monarchy provides Britain with tourism, diplomacy, continuity and national identity.But there are awkward questions. The published tax figure does not reveal King Charles's entire income, total wealth or effective tax rate. Nor does it show exactly what deductions were made for official expenditure. We know the size of the cheque, then, but not the whole calculation behind it. Transparency has opened the curtains, though perhaps not yet the windows.Should the King be taxed under exactly the same laws as every other citizen? Is voluntary taxation sufficient in a modern democracy? Does the monarchy cost Britain too much, or does it deliver value that cannot be measured simply in pounds and pence?Mark and Pete discuss King Charles's £12.9 million tax bill, royal wealth, constitutional privilege, public funding, fairness and whether the Crown has genuinely rendered unto Caesar, despite being Caesar's nearest surviving British relative.

Welcome to the Christmas series! Caesar's decree for a nationwide census couldn't come at a worse time for Mary and Joseph. But perhaps this journey to Bethlehem is exactly what God planned all along.  Sign up for special devotionals at StoriesoftheMessiah.com. As we dive deeply into iconic Bible heroes' enthralling narratives, we find more than just stories of faith and miracles. We discover a recurrent theme, a spiritual undertone that connects each tale to the grandeur of the Gospel. They're not just standalone legends; they're threads in a divine tapestry, weaving a story that foreshadows Jesus Christ, the ultimate hero, the promised Messiah who brings light to the darkest corners of history. For more Bible stories download the Pray.com app.  To learn more about Rabbi Schneider visit https://discoveringthejewishjesus.com/  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Finding enlightenment; Knowledge as a source?; Letting God into your heart and mind; DEI and meritocracy; Requiring ID?; The WORD of God - right reason; The WAY of Christ; Inspiration; Subjection to your choices; "No Kings"?; Networking; Christ's commands; "Corban"; Scillitan martyrs; Natural Law vs Civil Law; Waiting upon the Lord; Seeking the kingdom and righteousness of God; "Born again"; Tribalism; Personal comfort and self-righteousness; Meditation and prayer; Living in the way of Christ; Saturninus; Contracting with the United States; Intelligent design; Motherhood?; Patriarchy?; Who's your daddy?; Learning History; Gathering in Tens, Hundreds and Thousands; Repentance; Mental influences; Socialism - one purse; Becoming merchandise; North African Christians; Pure Religion; Lawmakers?; "We The People"?; Asking "AI"?; Saturninus trial of Christians; August Caesar - Commander-in-Chief; Julius Caesar story; Making war profitable; Nuances of History; Appetites for benefits degenerating the people; Caesar's other office = "Son of God"; Legal charity; Justin's apology explaining their religion; Deacons; Bishops; Modern "church" dependency on world government; Christian social welfare; Temples; Debasing currency; Public vs Private relation; Fornication and Adultery; "Gemini" AI - Rome vs early Church; Capitalism; Rome judging Christians as evil; Relying 100% on Pure Religion; Sitting in darkness; Getting back to the light; Trust in the Lord; Curae inonae; "gods"; Lacking morality; Biting our neighbors; Caring for parents; 10-family synagogues; Pax Romana; Genius; Walking in forgiveness; Rulers choosing for you; Returning every man to possessions and family; Allegiance; Salvation; James 1:27; AI defining Pure Religion; Coercion of the State; Collective darkness; Freewill offerings; Agape love/charity; Free bread and circuses; Emperor's right to behead the Christians?

Grab the King Closer Blueprint: My Step by Step Sales Process for closing over 2,000 deals (Only $27): https://www.titaniumu.com/blueprintWant to work directly with me to close more deals? Go Here: https://www.titaniumu.comWant the Closer's Formula sales process I've used to close 2,000+ deals (FREE) Go Here: https://www.kingclosersformula.com/closeIf you're new to my channel my name is RJ Bates III. Myself and my partner Cassi DeHaas are the founders of Titanium Investments.We are nationwide virtual wholesalers and on this channel we share EVERYTHING that we do inside our business. So if you're looking to close more deals - at higher assignments - anywhere in the country… You're in the right place.Who is Titanium Investments and What Have We Accomplished?Over 10 years in the real estate investing businessClosed deals in all 50 states​Owned rentals in 12 states​Flipped houses in 11 states​Closed on over 2,000 properties​125 contracts in 50 days (all live on YouTube)​Back to back Closers Olympics ChampionTrained thousands of wholesalers to close more deals_________________________________With over 4,000 Videos, this is the #1 channel on YouTube for all things Virtual Wholesaling. SUBSCRIBE NOW!    https://www.youtube.com/@RJBatesIII_________________________________RESOURCES FOR YOU:If you want my team and I to walk you through how to build or scale your virtual wholesaling business from A to Z, click here to learn more about Titanium University: https://www.titaniumu.com(FREE) If you want to learn how to close deals just like me, The King Closer, then download the free King Closer Formula PDF: https://www.kingclosersformula.com/closeGrab Titanium Profits: Our exact system we use to comp and underwrite deals in only 4 minutes. (Only $99) https://www.kingclosersformula.com/titaniumprofitsSupport the show

Today on Uncommon Sense, we're taking a deeper look at the Israel-Iran conflict, the continuing questions surrounding the Epstein files, and the assassination of Charlie Kirk. We'll discuss why these stories continue to dominate public conversation, explore the political and geopolitical questions people are asking, and examine why these events should be viewed together rather than in isolation.--https://www.youversion.com/bible-app

We kick things off with Sir Spleenington, the distinguished British predecessor to Spencer's lovably grating alter ego "The Spleen", hiding from Flock cameras and ankle monitors while Spencer attempts to explain that this podcast is technically an American reboot of a British podcast. Kevin actually laughs audibly, which may be a first in recorded history. From there, we cover the very real and very poisonous warehouse fire burning in Boyle Heights, LA, where Spencer went out handing N95 masks to street vendors who promptly did not put them on. We also get into the World Cup bringing tourists to America who are discovering chips and salsa, bottomless refills, and tailgating for the first time, leading to what is probably an AI-generated viral tweet about a Japanese man being spiritually defeated by a basket of tortilla chips at a Mexican restaurant. Then things get truly personal. Spencer recounts a weekend of cascading indignities: a terrible fake-Caesar wrap from Doghaus, a multi-hour Chipotle customer service odyssey involving AI phone bots, a rude supervisor, a robot that hung up on him, and a very long drive to find no crispy chicken. A Magic: The Gathering card he wanted wasn't even in the deck it was supposed to be in. He survived all of this, and his emotional recovery time is getting shorter, which we declare as growth. We close out with Spencer pitching a structured belief system built around summoning a personal "familiar", essentially harnessing the placebo effect and humanity's religious tendencies into something useful and non-cult-shaped. Kevin says he'd join immediately. Spencer considers writing a self-help book. The Spleen is somewhere hiding from cameras. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today, we explore the life of Caesar Augustus—from his beginnings as Gaius Octavius to his transition to Caesar Augustus, his bitter rivalry with Cleopatra, and his legendary battles. Welcome to History Camp!

Polycarp lived at a time when the early church was facing pressure from Rome, false teaching from within, and the growing challenge of preserving the message handed down by the apostles. In this episode of Kitchen Table Theology, Pastor Jeff and Tiffany look at the life of Polycarp of Smyrna, one of the Apostolic Fathers and a direct link to the Apostle John. They discuss his role as bishop of Smyrna, his influence on Irenaeus, his defense of apostolic truth, and his faithful witness even unto death. Chapters:01:00 Who Was Polycarp of Smyrna?Polycarp was one of the Apostolic Fathers, a bishop in Smyrna, and a direct link between the apostles and the next generation of Christian leaders.03:00 Polycarp's Connection to the ApostlesPolycarp was a disciple of the Apostle John and was known by Irenaeus as someone instructed by the apostles and connected to those who had seen Christ.05:00 The Apostolic FathersThe Apostolic Fathers were early Christian leaders who lived just after the apostles and helped guide the church through its first generations.08:30 False Teaching in the Early ChurchThe early church faced pressure from Rome on the outside and false teaching from within, including movements like Gnosticism and Marcionism.10:00 What Was Marcionism?Marcion rejected parts of Scripture and taught a divided view of God, claiming the Old Testament God and the God revealed by Jesus were different.15:00 Polycarp and IrenaeusPolycarp mentored Irenaeus and modeled how to stand firmly for truth while showing grace in secondary disagreements.17:30 Polycarp's ArrestRoman authorities arrested Polycarp when he was 86 years old and pressured him to deny Christ by offering incense to Caesar.20:00 The Martyrdom of PolycarpPolycarp refused to deny Jesus, declaring that Christ had never done him wrong and that he “Nearly 2,000 years later, we sit here and we still remember Polycarp, not because he was powerful or wealthy or famous. We remember him because he was faithful.” - Pastor Jeff Cranston

On today’s episode, Matt Tamanini is in conversation with composer and performer Grace Yurchuk. For the past few years, Grace has been working on a musical version of the assassination of Julius Caesar and sharing the journey on social media. To date, that process has culminated in the release of read more

Join us for this episode of the Grammerica Outlaw Roundup, where we delve into a wide array of topics—from mysterious Bigfoot videos and UFO-like claims to discussions on global political dynamics, societal shifts, and cutting-edge technology. Whether you're interested in conspiracy theories, current events, or future predictions, this episode offers a provocative look at the world around us.   Key Topics Covered: Discussions on recent Bigfoot and Sasquatch videos and the authenticity of supernatural claims Analysis of corporate and political figures, including the implications of nepotism and influence peddling Examination of global migration laws and EU policies on borders and deportation Exploration of DARPA's cutting-edge research in genetic technology and information transfer Commentary on societal manipulation, media influence, and the shifting Overton window Insights into recent political spectacles, including the White House fight and nationalistic movements Cultural commentary on feminism, societal debasement, and the influence of mainstream narratives   To gain access to the second half of show and our Plus feed for audio and podcast please clink the link http://www.grimericaoutlawed.ca/support.   For second half of video (when applicable and audio) go to our Substack and Subscribe. https://grimericaoutlawed.substack.com/ or to our Locals  https://grimericaoutlawed.locals.com/ or Patreon https://www.patreon.com/grimericaoutlawed   Support the show directly: https://open.spotify.com/show/2punSyd9Cw76ZtvHxMKenI?si=ImKxfMHgQZ-oshl499O4dQ&nd=1&dlsi=4c25fa9c78674de3 Watch or Listen on Spotify https://www.simulationmaps.com/#products Disaster Maps, Volcano Sim, Asteroid Sim, Shipwreck Map, UFO Map etc https://grimericacbd.com/ CBD / THC Tinctures and Gummies https://grimerica.ca/support-2/ Our Adultbrain Audiobook Podcast and Website: www.adultbrain.ca Check out our next trip/conference/meetup - Contact at the Cabin www.contactatthecabin.com Join the chat / hangout with a bunch of fellow Grimericans  Https://t.me.grimerica grimerica.ca/chats   Discord Chats Darren's books www.acanadianshame.ca Sign up for our newsletter http://www.grimerica.ca/news InstaGRAM https://www.instagram.com/the_grimerica_show_podcast/  Purchase swag, with partial proceeds donated to the show www.grimerica.ca/swag ART - Napolean Duheme's site http://www.lostbreadcomic.com/  MUSIC Tru Northperception, Felix's Site sirfelix.bandcamp.com    Timestamps to the stuff we chatted about: https://x.com/hustlebitch_/status/2065200349858656301?s=43%22%3Ehttps://x.com/hustlebitch_/status/2065200349858656301?s=43%3C/a https://x.com/daniell64334313/status/2065248221224419730?s=43%22%3Ehttps://x.com/daniell64334313/status/2065248221224419730?s=43%3C/a https://x.com/itsolelehmann/status/2065380889337696343?s=43%22%3Ehttps://x.com/itsolelehmann/status/2065380889337696343?s=43%3C/a https://x.com/maximumpain333/status/2067326411292266981?s=43%22%3Ehttps://x.com/maximumpain333/status/2067326411292266981?s=43%3C/a http://x.com/theshadowintelx/status/2066505612775538768?s=43%22%3Ehttps://x.com/theshadowintelx/status/2066505612775538768?s=43%3C/a https://x.com/samahoole/status/2065390399498150051?s=43%22%3Ehttps://x.com/samahoole/status/2065390399498150051?s=43%3C/a https://x.com/valerieanne1970/status/2066853299353969085?s=43%22%3Ehttps://x.com/valerieanne1970/status/2066853299353969085?s=43%3C/a https://x.com/bitcoin_teddy/status/2067007812396343584?s=43%22%3Ehttps://x.com/bitcoin_teddy/status/2067007812396343584?s=43%3C/a https://x.com/forbiddenmerch/status/2067084560463024215?s=43%22%3Ehttps://x.com/forbiddenmerch/status/2067084560463024215?s=43%3C/a https://x.com/deluxe_pepe/status/2067304131652444439?s=20 https://x.com/JasonJournoDC/status/2067314589784527351?s=20 https://x.com/RepLuna/status/2065456539268211065?s=20 https://x.com/DataRepublican/status/2063482589739139124?s=20 https://x.com/DrBitcoinMD/status/2067239149229199815?s=20 https://x.com/MJTruthUltra/status/2065549526744653940?s=20 https://x.com/KanekoaTheGreat/status/2067357923471495403?s=20 https://x.com/Rothmus/status/2065617958752186675?s=20 https://x.com/MJTruthUltra/status/2066568871721701407?s=20 https://x.com/AccolonsMetal/status/2066297235982164425?s=20 https://x.com/irishpatriot91/status/2065499127920636327?s=20 https://x.com/WhiteHouse/status/2066318476403241334?s=20 https://x.com/RichUniverse_/status/2066705488826294667?s=20           Timestamps: 00:00 - Intro and upcoming big event at Serpent Mount 02:00 - Traveling plans and airport customs insights 04:00 - Discussion on Bigfoot clips and potential fakery 05:30 - Examination of preserved Bigfoot body claims and interdimensional theories 07:00 - Analysis of Peter Kane Dog Training videos and their possible hidden meanings 09:00 - Connection between Bigfoot, animatronics, and possible fabricated entities 11:00 - Parody or genuine passion? Deciphering the authenticity of Bigfoot content 12:30 - Trump's "Caesar Maxing" celebrations and political symbolism 15:00 - The spectacle of gladiatorial equivalent events in modern politics 16:30 - Viral fight clips and underdog stories with political overtones 18:00 - Memes and cultural moments from recent events 20:00 - Climate of global migration laws and the EU's strictest policies 22:00 - Scottish World Cup fans and international reactions to celebration 25:00 - Potential for global political shifts with 2024 elections and strategic narratives 28:00 - The influence of deep state narratives around child trafficking and border issues 30:00 - Data centers, secret underground cities, and speculative architectures 33:00 - Skepticism towards corporate-behind-the-scenes projects and technological innovations 36:00 - The role of clones, identity manipulation, and possible AI impersonations in politics 40:00 - Deep dives into global financial conspiracies and wartime narratives 44:00 - Historical medical and societal manipulations over the decades 50:00 - Exposing nepotism, elite influence, and disinformation campaigns 55:00 - EU policies on migration, border enforcement, and sovereignty 60:00 - The history of medical practices gone awry and modern influence operations 65:00 - Pharmaceutical industry propaganda and public health misinformation 70:00 - Political commentary on Hunter Biden, nepotism, and elite corruption 75:00 - Early Joe Rogan interviews with Alex Jones and conspiracy insights 80:00 - The role of alternative medicine, biotech, and potential bioweapons 85:00 - DARPA's mysterious genetic research and implications for reality itself 88:00 - Closing thoughts: the importance of skepticism, awareness, and staying informed  

Some people just don't mind being a cheap date, and of all the names in Jonah Goldberg's little black book, Eli Lake is probably the easiest catch. Nonetheless, listeners are in for a raucous good time, as Jonah and Eli jump straight in on their reevaluations of Iran, Donald Trump's desired deal, Trump's “own goals,” Eli's upcoming history deepdive, the Bush family's unfair legacy, elites, celebrity culture, envy, Michael Anton, immigration and culture, and whether we needed Trump in 2016.  Show Notes: —Eli's podcast, Breaking History —Ken Pollock Remnant —Hannah Arendt Remnant —Eli's interview with Michael Anton —Eli's podcast on America's 249th birthday —Calvin Coolidge's Address at the Celebration of the 150th Anniversary —Laura Field Remnant —The Coddling of the American Mind —‘The Flight 93 Election' —92NY Dispatch Event The Remnant is a production of ⁠The Dispatch⁠, a digital media company covering politics, policy, and culture from a nonpartisan perspective. To access all of The Dispatch's offerings—including the Saturday Ruminant, audio versions of all our articles and newsletters, and Jonah's twice-weekly G-File—⁠click here⁠. Instructions on how to set up your members-only feed can be found here, and if you'd like to remove all ads from your podcast experience, consider becoming a premium Dispatch member ⁠by clicking here⁠. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices