Podcasts about caesar augustus

Title: Politicians and A Provoactio Ad Caesarem Text: Acts 25:1-12 FCF: We often struggle trusting the Lord and remaining law-abiding citizens amid rampant corruption. Prop: Because God providentially accomplishes His purposes through human government, we must trust Him while using every legal means to pursue His known will. Scripture Intro: [Slide 1] Turn in your bible to Acts chapter 25. In a moment we'll begin reading in verse 1 from the legacy standard bible. You can follow along in the pew bible or in whatever version you prefer. Last week was the conclusion of the episode of Paul's trial before Felix. And although we observed that Felix didn't have any reason to prevent Paul from being released, for selfish reasons he kept him in prison for two years. But in this particular case, the injustice of men was still used to serve the providential plan of God. Paul will arrive in Rome to preach the gospel at exactly the time that God desires Him to do so. Not a moment sooner or later than that. Today a new episode begins. This episode consists of several scenes spanning all of chapter 25 and 26 in the book of Acts. In the first scene we fast forward in time two years and a new governor takes the judgment seat. Will Festus be more reasonable and less selfish of a politician? Will Paul get justice? Please stand with me to give honor to and focus on the reading of the Word of God. Invocation: Sovereign Lord, you are master of all that is. Even the hearts of all the Kings of the earth are in your hands. You direct them like a stream to go which way you desire. All things come together by Your infinite and Sovereign will and nothing is left to chance or human discretion. In this we find great comfort and relief in spite of Kings abusing their power and perverting justice. May we see with eyes of faith that you are in control and let us use every legal means we have to pursue your will for us. Use your Spirit to guide us into truth today we pray in Jesus' name… Amen. Transition: [Slide 2] I don't know how much you pay attention to the news. My recommendation would be to do very little of it if you can help it. However, one recent piece of information that came to light was the release of video footage that supposedly proved that Jeffery Epstein's death was actually a suicide and not a murder. Of course, the video footage has been analyzed with video technology and it was proved to have been edited and saved multiple times. On top of this the conservative majority government just passed a massive bill adding several trillion dollars to our national debt. Many conservatives are fairly put off by both of these things since the current president ran on a campaign of eliminating government waste, balancing the budget, and uncovering and exposing government lies. Some have even said, different party… same old games. I say all this, not to make a political statement one way or another – but merely to prove to you that human government has always been this way. Last week we saw Felix's injustice, and this week we'll see political intrigue too. But the question we really need to ask is… Does God use human government to accomplish His purposes? If you've been with us for the last several messages in the book of Acts, I would hope that you could answer that question already. But let's dive into this text this morning to reaffirm the answer. I.) God providentially accomplishes His purposes through human government, so we must trust the Lord. (1-6) a. [Slide 3] 1 - Festus then, having arrived in the province, after three days went up to Jerusalem from Caesarea. i. Porcius Festus, has just become the governor of Judea, Samaria, and Syria. ii. He has replaced Antonius Felix, the savage, brutal, greedy, lustful governor who has since been shipped back to Rome to face trial for his poor governance of the province. iii. Only three days after moving in Festus goes up to Jerusalem. iv. Although Caesarea is the capital of the Roman province, the primary city in the region was, without an equal, Jerusalem. v. So much so, that only 3 days after beginning his new role, Festus is already going 60 miles south to Jerusalem to spend time with prominent Jewish figures who possess a great deal of influence and power in the region, whether they are appointed leaders or not. vi. In this way Festus attempts to network with those who have power and influence. vii. The ruling aristocracy of Jerusalem were not that opposed to Felix's governorship. It was the greater majority of the Jews who suffered under his oppression. viii. But now we find that this Jewish aristocracy, led by the new High Priest, Ishmael Ben Phiabi, who was appointed by Herod Agrippa the second in AD 59, desired greatly to use their power and influence to sway the new governor to deal with their festering problem… ix. A loose end that Felix did not adequately take care of. b. [Slide 4] 2 - And the chief priests and the leading men of the Jews brought charges against Paul, and they were pleading with him, 3 - requesting a favor against Paul, that he might have him brought to Jerusalem (while they set an ambush to kill him on the way). i. The Jews really waste no time seeking Festus to do what Felix would not. ii. They bring charges against Paul – Luke doesn't tell us if they are the same charges or different ones. iii. But they begin pleading with Festus to move Paul back to Jerusalem so that they could force him to stand trial for his crimes and ultimately so that Paul could be condemned to death. iv. They ask this as a special request, a favor to them. v. Something offered to help improve relationships between Rome and the Jews. Something offered to secure their loyal support in the coming years of his tenure as governor. vi. Luke also reveals to us that there was yet another secret plan to ambush Paul on the road from Caesarea to Rome. vii. So, will Festus fall for it? c. [Slide 5] 4 - Festus then answered that Paul was being kept in custody at Caesarea and that he himself was about to leave shortly. 5 – “Therefore,” he said, “let the influential men among you go down there with me, and if there is anything wrong about the man, let them accuse him.” i. Although he's new here, Festus is no push over. ii. He knows the proper procedure to deal with accused Roman citizens. iii. Paul is incarcerated in Caesarea. If they have charges against him, they should bring them to Festus' judgment seat. iv. He insists on the Roman way of doing a trail. Paul's accusers should come to him face to face to accuse him. v. So Festus is going to treat the Jews fairly, but not preferentially. vi. He informs the Jews that he himself will be going to Caesarea soon and he invites them to join him on the journey to bring a case against Paul. d. [Slide 6] 6 - And after he had spent not more than eight or ten days among them, he went down to Caesarea, and on the next day he took his seat on the judgment seat and ordered Paul to be brought. i. Luke is obviously uncertain about the exact timing of when Felix came back to Caesarea. ii. This pushes right up to our understanding of how the bible was inspired by God. iii. God breathed out His words through the personalities and memories of the human authors. iv. Here Luke is uncertain – perhaps his memory has failed him or perhaps his sources have two different dates. Or perhaps the uncertainty is based on when Festus left Jerusalem vs when he left the company of the Jewish Elite if they traveled with him. v. In any case, Luke's timetable is only significant in that it was not months and months later that this trial takes place. vi. Although Paul is a problem Festus inherited from his predecessor, he sits down in the judgment seat to deal with the issue immediately. vii. No doubt the list of cases that needed judgement had begun to stack up as the governorship was transferred to Festus. viii. In an ironic twist, the Jews lack of patience regarding Paul's verdict inadvertently leads to Festus taking the case immediately. Paul could have sat in the Praetorium for years waiting for his trial to recommence. ix. The Jew's bloodthirstiness and lack of contentment at Paul's incarceration actually moves the time table forward for Paul. e. [Slide 7] Summary of the Point: Throughout the course of this scene Luke will show us one primary aspect which God uses to providentially accomplish His purposes. God uses human government to orchestrate the counsel of His will. In this particular section we see that God is using political intrigue to move Paul out of Israel and off to Rome. The various behind the scenes favors and political moves position Paul at the head of the line as the first case Festus will try after becoming the procurator. Paul could have potentially rotted away in prison for many years if it were not for the political aspirations of the Jews and the pressure they desired to put on Festus their new governor. But what appears to be a curse is orchestrated by God for the good of Paul to move him closer to God's plan of having Paul preach the gospel in Rome. Once again, Paul is called upon to trust the Lord that His promises are true. He must be courageous and face the uncertainty that another trial will present – but know that God's will cannot be thwarted. We too must trust the Lord, even when human government seems to be making all the wrong decisions and corruption abounds… God has not lost control. For He even uses this to accomplish His will. Transition: [Slide 8 (blank)] This is one aspect of human government that God uses to accomplish His will, but there is another less seedy and underhanded aspect of human government that God uses too. And what is great about this one – is that we can and should use it to pursue God's will. II.) God providentially accomplishes His purposes through human government, so we use every legal means to pursue God's known will. (7-12) a. [Slide 9] 7 - And after Paul arrived, the Jews who had come down from Jerusalem stood around him, bringing many and serious charges against him which they could not prove, i. This time, the Jews did not hire a professional non-Jewish attorney. ii. Instead, they bring prominent Jewish men to lay out their case against Paul. iii. Luke's portrayal of this event is quite aggressive. They all stand around him like wolves circling their prey. iv. They bring many serious charges against Paul. v. Luke again does not record what they are. vi. More than likely, they are similar to the charges brought two years before. vii. Luke chooses to summarize this second trail before Festus. viii. We know that there was probably a good deal more said, especially when Luke records Festus' understanding of the case in his explains it to Herod Agrippa later in this chapter. ix. Luke continues to point out – these charges could not be substantiated by any evidence or proof. b. [Slide 10] 8 - while Paul said in his own defense, “I have committed no sin either against the Law of the Jews or against the temple or against Caesar.” i. Luke sums up Paul's defense here. ii. Again, Luke is probably not giving us an in depth record of this trail, more than likely because it has already been recorded to a certain degree in the previous trials before Felix and the Sanhedrin. iii. In Luke's record here, Paul simply denies sinning against any Jewish law, against the temple or against Caesar. iv. In this we hear the previous accusations from two years before come back again. v. The law and the temple might easily fit into the claim that Paul led a heretical movement and that he attempted to defile the temple. vi. The defense about not sinning against Caesar may be the charge that he caused riots throughout the Roman Empire. This could be the portrayal of sedition – a crime against the orderly rule of the emperor. vii. Paul categorically denies all three. c. [Slide 11] 9 - But Festus, wishing to do the Jews a favor, answered Paul and said, “Are you willing to go up to Jerusalem and to be tried before me on these matters?” i. Festus is in a difficult position. ii. Once again, he has inherited this mess from his predecessor. iii. He really doesn't want the headache. iv. But he is going to have problems either way. v. On the one hand, it is obvious that Paul is innocent. The case against him is very weak. We know he thought this because of what is revealed later in this episode when he meets with Herod Agrippa. 1. Festus' impression is that nothing that Paul was accused of was worthy of death. 2. Furthermore, what the Jews accused him of amounted primarily to religious disputes and disputes over someone named Jesus who is dead but Paul claims to be alive. 3. Festus very much sees Paul's case as the stronger one. vi. On the other hand, his predecessor was just brought back to Rome for constantly oppressing and abusing his power against the Jews. The last thing he wants to do in the third week of his job is to immediately enrage those same folks. 1. More than likely Festus does not understand the dynamics of Jewish life at this point. 2. He doesn't realize that most of the Jews are not represented by the aristocracy. 3. Opposing these men may not irritate the Jews as much as he might assume. 4. Still, not wise for him to cut so hard against the influential and powerful leaders of Jerusalem. vii. Festus is in quite a pickle but he thinks he has a solution. viii. He suggests to Paul a compromise. ix. The Jews want to try Paul's case in Jerusalem. Yet they have not adequately established his guilt according to any law. x. So, he wants to see if Paul would be willing to help him out. xi. Perhaps if Paul was tried in Jerusalem but under the judgment of Festus himself, this would both make him look good in front of the Jews but he might also have the ability to release Paul finding no fault with him. xii. And since the alleged crimes occurred in Jerusalem and they were primarily religious in nature, perhaps the Sanhedrin could be called upon to clarify a few things for Festus regarding these religious differences. xiii. But alarm bells sound in Paul's ears when he hears this. d. [Slide 12] 10 - But Paul said, “I am standing before Caesar's judgment seat, where I ought to be tried. I have done no wrong to the Jews, as you also very well know. 11 - If, then, I am a wrongdoer and have committed anything worthy of death, I do not refuse to die; but if none of those things is true of which these men accuse me, no one can hand me over to them. I appeal to Caesar.” i. Paul's argument is a symmetrical argument. ii. [Slide 13] What I mean by that is that he drives down and then back up. And it all has to do with who should be judging Paul. Who has jurisdiction in this case? iii. A - Right now he is in a Roman court. He sits before a Roman official. He is under Caesar's jurisdiction. He thinks this is the right place for him to be. Why? iv. B - Because he's done no wrong to the Jews. Festus knows this. Everyone knows this. They can't prove anything. Therefore, there is no reason for them to have any say in what happens here. v. C – But if he is guilty of something for which he should die, he isn't going to fight that. Again – that must be handed down from Rome and not from Jerusalem. vi. B – But if none of the things the Jews accuse him of is true – then he is in the right court. And no one can legally say that he must be handed over to their jurisdiction. vii. A – I appeal to Caesar. 1. Every Roman citizen had a right to appeal to the Emperor's judgment on matters when they felt that the lower courts dealt unjustly or they feared for their life because of those pressing charges. 2. In Paul's case, it seems like both are true. 3. I'm not personally convinced that Festus was attempting to hand over jurisdiction to the Jews. I think he was merely trying to find a compromise to legally deal with Paul without harming the relationship with the ruling class of Jews. 4. But it seems like Paul may have thought Festus' intentions were suspect. 5. And why shouldn't he? Festus has no record to look to. He hasn't proven himself to be reasonable or not. And going back to Jerusalem to the Sanhedrin, even if there was a new High Priest, seems more like a step back than forward. 6. An appeal to the Emperor works kind of like an appeal to the supreme court in the US. 7. Once the Emperor made a decision it was final and there were no more appeals. 8. And the process to get before the emperor was usually a long one. 9. Meaning that citizens would appeal to Caesar knowing that they would be in prison for a good deal of time before they saw the Emperor. 10. We know for Paul it took at least two years once he actually got to Rome to go before the Emperor for judgment. 11. So, it wasn't something a citizen would do lightly. 12. Paul feels cornered and uses the last legal trick he has up his sleeve. 13. Now, why didn't Paul use this with Felix over the two years he was in prison? We don't know. Perhaps Paul thought Felix might come to Christ? Perhaps Felix keeping him safe in Caesarea gave him hope at being released. 14. Certainly, entering Rome as a free man would be preferable to entering as an accused criminal. 15. But Festus suggesting moving the trial to Jerusalem almost guaranteed that Paul would be executed either by assassins or by legal verdict. 16. So, he makes his appeal to Caesar. e. [Slide 14] 12 - Then when Festus had conferred with his council, he answered, “You have appealed to Caesar, to Caesar you shall go.” i. No doubt part of Festus' discussion with his council was regarding the nature of the appeal. ii. It is irregular for someone to appeal to the Emperor before a verdict has been rendered. iii. Also, we see from the coming verses that Festus is quite perplexed about this whole case. iv. Festus knows that Paul has not been accused of anything worth killing him, yet the Jews insist not only that he has done something against Rome but that they should be the ones who try his case in Jerusalem. These are incompatible. If it is a crime against Rome worthy of death, then Rome should have jurisdiction. v. Adding to this confusion, Paul is claiming that this is a Jewish religious matter, but desires for his case to remain in the hands of the Romans. Which is also incompatible. If it is a Jewish religious dispute, it ought to be given back to the Jews. But again – the Jews want him dead. Which they aren't permitted to do without Rome's approval. vi. Festus confers with his council to try to understand what his options are. vii. The council probably informs him that once a citizen has appealed, regardless of what his decision would have been… they must be sent to Caesar. viii. This is no skin off Festus' nose. He must honor Paul's appeal and regardless of what is decided, he won't get blamed for it. It's a win-win for him. ix. So, Festus comes back with his statement. x. You want it? You got it. xi. Paul will go to Caesar. f. [Slide 15] Summary of the Point: The institution of this law to appeal to Caesar had existed since the beginning of the Empire. In fact, it actually predates the Empire and was originally an appeal to the people. So that the people would have the final say in a case. Caesar Augustus changed this law to go to the Emperor rather than the people, establishing the Emperor not only as the Executive branch of the law but the judicial one as well. In this we see that almost 90 years before Paul stands before Festus, his means of escaping to Rome had been secured. This law, written by pagan men hungry for power, had been orchestrated by God to accomplish this purpose for His servant Paul. And Paul uses that law, knowing that it is the Lord's will for Him to go to Rome. We too should use every legal means we have to accomplish the known will of God. Conclusion: So, CBC, what have we learned today that informs our belief and governs our practice? Basics of Faith and Practice: [Slide 16] We have been shown time and time again in this final Act of the narrative Luke records, that God is providentially, sovereignly governing and orchestrating all things to accomplish His purposes. If He has written the end from the beginning, we must recognize that all things that have been, were because God willed them to be. God even uses human government, at its best and at its worst to accomplish His holy purposes. In the life of Paul, we've seen a lot of political intrigue. It seems like everyone wants to use Paul as a pawn for their own political agendas. That doesn't happen today probably

Birth of a King G'day and welcome to Partake! We are now on day 11 of our series "Glimpses", looking at the story of the Bible in 30 days, from the time of creation through to the time of the fullness of redemption! We looked together at the Covenants in the Old Testament as a set of stairs from Creation through to what we call the New Covenant. Now, we have started looking at the documents which record the life of Jesus Christ, who as Christians, claim to fulfil those Covenants we talked about. His birth is the most celebrated around the world and He transcends cultures, peoples and languages. Jesus Christ is the most unique person in all of recorded history. He is also the most divisive person to be found at any time and anywhere. Almost everyone has an opinion about him, even if that opinion is based on ignorance, silence or misinformation. Climbing the staircase! Like climbing a staircase, step by step, we looked at together through the Covenants and we caught glimpses of God sending a saviour or messiah for the world. We discovered that God was planning the time when He would step into history as this saviour person, who we believe to be the man, Jesus Christ. We looked at the Covenants that God made with people, which all looked forward to this saviour, messiah and king. These covenants were to Adam, Noah, Abraham, Moses and David. This King was to be their hope - their saviour. Jesus' genealogy as recorded in the Gospels takes his physical line back to Abraham via David. Abraham as we saw was the father of Israel and David the King with a promise from God to have a king on the throne forever. Jesus grew into maturity as any young Jewish boy did. Life Events You can read about the events leading up to the birth of Jesus Christ in the following passages from the Bible: Matthew 1:1-17; Luke 1:26-38; Luke 2:1-18; John 1v1-18 Documented in history and affirmed by most secular and non-Christian sources. Here are the events surrounding the birth of Jesus Christ and his early childhood from the Gospel record: His Pre-existence - John 1:1-5 His Genealogy - Matthew 1:1-17, Luke 3:23-38 Angel Gabriel visits Mary - Luke 1:26-38 Angel appears to Joseph in a dream - Matthew 1:18-25 His Birth in Bethlehem - Matthew 1:25, Luke 2:1-7 Shepherds visit him at the manger - Luke 2:8-20 His circumcision and presentation in the Temple according to the Covenant Law of Moses - - Luke 2:21-38 Wise men present gifts in house - Matthew 2:1-12 Joseph's family including Jesus escape to Egypt with Jesus - Matthew 2:13-15 Herod's wrath on Bethlehem's children - Matthew 2:16-18 Herod dies in Spring of 4 BC - Matthew 2:19 Joseph's family including Jesus settles in Nazareth - Luke 2:39 Events in his childhood - Luke 2:40-52 Luke 2v1-7, 21-24. Please do make a note of the names of history recorded by Luke to date the birth of the man, Jesus: Now it happened in those days, that a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be enrolled. This was the first enrollment made when Quirinius was governor of Syria. All went to enroll themselves, everyone to his own city. Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and family of David; to enroll himself with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him as wife, being pregnant. It happened, while they were there, that the day had come that she should give birth. She brought forth her firstborn son, and she wrapped him in bands of cloth, and laid him in a feeding trough, because there was no room for them in the inn. When eight days were fulfilled for the circumcision of the child, his name was called Jesus, which was given by the angel before he was conceived in the womb. When the days of their purification according to the law of Moses were fulfilled, they brought him up to Jerusalem, to present him to the Lord (as it is written in the law of the Lord, "Every male who opens the womb shall be called holy to the Lord"), and to offer a sacrifice according to that which is said in the law of the Lord, "A pair of turtledoves, or two young pigeons." Birth of Jesus Christ That Jesus was a human male is not really disputed. However, the birth of Jesus Christ is extraordinary at every level. He was born of a woman, which in itself tells us that at least in a prenatal state, he was nurtured and formed as any other male baby was and is. On the physical level, Jesus was born as any person is, but as regards his conception, He was conceived like no other person - conceived by the Holy Spirit (Luke 1v35). This was so that Jesus would not be given the sinful nature past that all humans have. Jesus was fully human and fully divine. Other documents, outside of the Bible from that time period also attest to Jesus and his existence. What's in a name? When Jesus was born, his name imbued the very reason he was born. His conception and birth were extraordinary at every level. So important is our understanding of the birth of Jesus that no fewer than 4 angels come to give us a full picture of the event. Do you think that his parents, Joseph & Mary ever gazed upon him, and thought "How misnamed he is!" They did not, because they knew the very purpose for which he was born. Did Jesus ever think of how misnamed he was? Certainly not! His name means one who saves, or a rescuer. The entirety of his birth, life and death were centred on this very role. His role was to save all those who would follow Him. Further up the staircase! As we look through the remainder of this series we will discover together how and why He was born to be this messiah, saviour and king we caught glimpses of in the Old Testament. We will see that Jesus confirms God's promises, that he reveals God as a Father and that he gave us an example of how to live life to the full. We shall also see how his life was the catalyst for a religious revolution. He was not merely a man who received some special power. He was not some strange creation that was half man and half God, with his human nature somehow absorbed into the divine. He was, as we shall see in this series, much more than those ideas! In our next study we will look at Jesus' Mission and Identity. Thank you! Right mouse click or tap here here to download as a MP3 audio file

2 Corinthians 11:16-33 - Boasting as a Fool Please remain standing. Our sermon text this morning is 2 Corinthians 11:16-33. Please turn there. It is on page 1152. In this passage, the apostle Paul comes back to the theme of boasting. He introduced it in chapter 10. Remember, our boasting should be in the Lord and his work, not ourselves and our work. That was in contrast to the super apostles, who boasted in themselves. That is why, at the beginning of chapter 11, Paul had the most pointed critique of them yet. They taught a different Gospel and were actually messengers of Satan. That brings us to our text this morning. As you will hear, Paul hates their boasting. But to counter the super apostles, he first sarcastically boasts in his credentials and then surprisingly he boasts in something very different. Listen for those things as I read. Reading of 2 Corinthians 11:16-33 Prayer On the world stage, there is no shortage of bragging and arrogance. I'm talking mainly about world leaders. I think there's been an increase over the last couple of decades. We certainly saw it back in the late1990s with Hugo Chavez in Venezuela. Vladimir Putin in Russia has certainly displayed a confident arrogance in his 25 years of power. And no matter your political opinions, I think everyone here would agree: our current president is quite the self-promoter, and I'm being kind. Now, don't be distracted by that comment. Stay with me. Let me say that none of this is new. If we go back to the first century in the Roman Empire, boasting was at a similar high. In fact, I read in a commentary this week that Ceasar Augustus, one of the great Roman Emperors, raised the bar of self-promotion. Near the end of his life, Augustus wrote a short treatise about himself. Listen to the title - “The Deeds of the Divine Augustus.” It was released in the year of his death, AD 14. In it, Augustus highlighted all of his successes – his military accomplishments, his public works, his diplomacy, and his reforms in the empire. You can find it online. In it, you will read over and over. “I did this, I did that.” I triumphed over such and such nations. I built the senate house and the capital building. Four times, I helped the senatorial treasury with my own money. I restored peace to the sea from pirates. I gave shows of gladiators under my name. I extended the borders of the empire… etc. etc. This kind of self-absorbed boasting permeated the culture of the Roman Empire. And to give a little historical context, it was published about 60 years after Corinth was re-settled as a Roman city; 20 years before Jesus' crucifixion, and about 40 years before Paul wrote 2 Corinthians. So, it is no surprise that the false apostles in Corinth praised themselves. That is what you did if you were to be known and honored. We've seen it over and over, these “super apostles” did not live by the Spirit with a humble and contrite heart. No, rather they lived by the world's standards and beliefs and lifestyle. And part of that was to elevate themselves and their own self-defined credentials. As we just read, the apostle Paul hated it. In verses 16 to 21 he calls it all foolishness. In fact, look at verse 19. He writes to the church, “for you gladly bear with fools.” So, not only was their boasting foolish, but the false apostles themselves were fools. That word fool or foolish, if you remember from our Proverbs study, can be understood either as passively ignorant, you know, not really knowing any better… or being foolish can be understood in a more active way, someone being unwise with a senseless arrogance. That second understanding best fits the context. Paul even sarcastically calls the Corinthians “wise.” You see that in the second half of 19. “For you gladly bear with fools, being wise yourselves!” It wasn't wisdom at all, but rather foolishness. So, that was part of the problem in Corinth. The arrogant boasting of the culture had come to the church through the super-apostles. So, what does Paul do? Well, for a brief moment, he enters into their boasting. It is like he is saying, since you are foolishly boasting, let me show you what this foolish boasting is like. He doesn't want to toot his own horn, but he feels like he has to in order answer the super apostles. That why he says in verse 16, “…let no one think me foolish. But even if you do, accept me as a fool, so that I too may boast a little.” He goes on in 17, “What I am saying with this boastful confidence, I say not as the Lord would but as a fool. Since many boast according to the flesh, I too will boast.” Can you sense it? Paul can't stand boasting. Nonetheless, he is compelled to do it. The false apostles were enslaving the Corinthians with their lies and deceit. To use some of the other words in verse 20. They were “devouring” them and “taking advantage” of them. The false apostles had “air” of superiority. In all of it, they were in essence “striking [the church] in the face.” But really, they had nothing on Paul. Paul's fleshly credentials were greater than theirs. He says in verse 22, “Are they Hebrews? So am I. Are they Israelites? So am I. Are they offspring of Abraham? So am I.” He could have gone on with his worldly credentials. In other places in Scripture he mentions that he is from the tribe of Benjamin. He was among the few. Furthermore, he had been an esteemed Pharisee. But he says in his letter to the Philippians chapter 3 that he “counts it all loss for the sake of Christ.” There is something far greater, and that is his identity in Christ. “Corinthian church, you have bought into this ungodly boasting. It is all foolishness. And even if you go by the super apostles foolish criteria, they still do not measure up.” Any and all boasting in human strength and ability is self-centered and not Christ-centered. It is foolishness because (1) it does not recognize God and his Glory and his gifts, (2) it does not recognize our sin and our unworthiness apart from Christ, and (3) boasting in human strength does not acknowledge that all good gifts come from him alone. Now, we covered some of that a couple of weeks ago. But we learn something very interesting here in the middle of chapter 11. We learn, there is something that we can boast about in our lives. We can boast in our weakness. Jump down to verse 30. “If I must boast, I will boast of the things that show my weakness.” Verses 23 to really the middle of chapter 12 are specifically about that. Boasting in weakness. Now, boasting in our weakness does not mean glorifying failure or seeking pity. It is not drawing attention to ourselves as a victim. Nor is it seeking our identity in suffering. The apostle Paul is not doing any of that, here.   So then, what is boasting in weakness? It is giving glory to God who sustains us in our weakness. And it is recognizing that the Lord has gone before us in our suffering. Just as he endured the weakness of the flesh and affliction from the world, so too, in him, God will sustain and use us in our weakness. I just want to make that clear. As we look at this, there are two things that the apostle focuses on. First, here in chapter 11 he focuses on the affliction that he received as a result of his ministry. You know, all the things that he suffered as an apostle. Second, when we get to the beginning of chapter 12, he focuses on the weakness of the flesh. Paul will write about his thorn in the flesh. We'll get to that next week. But today, let's consider this unbelievable list of Paul's suffering and God's protection. Go back up to verse 23. Paul begins, “Are they servants of Christ? I am a better one” Now, put yourself in the shoes of the Corinthians. What do you think they expected Paul to say, next? Perhaps they expected him to give a Caesar Augustus type list: I, Paul, planted 13 churches; I saw the risen Lord, himself, on the road to Damascus; I raised Eutychus from the dead; I cast out demons in Jesus name; I healed the sick; I confounded the Greek philosophers in Athens. Etc. etc. But he doesn't do that. No, instead, he rattles off a most surprising list. All the things that he suffered (so far!) as an apostle. And it is overwhelming. God sustained him over and over and over to bring the Gospel all throughout the northern Mediterranean. Only a portion of this list is included in the book of Acts. Acts is the history of the early church. ·      Paul was imprisoned multiple times. In Phillipi, which we read about earlier, he was beaten and then imprisoned with his feet in stocks. ·      He mentions, here, multiple beating with rods. In Lystra he was stoned outside the city and left for dead. ·      The most severe thing on this list is the forty lashes minus 1. It was a Jewish punishment for breaking the law. The guilty party would be severely whipped. Each lash would score the skin of the recipient. It would create what was called a stripe. A bloodied line across the back that would eventually scar. 39 lashes was one short of 40. More than 40 would have broken the Jewish law, so 39 was just in case someone didn't miscount. Paul bore on his body the marks of his sacrifice for the Gospel. ·      He mentions being shipwrecked three times. However, the most famous shipwreck had not even happened yet. That one is recorded in Acts 27. That would be a couple of years later. ·      He furthermore endured multiple dangers. He endured danger from the elements… from cold and heat. Sometimes he went without food. But also, he experienced danger from others. Danger not just from the Jews, but also from the Gentiles and from robbers. Notice at the end of verse 26 he includes danger from false brothers. He uses the word “brothers” because there were men in the church who threatened him. They were wolves in sheep's clothing, just like the false apostles in Corinth. This kind of persecution happens all over the world today. We have so many freedoms in our country, that it's hard to imagine the suffering that our brothers and sister in Christ experience throughout the world. Some of you know or have met Pastor Zaki. He pastors the Orthodox Presbyterian Church over on Chamblee Tucker. It's just down the road from here. He is a dear brother and a friend. Zaki is from Eretria. He's been in the US for about 15 years. A couple of years ago, at a conference here in the area, he spoke about persecution. As part of that, Pastor Zaki shared a little about the persecution that he endured. In 2002, the government of Eritrea shut down many of the churches. Some believers were imprisoned, especially pastors, and the church had to go underground. Well, Zaki was arrested. He was not even allowed to tell his family, when it happened. He was brought to the prison. They put him in a metal shipping container. There was just one small vent in it so he could breathe. Literally, nothing else was in it. Zaki described how he, at first, struggled to rejoice. He remembered the words of Jesus, blessed are those who are persecuted for my name sake. And he remembered the words of the apostle Peter that we're to rejoice in suffering. He thought, “had I led my people astray telling them that they should rejoice even if they suffered persecution for their faith.” Those first few hours weighed heavily on him, and he prayed. Then it happened. The Holy Spirit opened his heart, and he began rejoicing in the Lord. Something even more amazing happened that first night. About midnight, he said, he began hearing other believers all throughout the prison singing. They were suffering, but they were rejoicing. And he joined in their joyful praise. Brother Zaki was release but arrested 4 more time over the next 9 years. As I understand it, he was beaten. At one point he almost died, but the Lord preserved him. In 2011, he was able to flee to the United States. He moved to Greenville to study. And then the Lord then brought him here to the Tucker area to pastor. The kind of suffering and affliction that Paul endured is experienced by many today who love and serve Christ. And I want you to notice, it's not just external suffering that Paul endured. Look at verse 28. “Apart from other things, there is the daily pressure on me of my anxiety for all the churches.” Paul loved the Corinthians. Really, he loved every single church that he participated in planting. He prayed for them. He communicated with them. He longed to see them be faithful and true. And it all weighed on his soul. And look what he says in verse 29. He asks, “who is weak, and I am not weak?” In other words, when someone in one of his churches suffered, Paul suffered alongside of them. His heart suffered. The next question in verse 29 is even stronger, “Who is made to fall, and I am not indignant?” In other words, when a fellow believer in Christ was led into sin by one of these false brothers, Paul was indignant. He had a righteous anger at these false apostles for all the ways in which the church was being led astray. That internal turmoil was part of the suffering that he endured. Ok, now, jump down to verses 32 and 33. Paul mentions one final experience. Many, many years earlier, when he was in Damascus, in order to escape persecution, he had to be lowered in a basket out of a window. By the way, if someone tried to lower me in a basket, I think it wold probably go very poorly. I wouldn't even fit in a basket. But Paul escaped. Now, when you hear this last trial, doesn't it feel like an addendum to his list? But let me ask, do you remember the significance of Damascus? Paul was on the road to Damascus when the Lord blinded him and called him to faith. Damascus was the very city that he first stayed in as a believer in Jesus. Do you see what Paul is saying? His suffering as an apostle began at the very beginning of his ministry. All the suffering that he has endured is not new. It goes back to the very beginning of labors for Christ. Despite what the false apostles were saying, his suffering did not disqualify him as an apostle. No, rather, it testified to his true apostleship. Do you see now why Paul could boast in this affliction and weakness? It showed and demonstrated that God had called him to suffer and God sustained him through it all. This was not the theology of the super apostles. Part of their false prosperity Gospel, which we've considered multiple times in weeks past, was to reject sickness and suffering as part of the Christian life. Like many counterfeit pastors today, they taught that suffering was not part of God's purpose and will for your life. They rejected Paul because he suffered. But God is saying through Paul that suffering is part and parcel of the Christian life. He's been saying that all throughout 2 Corinthians. Remember, in our affliction, we share in the affliction of Christ, so that we may share in his comfort. And also, these light momentary afflictions are preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison. And so, we can boast in our weakness. It's a humble boasting. Yes, that's a little paradoxical, but I think you know what I mean. It's a humble boasting that gives glory to God. Isn't that the upside-down world of the Gospel? Strength comes through weakness. Exaltation comes through humility. Life comes through death. Go back up to verse 23. We've already considered it. Paul asks, “Are they servants of Christ? I am a better one.” Did you notice that it is the only question where Paul raises the bar. He doesn't say, “so am I” like how he answers the other questions. Rather he says, “I am better.” Literally translated, it would say I am a degree beyond. His service to Christ is far better because of his suffering, not despite it. That question and Paul's answer prefaces the entire list of his suffering. To put it another way, Paul suffered in this life, we suffer in this life, just as our Savior suffered in this life. Jesus endured many trials in this life. False accusations; rejection from his people; temptations from Satan; Jesus disciples abandoned him at his hour of need; he was spit on and mocked and whipped…  not with regular whips, like 40 lashes minus one, but wips with metal or bone fragments in it, which tore into his skin. Isaiah wrote in his prophecy that our Savior was oppressed and afflicted, yet did not open his mouth. “he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed.” Other translations say, “with his stripes we are healed.” Paul boasted in his suffering because his Savior suffered and died for him. Jesus suffered and died so that in eternity his people would be freed from suffering and affliction. In other words, Jesus did not suffer and die so that we would not suffer in this life. No. Rather, Jesus suffered and died to forgive and redeem us, and in heaven we will be freed from our suffering forever. And that gives us great hope in our suffering in this life. And we can therefore boast in it. If we must, as Paul says. So, to recap – Paul's boasting in his earthly credentials, was simply to put the super apostles in their place. All boasting in human strength and wisdom is foolishness and it dishonors God. If we must boast about ourselves, we should boast in our weakness. For Paul, his suffering was a testimony of his true ministry as an apostle. And when we boast in our suffering we ought testify to Christ's suffering for our salvation. Truly, in all of history, there was only one man who could rightfully boast in his accomplishments. It was not Caesar Augustus. It was not any world leader today or in the past. No. The only one who could rightfully boast was and is our Lord. As God the son, Jesus is the king of kings; the agent through which God created the heavens and the earth; He is the very word of God; and redeemer of God's people. Yet, on earth, he boasted not of those things. Instead, he humbled himself. He did not respond when mocked, he suffered and died, but was raised. As we sang earlier, “I will not boast in anything; No gifts, no power, no wisdom; But I will boast in Jesus Christ; His death and resurrection” So, let us boast in him… and when we suffer, let us boast because we suffer in him. Amen

Confessing Your Faith in Jesus - Matt. 16:13-20“Worry is misuse of your imagination.” - Mark GregstonIn the next chapters we will see Jesus make a “bee-line” for the cross. But first He needs His disciples to understand 2 things – Who He is, and what He is going to do in this ‘first coming.'Christ enters Caesar's city, “the gates of Hell” - V. 13aThis city was built to honor Caesar Augustus, who had died in AD 14. There was a Temple there to worship him. They had coins with his face on them: Some said “Caesar is Lord,” others proclaimed him the Son of God.The crowds don't really understand who Jesus is - V. 13b-14The Son of God, the Creator of mankind had become a man, and He liked calling Himself the Son of Man. That He is referring to Himself is clear from verse 15 when He says, “But who do you say that I am?”Jesus wants to make sure His disciples do understand - V. 15-16You in verse 15 is in the plural. Jesus is addressing all twelve of the disciples before Him!In contrast to the dead and impotent gods and idols around them in Caesarea Philippi and the world, Peter declared that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the LIVING God!Unless you believe that I AM, you will die in your sins. - John 8:24If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. - Romans 10:9Three things that are true of all believers - V. 17-20True believers have been blessed by God - V. 17No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him. And I will raise him up at the last day. - John 6:44True believers are part of God's great church - V. 18Jesus was probably smiling as He made a play on words in verse 18. Peter is Petros, one small rock. Petra is a rock mass. Peter the rock would be part of a larger Petra rock, the foundation of which is Jesus Himself. True believers have authority to represent Christ - V. 19Verse 19 is in the singular, specifically referring to Peter as a key leader in the early church. But in Matthew 18 in the second reference to the church Jesus makes clear this kind of authority is for churches full of believers. Believers possess delegated authority to act as Christ would if He was physically here (Matt. 28:18-20). Rabbis used the terms binding and loosing to speak of what was permissible according to the law. Christians now have the authority to evaluate all things by the Word of God alone, not the words of popes or preachers who aren't speaking biblical truth.“It is the church on earth carrying out Heaven's decisions, not Heaven ratifying the church's decision.” - Albright and Mann

What really happened in Luke 2? Discover the powerful truth behind Jesus' birth and how God orchestrated every detail of the Savior's arrival. In this episode, we explore the fulfillment of prophecy, the humility of Christ, and the shepherds' role in spreading the gospel.Whether you're new to the faith or a seasoned believer, this message will deepen your understanding of God's divine plan. Tune in now!Sermon: The Birth of Christ and God's Sovereign PlanIntroductionOpening Scripture: Luke 2:1-20 – The birth of Jesus Christ.The world awaited a Savior, but He came in a way no one expected: not in a palace, but in a manger.Main Point: The humble beginnings of Christ reveal the nature of God's kingdom—where the lowly are exalted.I. The Sovereignty of God in Christ's BirthLuke 2:1-5 – Caesar Augustus issues a decree, but God is orchestrating everything.Prophecy Fulfilled: Micah 5:2 foretells the Messiah's birth in Bethlehem.The journey from Nazareth to Bethlehem was not by chance—it was divine fulfillment.Application: Even when life seems chaotic, God is always in control.II. The Humility of Christ's ArrivalLuke 2:6-7 – Jesus was born in a manger, showing that God's glory is revealed through humility.Philippians 2:6-8 – Christ emptied Himself, taking the form of a servant.The King of Kings was placed in a feeding trough—an image of humility and servanthood.Application: God values humility and seeks those who are willing to serve, not elevate themselves.III. The Message to the ShepherdsLuke 2:8-20 – The angels appear to lowly shepherds, not to kings or rulers.The good news of salvation was first announced to those society overlooked.“Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, goodwill toward men” (Luke 2:14).Application: The gospel is for everyone, regardless of status, wealth, or background.ConclusionThe birth of Christ was the beginning of the greatest story ever told—the redemption of mankind.Are we willing to humble ourselves and receive the King as the shepherds did?Final Call: Let us rejoice in the birth of Christ and share this good news with the world.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/christian-talk--5139976/support.

Welcome back! In today's episode, we explore how the early Christians in Thessalonica dared to proclaim a different kind of “good news”—one that directly challenged the power and propaganda of the Roman Empire. --The PursueGOD Truth podcast is the “easy button” for making disciples – whether you're looking for resources to lead a family devotional, a small group at church, or a one-on-one mentoring relationship. Join us for new episodes every Tuesday and Friday. Find resources to talk about these episodes at pursueGOD.org.Help others go "full circle" as a follower of Jesus through our 12-week Pursuit series.Click here to learn more about how to use these resources at home, with a small group, or in a one-on-one discipleship relationship.Got questions or want to leave a note? Email us at podcast@pursueGOD.org.Donate Now --The Gospel vs. The Empire: Why Jesus, Not Caesar, Is the Real Good NewsSetting the Stage: A Young Church in a Pagan CityThe Apostle Paul's letter to the Thessalonians is one of his earliest writings, addressed to a young and courageous church in the city of Thessalonica. Located in Macedonia, this city was a thriving cultural center in the Roman Empire. It was full of competing loyalties:Civic Assemblies that promoted public allegiance to Roman ruleJewish communities rooted in Old Testament traditionPagan mystery cults that worshiped local gods like Cabirus and DionysusImperial cults that demanded loyalty to Caesar, who was honored as “Lord” and “Savior”This cultural mixture made Thessalonica a spiritual and political battleground. It was in this context that Paul boldly preached a new message—one that didn't fit into any existing category.Caesar and the Counterfeit GospelTo understand the revolutionary nature of Paul's gospel, we need to grasp how the Roman Empire presented its rulers.Julius Caesar (100–44 BC) was a military genius and political reformer. After his assassination, the Roman Senate declared him divine—Divus Julius.His adopted son, Caesar Augustus, used that claim to establish himself as the “Son of God.” He was also called “Savior” and “Lord”, and he was praised for bringing peace to the empire—the Pax Romana.In 9 BC, an inscription from Priene declared Augustus's birthday “the beginning of the good news (euangelion)” for the world.This was the Roman Empire's version of the gospel: salvation through the emperor, peace through power, and a kingdom built by human might. It was political propaganda wrapped in divine language.Paul's Radical Message: The True GospelIn direct contrast, Paul brought a different kind of good news to Thessalonica.“For when we brought you the Good News, it was not only with words but also with power, for the Holy Spirit gave you full assurance that what we said was true…”— 1 Thessalonians 1:5 (NLT)This message centered on Jesus—not Caesar—as the true Son of God, the real Savior, and the eternal King. Paul wasn't just preaching theology; he was making a political and spiritual declaration. His message was:Not about the birth of Augustus, but the death and resurrection of Jesus (Acts...

There are some people who really like to travel. There are others who really like the idea of traveling, and my wife and I belong to that latter camp. Because though we're certainly interested in other areas of the world — curious about the geography, architecture, and culture of other cities — we're far less interested in paying the cost and taking the time to go to any of them. And so, what we do instead is watch online travel videos.As you could guess, online travel videos often only ever highlight the most beautiful and the most impressive parts of the cities that they feature. And this is not by accident. They are, after all, often sponsored by travel agencies who want to convince you, the viewer, that you really ought to go there. In a way, Psalm 87 is not unlike our modern travel videos. This psalm gives us a look into one specific city. It features some of the rare beauties of that city. And, its purpose is, without a doubt, to convince us that we really ought to go there.And what we're going to do this morning is move through Psalm 87, and do so with the help of three main concepts: City, Citizens, and Celebration. Let's pray, and ask the Lord for his help.Father, you are the maker of heaven and earth. And you are the maker of this great city that we are about to read about. Open our eyes to the wonders that are there. Awaken us to the surpassing splendor of the city called by your name. Call us toward it, and do so through your Spirit to the honor of your Son. Amen.So, once again, Psalm 87 is a psalm about a city. And we're looking at it along the lines: City, Citizens, and Celebration. We begin with the city.CityVerse 1,“On the holy mount stands the city he founded;”Notice how, when read slowly, the sentence seems to pull us upward phrase by phrase. First, we've got a mountain: “On the holy mount.” And, of course, a mountain, by its very nature, requires that we raise our eyes upward to acknowledge it. The path through the mountain is a climb. The entrance in, requires ascension. You must rise in order to reach it. Mountains are not hidden objects, let alone insignificant ones. Mountains epitomize the land in which they reside, and demand their recognition to the north, south, east, and the west of them. You can miss a body of water. You can be blind to a valley or lowland. It is hard to ignore a mountain. And, as we can see, the mountain in Psalm 87 is no ordinary mountain. It is holy.“On the holy mount.”Holy means set apart from what is sinful, unclean and common. Set apart so as to make it fit to be in the presence of God. Holy things are blessed things because they get to be near God.And so Psalm 87 is about a mountain upon which God can rightfully dwell! A mountain upon which God “places his feet,” so-to-speak. A mountain upon which God built a city.Still, verse one, “On the holy mount | stands the city | he founded;” Can you imagine? A city whose designer and builder is God. Follow me on this: The Planning Director for the City of Saint Paul is named Nicolle Newton. And the Planning Director for the City of Minneapolis is named Meg McMahan. The Planning Director for the city is named: I AM, Yahweh, “I am Who I am.” The God who places his footstool upon the earth and sets his throne in heaven. Wouldn't you want to live in the city made by the very one who: “Forgives all your iniquity, heals all your diseases, and redeems your life from the pit,” and “crowns you with steadfast love, and satisfies you with good, and works righteousness and justice for all who are oppressed. Who is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love.”If the God of the universe had a city, well then wouldn't you want to go there?And in verse two, we're told even more about this city. Namely that,“The LORD loves this city. The Lord loves the gates of Zion, more than all the dwelling places of Jacob.”Note that it's not saying, “God loves no other city but this one.” But it is saying that of all the places, and of all the cities God loves, there is none so loved by God as this one.And, we should ask, in the Bible, what does God typically do when he loves something? When he really loves something? Perhaps some of you might remember from Numbers and Aaron's blessing in Numbers 6:24-27. What does God typically do when he really loves something? He puts his name on it. God puts his name on what he most loves. Said another way, God puts his name where his heart is already.Hence, verse 3,“Glorious things of you are spoken, O city of God.”God loves this city. He, by putting his name upon it, has committed himself to its flourishing. The city that has God's name upon it is the city that should rest assured, “God is for us, therefore, what could be against us?” So, Psalm 87, is a psalm about a city. That's our first main concept — the city itself. Second, the citizens of the city. CitizensNow what actually sets us up for this next section is that little phrase we see there in verse three: “Glorious things of you are spoken.” It's clearly addressing the city, yes? “Glorious things of you are spoken, O city of God.” And, so, it begs the question: What are the glorious things being spoken of this city? And, honestly, this is where things get interesting. Remember back in our intro, we compared Psalm 87 to a modern travel video. We said, Psalm 87 is not unlike a travel video in the sense that it highlights the beauties of a city in order to convince people that they really ought to go to that city. Where Psalm 87 differs from a modern travel video however: The beauties it features are not towering buildings and impressive architecture. Not picturesque parkways and pleasant boardwalks. There's no mention of beaches, or blue skies, or even sunshine. Those are the beauties features in modern travel videos — the stuff. The featured beauties of the city in Psalm 87 are people — the city's citizens.Look with me at verse 4, as the psalmist himself takes a back seat, and God himself speaks. Verse 4: “Among those who know me” God is clarifying to whom he is about to speak. To those who know me. Which, in biblical language, means those who have a relationship with God. Those who love and are loved by me.It's to that group of people who know God that God now mentions, or proclaims:“Rahab and Babylon; behold, Philistia and Tyre, with Cush.”And you might think: “What about them? We've been talking about the city of God. The holy mountain. The city he made. The city he loves. Suddenly, God steps into view and says, “To my followers over here, let me tell you about Rahab and Babylon; Philistia, Tyre, and Cush.” What about them?I mean, if you have much familiarity with the Old Testament, then you likely don't need me to tell you that most of these nations were historical enemies to God's people. They had fought wars against God's people. They had lured God's people into idolatry, and many other forms of sin.I mean, you see Babylon in that list, right? Babylon was the nation that broke down the walls of God's city, Jerusalem. Babylon killed the Israelites king, the Israelites killed its high-priest, and exiled most of its people. Babylon even burned God's Holy Temple to the ground (2 kings 25).And Philistia. Philistia was constantly at war with God's people throughout the period of the judges and the kings. At one point, the Philistines even stole the Ark of the Covenant and set it up next to one of its false gods — as if to say that the God over Israel was on par with their god Dagon. And don't let that first one trip you up — you see Rahab? The Rahab here is not the Rahab who hid the Israelite slaves and defended God's people. That'd make for a positive character in this list. Instead, Rahab here actually refers to Egypt. And one way to know that is to simply turn over to Psalm 89, only two psalms after this one, where it says in verse 10: “You crushed Rahab like a carcass; You scattered Your enemies with Your mighty arm.” Rahab is an enemy. And Isaiah 30:7 makes it even clearer: “Egypt's help is futile and empty; therefore, I have called her Rahab Who Sits Still."And so, we've got Babylon (who destroyed God's Temple), Philistia (who stole God's Ark of the Covenant), and Egypt (who enslaved God's people and, plague after plague, resisted God's will to let his people go).So again, we ask, what about these nations? Why bring them up here in light of God's Holy Mountain and God's beloved city?Is it to clarify that these are the nations who are not welcome in God's city? That these are the peoples who dare not set foot upon God's mountain?Given the background, this is exactly what we'd expect God to say next. But he doesn't! He doesn't! In fact, as the ESV translates it, God doesn't even say anything at this point. Instead, it's the people, those who know him, who speak up. And here's what they say, verse 4,“This one was born there,” they say.”Born there. And again, more emphatically, verse 5,“And of Zion it shall be said, “This one and that one were born in her;”Babylon, born in the city of God. Philistia, born on God's holy mountain. Egypt, born within the gates of Zion. Do you see what its saying?These surrounding nations, most who've historically been enemies to God, and enemies to God's people, are not: Merely going to be visitors in God's city, though that alone would've been shocking enough. They're not going to be temporary residents of God's city. “Here's your pass, expires six months from now.” But they're going to be citizens. They're going to receive a declaration of citizenship so complete, so real, so permanent that it could rightly be said of them, “They were born in this city! Born within these walls.”There is no one — no human being, no political group — who could ever orchestrate such a grand transformation as this. But God could. And God does. Verse five, when read in full, says:“And of Zion it shall be said, ‘This one and that one were born in her;' for [or, because of the fact that] the Most High himself will establish her.”God's going to do it. He's going to make it happen. The God who founded this city is going to fill it with former enemies.And, in verse 6, we get to watch him do it. “The LORD records as he registers the peoples, ‘This one was born there.'” The language is that of a king taking a census. Much like what Caesar Augustus did in the gospels. He, too, declared a census — an official counting of the people. Which meant that all the people, Joseph and Mary included, had to go and be registered, each to his own town.Droves and droves of people flooded the major city-centers in that time. People lined the streets, filled the cities — it's no wonder Mary and Joseph could find no room in the inn. Well here in Psalm 87, God is taking his census. Which means his people are coming to his city, and in that long line of people, we find Babylonians, Philistines, Egyptians, and, I might add, Europeans, and North Americans, and people from every tribe, nation and tongue. They're standing in the line. They're heading toward the gates. And when they finally arrive at the entrance, God is there. Pen and paper in hand. Looks up at them, total foreigners, former enemies, and declares — Born here. Inscribes: Born in my city. It's an amazing story. And, if you are a Christian, it is your story. It is. If you are a lover of Jesus. A follower of Jesus, then God has written over your life — not enemy, not foreigner, not illegitimate, not insufficient, but born here.“Born here.”Hebrews 12:22-23 says, of Christians:“You have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to innumerable angels in festal gathering, and to the assembly of the firstborn who are enrolled [And where are they enrolled? Where's the true city?] in heaven.”“The assembly of the firstborn who are enrolled in heaven.”Do you see it? Psalm 87 foretells of the King of Heaven's great census, and, if you are a lover of Jesus, you're in it. And Ephesians 2 reasserts this marvelous reality:“At one time you were separated from Christ, alienated from the commonwealth of Israel, But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ… So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, (Eph. 2:12-13, 19).Do you see it? The story of Psalm 87 is your story. God has always had a city. You've not always been its citizen. But, now you are, thanks be to God — the one who fills his city with former enemies. And he calls that a good thing. Diverse peoples, varying cultural norms, a multiplicity of languages, wide-variety of skin tones and facial features. God loves it all. Do we?So, we've had City, and now Citizens. Last C – Celebration. CelebrationVerse 7,“Singers and dancers alike say, ‘All my springs are in you.'”What's the rightful response to God's great city? How should its newly welcomed citizens enter in? With Joy. With excitement. With leaping, dancing, music and song.These citizens of Psalm 87 are not walking into the city of God, and they're certainly not dragging their heels through its gates. And the reason they're not, is because they know the city's worth. They know they're bound for the city God loves! They think, “I'm a card-carrying citizen of God's holy mount.” And so, they're going to sing because of it. They're going to dance because of it. And they're not going to be the only ones. Everybody whose coming into this city is coming in with joy in their hearts and a song on their lips. Friends, if ever there was a thing worth celebrating, this is it.And now, hear the words that are echoing throughout the city: “All my springs are in you.”Springs. Think rivers. Fountains. Sources of clean, fresh, flowing water. In the Old Testament world, a spring meant life. You needed one to drink. To cook. To bathe. To farm. To keep your flocks and herds alive. No sinks in any of these houses. And so if you find a spring, man, you've found life. And the citizens of this city are saying, “Every spring of water. Every source of life, joy, and satisfaction. Every single one that has ever been found ultimately flows from here. Which means, what?You'd be a fool to search for springs elsewhere.Think about it friends. In Psalm 87, the peoples of Babylon, Philistia and so on — They're not saying “we found some springs back there, but there's ones here just a bit better. Just a bit more plentiful.” That's not what they are saying. And why? Because they had searched for water in Babylon. Had worked for water in Egypt. Had paid for it and dug for it in Philistia. Had even thought for a time that they'd found it. But it all proved empty.I mean, it's just simple logic: If they are saying, “All my springs are in you,” then how many other springs did they find outside God's city? Right? And so, given all that, how much sense does it make for a citizen of God's mountain to go trekking into Babylon in search of other springs? I mean, seriously, we've got to take people at their word when they say: “Look, I've been there, I've done the money thing, I've done the party thing, I've done the hook-up thing, I've done the self-worship and self-exaltation thing and, in the end, none of it made me to sing. None of it made me to dance. None of it made me to say, ‘life can be found here.'” I found no other springs, save the ones I found in God's holy city.”Brothers and sisters, aim all your life toward this city. You will find no other springs elsewhere. God owns all the springs.And so, Christian, what springs are you seeking to drink from, in this season, that do not ultimately find their source in God's city? What sources of joy and satisfaction are you seeking that do not ultimately flow from God's hand? The time has come to walk away from those things. The time has come to leave Babylon. Turn yourself, turn all that still remains to be turned. Turn it toward God's holy city, and sing, by faith: “All my springs are in you.”Lastly, non-Christian: the gates of God's city are currently open. Every day people, from diverse nations, and diverse situations, are saying — “I'm in. I want the springs. I want the city. God, I want to be a citizen.” You can become a citizen today. Like, right now. It can be said of you, in this moment, “Born here.” You can just pray, simply,God, I'm done with my sin.I'm done trying to find life in everything but you.I need your Son Jesus.I need the sacrifice he made for my sins.Receive Jesus. Receive entrance into the city. Now, what leads us to the table this morning is, just that, Jesus' sacrifice. He died for us. His body was bruised, his blood was shed for us. And this table commemorates his sacrificial death, and when we eat from this table, we do so in anticipation of Jesus coming again.Because this table represents Jesus' shed blood and broken body, I gladly invite those who are trusting in Jesus' death on their behalf, to take and eat this meal with us. If you've not put your trust in Jesus, we ask that you'd let the elements pass for now, but encourage you in this moment, turn to Jesus, see his glory, come to him by faith that you may have life.

Luke Looks Back Chapter 2 Not all the stories commonly believed about the birth of Jesus are true to the actual facts. He was born before Herod died in 4 BC ,in Bethlehem, which was not his parent's home village, probably in an ordinary house (the word translated 'inn' can mean a guest room or just the sleeping area in a house; the manger would be between the family area and the livestock area). Not all the stories commonly believed about the birth of Jesus are true to the actual facts. He was born before Herod died in 4 BC ,in Bethlehem, which was not his parent's home village, probably in an ordinary house (the word translated 'inn' can mean a guest room or just the sleeping area in a house; the manger would be between the family area and the livestock area). Luke 1:1-20 Question 1. Luke carefully says the birth of King Jesus occurred during the reign of Caesar Augustus (v 1), who was a great and good Roman Emperor who brought lasting peace to a world in which there had been many wars. What does he want us to learn from this? One of the main themes of this, as all the Gospels, is the collision between the kingdom of Caesar and the kingdom of God. Luke was writing to Christians who might be martyred for refusing to say Caesar is Lord because they believed Jesus is Lord. Luke wants us to understand the enormous significance of what was happening. Question 2. Why does Luke choose to focus on the low caste shepherds rather than Matthew's high caste Wise Men? As we noted in the first study Luke emphasises the poor, the weak and the lost; not the rich, the healthy and the found. The title 'Christ the Lord' appears only here in the NT. The word 'Christ' has two meanings. It is a Greek word of the New Testament equivalent to the Hebrew word 'Messiah' of the Old Testament. Here, and generally in the Gospels, it is a title meaning 'the Anointed One'; later, in the Epistles it becomes part of Jesus' name. The most recent English versions use 'Messiah' when it is a title; 'Christ' when it is a name. Here it should be "the Lord Messiah". Our nearest translation in everyday words is "King Jesus". It is important to remember that when Luke uses this title he means 'the very special God-appointed Anointed One'. Question 3. A lot of people travelled to Bethlehem: Joseph and Mary, the shepherds, the Wise Men. Why did each of them go? What did they intend to do when they got there? Why are we told these things? What are we meant to learn from what happened? They all travelled in the purposes of God. It was important that those from both the top and the bottom of the society of those days should be there to see the baby King. They probably had only the vaguest idea of why they were there; they were there for our benefit - so we could be told about them and marvel at the stories. Luke 2: 21-52 Question 4. What does Simeon say (v 30 - 32) which introduces a new and important idea that neither Zechariah nor Mary mentioned? Simeon relates what is happening to the lives of ordinary people. They will experience salvation and the promise made to Abraham long ago that "all peoples on earth will be blessed through you" will finally come true. Question 5. Remembering that the Romans occupied their country, what did Anna mean when she spoke about the 'redemption of Jerusalem' (v 38)? She was probably thinking in a very practical way that the Romans would be thrown out of Jerusalem. It wasn't going to work like that! She spoke something that was a true prophecy but not in the way she thought. Question 6. In order to emphasise that Jesus came for both men and women Luke pairs up a story involving a man with one involving a woman at least 27 times in his gospel. Identify where he does this in these first two chapters. Which is the most important member of the pair on each of these occasions? Zechariah and Elizabeth, Joseph and Mary, Simeon and Anna. The men and the women are about evenly balanced in importance. Question 7. What do the episodes from the childhood of Jesus (v 40, 46 - 48, 51, 52) tell us about Jesus? What are we being told here: he was God or he was a man? Which do you find it most difficult to believe? Why? His life as a human being is being emphasised here. Jesus appears to have been a particularly bright and intelligent lad. Right mouse click or tap here to download as an audio mp3 Right mouse click or tap here to download as a PDF

With his Triumphal Entry on Palm Sunday—lowly and riding on a donkey—Jesus set in motion events that would forever redefine greatness. But can we perceive this greatness? Those who cling to a model of greatness exemplified by warhorse-riding conquerors like Alexander the Great and Caesar Augustus are a theological anachronism—instead of living in an AD reality they're still stuck in a BC world.

We all long for peace—peace in our world, peace in our homes, and peace in our hearts. But no matter how hard we search for it through politics, success, or even comfort, it often feels just out of reach. In this message, we're reminded that true peace doesn't come from power or control, but from a Savior who leads with love. Looking at the contrast between Caesar Augustus and Jesus, we see how one ruled through force, while the other brought peace through sacrifice.Through powerful stories from Scripture and the deeper meaning behind symbols like the ichthus and the Passover lamb, this sermon invites us to see Jesus not just as a religious figure, but as the only one who can truly calm our anxious hearts. If you're craving real, lasting peace—this message will show you where to find it.

We all long for peace—peace in our world, peace in our homes, and peace in our hearts. But no matter how hard we search for it through politics, success, or even comfort, it often feels just out of reach. In this message, we're reminded that true peace doesn't come from power or control, but from a Savior who leads with love. Looking at the contrast between Caesar Augustus and Jesus, we see how one ruled through force, while the other brought peace through sacrifice.Through powerful stories from Scripture and the deeper meaning behind symbols like the ichthus and the Passover lamb, this sermon invites us to see Jesus not just as a religious figure, but as the only one who can truly calm our anxious hearts. If you're craving real, lasting peace—this message will show you where to find it.

During the next few weeks, the 15-History Podcast team is taking a break and bringing you some of their favorite previous episodes. This episode originally aired on November 1, 2021._______The old man lay in his bed surrounded by courtiers and family members. He had traveled from Rome to visit the place where his father had died many years ago, and now his own life was nearing its end. History records his last words as, “Have I played the part well? Then applaud as I exit.” Caesar Augustus, the first citizen of Rome and the founder of an empire that outlasted him by over fourteen hundred years, departed this life peacefully. But his rise and reign had been anything but peaceful.Join us as we teach you about Ceasear Augustus, his life, and how his actions directed the rise of one of the largest empires in the history of the world. 

In Luke 2 we have the record of the birth of the Lord Jesus Christ. The whole world was turned upside down by the decree of Caesar Augustus that there must be a census. This required vast movements of people to their ancestral homes. Joseph and his heavily pregnant wife, Mary, are caused to go to Bethlehem. When there was no room in the inn (Chimham's lodging house from the time of king David) they found lodging among the cattle. In such humble circumstances the king of the world is born. A multitude of angels appear to the Bethlehem shepherds, who were watching over the lambs which were to be sacrificed at the next Passover. The message of the angels was that when God is glorified in the earth then there would be peace among men of good will.  Continue reading here.. https://cdvideo.org/11.03

What's up, dudes? It's Candlemas! Yes, today we say goodbye to Christmastide. To celebrate, I've got Thom Crowe from ‘Tis the Podcast and Art Kilmer from A Cozy Christmas with to talk about the 1981 episode of SuperBook “The First Christmas!”Once again, several Gospel pericopes are concatenated in this New Testament-inspired episode. While feeling nostalgic and missing his mother at Christmas, Chris, Joy, and his robot toy Gizmo find themselves transported by the mystical book. When the psychedelia settles, they stare up in awe at a vast dessert from another time!  Finding themselves in the 1st century BC Holy Land, the trio arrive during the time for Caesar Augustus's decree. Accordingly, St. Joseph and the Blessed Virgin Mary make the trek to Bethlehem, their ancestral home. Simultaneously the Magi follow a star to Bethlehem in search of a new king. The trio meet the Holy Family and journey with them to the same town. That night they see the Angel's proclamation of great joy, and follow some shepherds to the inn where Jesus was born. They also foil Herod's plot to have the Magi followed and the child killed. Having saved the day, they return to their time and celebrate Christmas properly.An inn with no room? Check. Magi following a star? Got it. Adoring the Holy Family? Definitely! So grab your gold, frankincense, and myrrh, stay with your clockwork robot in a shepherd's house, and head to Bethlehem with this episode! O come, let us adore him in SuperBook “The First Christmas!”'Tis the PodcastFB: @tisthepodcastBlueSky: @tisthepodcast.bsky.socialIG: @tisthepodcastFB Group: Tis the Podcast GroupA Cozy ChristmasFB: @cozychristmaspodcastIG: @cozychristmaspodcastBlueSky: @cozychristmas.bsky.socialGive us a buzz! Send a text, dudes!Check us out on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Totally Rad Christmas Mall & Arcade, Teepublic.com, or TotallyRadChristmas.com! Later, dudes!

Augustus is the most significant nonreligious figure in history. He is probably the greatest political genius of all time. He created the Roman Empire which lasted for centuries and formed so much of the world we live in today, including our calendar, our system of time, our alphabet, the spread of Christianity, and a large percentage of modern languages.

Join us as we wrap up our powerful series, "The Arrival of God," focusing on the truly extraordinary birth of Jesus Christ as depicted in the Gospel of Luke. In this episode, "The Sovereign King," we delve into the profound message that Jesus is the true King of the nations, overshadowing the arrogance of worldly powers like Caesar Augustus. Explore how Luke's narrative masterfully highlights the humble yet sovereign arrival of Jesus—born in a simple Bethlehem stable, yet fulfilling divine prophecy amidst a Roman backdrop.We discuss the overarching theme of God's sovereignty over human history, emphasizing that trials and opposition often serve His greater purpose. Be encouraged as we see how God's deliberate plan triumphs over human power and wickedness, transforming trials into testimony.Perfect for anyone seeking to deepen their understanding of the Gospel and find strength in God's sovereign plan, this episode will inspire you to trust in Christ's ultimate victory, even in the face of worldly challenges.Tune in and discover how the birth of Christ continues to be the greatest news ever told, offering us not only eternal hope but also a blueprint for how to live our lives in awe of Jesus. Remember, Christ is King—not only over nations but over all eternity.

In this episode we take a look at the ironic last words of a civil war general, a couple Roman emperors, and one of the greatest fiction writers of his time. Special thanks to my producer Micah Versemann and the voice talent of Rich Swingle, Robert Ricotta, and Colin Peter Famous Last Words is a podcast series in which I seek out the humor, the gravity, the irony, and the tragedy in man's final breaths.  Today's show focuses on John Sedgwick, Caesar Augustus, Gaius Caesar Augustus Germanicus, John Milton, and Leo Tolstoy

The Birth of Jesus Christ 2.1 In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered. 2 This was the first registration whenQuirinius was governor of Syria. 3 And all went to be registered, each to his own town. 4 And Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the town of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, 5 to be registered with Mary, his betrothed, who was with child. 6 And while they were there, the time came for her to give birth. 7 And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn.

On Architecture is a treatise on architecture written by the Roman architect Vitruvius and dedicated to his patron, the emperor Caesar Augustus as a guide for building projects. The work is one of the most important sources of modern knowledge of Roman building methods as well as the planning and design of structures, both large (aqueducts, buildings, baths, harbours) and small (machines, measuring devices, instruments). He is also the prime source of the famous story of Archimedes and his bath-time discovery. (From Wikipedia.)Translated by Morris Hicky Morgan.Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

On Architecture is a treatise on architecture written by the Roman architect Vitruvius and dedicated to his patron, the emperor Caesar Augustus as a guide for building projects. The work is one of the most important sources of modern knowledge of Roman building methods as well as the planning and design of structures, both large (aqueducts, buildings, baths, harbours) and small (machines, measuring devices, instruments). He is also the prime source of the famous story of Archimedes and his bath-time discovery. (From Wikipedia.)Translated by Morris Hicky Morgan.Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

On Architecture is a treatise on architecture written by the Roman architect Vitruvius and dedicated to his patron, the emperor Caesar Augustus as a guide for building projects. The work is one of the most important sources of modern knowledge of Roman building methods as well as the planning and design of structures, both large (aqueducts, buildings, baths, harbours) and small (machines, measuring devices, instruments). He is also the prime source of the famous story of Archimedes and his bath-time discovery. (From Wikipedia.)Translated by Morris Hicky Morgan.Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

On Architecture is a treatise on architecture written by the Roman architect Vitruvius and dedicated to his patron, the emperor Caesar Augustus as a guide for building projects. The work is one of the most important sources of modern knowledge of Roman building methods as well as the planning and design of structures, both large (aqueducts, buildings, baths, harbours) and small (machines, measuring devices, instruments). He is also the prime source of the famous story of Archimedes and his bath-time discovery. (From Wikipedia.)Translated by Morris Hicky Morgan.Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

On Architecture is a treatise on architecture written by the Roman architect Vitruvius and dedicated to his patron, the emperor Caesar Augustus as a guide for building projects. The work is one of the most important sources of modern knowledge of Roman building methods as well as the planning and design of structures, both large (aqueducts, buildings, baths, harbours) and small (machines, measuring devices, instruments). He is also the prime source of the famous story of Archimedes and his bath-time discovery. (From Wikipedia.)Translated by Morris Hicky Morgan.Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

On Architecture is a treatise on architecture written by the Roman architect Vitruvius and dedicated to his patron, the emperor Caesar Augustus as a guide for building projects. The work is one of the most important sources of modern knowledge of Roman building methods as well as the planning and design of structures, both large (aqueducts, buildings, baths, harbours) and small (machines, measuring devices, instruments). He is also the prime source of the famous story of Archimedes and his bath-time discovery. (From Wikipedia.)Translated by Morris Hicky Morgan.Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

On Architecture is a treatise on architecture written by the Roman architect Vitruvius and dedicated to his patron, the emperor Caesar Augustus as a guide for building projects. The work is one of the most important sources of modern knowledge of Roman building methods as well as the planning and design of structures, both large (aqueducts, buildings, baths, harbours) and small (machines, measuring devices, instruments). He is also the prime source of the famous story of Archimedes and his bath-time discovery. (From Wikipedia.)Translated by Morris Hicky Morgan.Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Luke 2:1–20 The Birth of Jesus Christ [1] In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered. [2] This was the first registration when Quirinius was governor of Syria. [3] And all went to be registered, each to his own town. [4] And Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the town of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, [5] to be registered with Mary, his betrothed, who was with child. [6] And while they were there, the time came for her to give birth. [7] And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn. The Shepherds and the Angels [8] And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. [9] And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with great fear. [10] And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. [11] For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. [12] And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.” [13] And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, [14] “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!” [15] When the angels went away from them into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let us go over to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.” [16] And they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in a manger. [17] And when they saw it, they made known the saying that had been told them concerning this child. [18] And all who heard it wondered at what the shepherds told them. [19] But Mary treasured up all these things, pondering them in her heart. [20] And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them. (ESV)

From the Archive! Dr. Tom Curran asks Fr. Kurt Nagel about many different important figures in the Advent story leading up to Christ's birth: What does St. John the Baptist teach us about Advent? Was Joseph young or old? How are we like the Innkeeper? Why did God use Caesar Augustus to bring about the prophecy?

"With God, all things are possible. ALL THINGS!""Even an event like THE VIRGIN BIRTH.Some 2,000 years ago, an angel was sent by God to the tiny town of Nazareth in the Galilee area. The area was small, the inhabitants few, and a popular saying of the day was:CAN ANY GOOD THING COME OUT OF NAZARETH?""Perhaps not before, but after the visit by the angel Gabriel to an unknown Mary, from Nazareth would come the Savior of the world.Mary the Virgin was pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The angel Gabriel said to her:GREETINGS, YOU WHO ARE HIGHLY FAVORED! THE LORD IS WITH YOU.""Gabriel went on to say:DO NOT BE AFRAID, MARY. YOU HAVE FOUND FAVOR WITH GOD. YOUWILL BE WITH CHILD AND GIVE BIRTH TO A SON. YOU ARE TO GIVE HIM THE NAME JESUS." "HE WILL BE GREAT AND WILL BE CALLED THE SON OF THE MOST HIGH.""THE LORD GOD WILL GIVE HIM THE THRONE OF HIS FATHER DAVID AND HE WILL REIGN OVER THE HOUSE OF JACOB FOREVER. HIS KINGDOM WILL NEVER END!And, rightly so, Mary was troubled and she said to the angel:“How will this come about since I am a virgin?”To which the angel responded:""THE HOLY SPIRIT WILL COME UPON YOU AND THE POWER OF THE MOST HIGH WILL OVERSHADOW YOU.""So the Holy One to be born would be called the SON OF GOD.""The natural man scoffs at angels but the spiritual man knows that with God all things are possible, including angels.Mary, now with child, the Holy Ghost having come upon her, went to the home of Zechariah and Elizabeth, relatives, and when she arrived, Elizabeth knew of this Immaculate Conception and Elizabeth said to Mary:BLESSED ARE YOU AMONG WOMEN, AND BLESSED IS THE CHILD YOU WILL BEAR!Elizabeth knew that Mary would be the mother of her Lord and ours as well. So, the world was about to change because of that event in Nazareth. Jesus ofNazareth would soon be born in Bethlehem of Judea and this Nazarene, this SON OFTHE MOST HIGH would soon be known as THE SAVIOR, the Prince of Peace, the Christ of Glory.When Elizabeth had finished, Mary began her very own song of praise:MY SOUL MAGNIFIES THE LORDAND MY SPIRIT REJOICES IN GOD MY SAVIOR!FOR HE HAS BEEN MINDFUL OF THE HUMBLE STATE OF HIS SERVANT. FROM NOW ON ALL GENERATIONS WILL CALL ME BLESSEDFOR THE MIGHTY ONE HAS DONE GREAT THINGS FOR ME HOLY IS HIS NAME!Such powerful praise and adoration this Magnificat of Mary was. Mary, the virgin, so humble in spirit, thought of herself as the HANDMAIDEN of the Lord, perhaps still puzzled as to why she was chosen to bear the King of Kings, but willing and obedient to do the will of God.And the Babe of Bethlehem grew within her. Fiancé Joseph, of the lineage of David, sought to put her away but again, an angelic message explained to him what had happened, foretold the birth of this Son and the instructions to him that His name would be Jesus. Thereafter, Mary would be wife and mother for Joseph. It is incredibly difficult to imagine how this man 2,000 years ago would react. Nothing like this in human history had ever happened before. He, Joseph was chosen to supervise and support the birth of the Savior of the world. That would be impossible for any man to comprehend but Joseph, obedient like Mary, accepted the angelic explanation and this divine drama proceeded.Surely, Joseph could see the remarkable changes in Mary. For those precious months,Mary's soul glorified the Lord. She told all that her spirit rejoices in God my Savior.Surely that glorifying and rejoicing was well noticed, even participated in by Joseph.""Mary, the humble servant of the Lord knew what great things God had done for her and she was perhaps the first to live in a brand new, revolutionary state of praise and worship. Soon, that would be available to all mankind.Then came the decree from Caesar Augustus that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. Joseph, who belonged to the house and lineage of David therefore went to Bethlehem of Judea to register with Mary, since Bethlehem was the City of David. But the town was full and there was no room in the inn so that Mary and Joseph slept in a manger. And there, in that manger, Mary gave birth to a son and as a proud and loving mother, she wrapped him in swaddling clothes and laid him in a manger. Such were the humble circumstances of the birth of Jesus of Nazareth, the Babe of Bethlehem, the Prince of Peace, and the Savior of the world.AND THAT IS THE REAL MEANING OF CHRISTMAS! That birth of the Savior of the world is what we celebrate at Christmas! This rabidly secular world of ours wishes to de-spiritualize this event and take CHRIST OUT OF CHRISTMAS. We who believe must never let that happen but rather band together in glorious praise and worship to the Babe and especially to the Father of the Lord Jesus Christ. Let not, my fellow Christians, the secularists abandon the Christ of Christmas.So, Christ was born and there began the spreading of the Word:AND THERE WERE SHEPHERDS ABIDING IN THE FIELDS KEEPING WATCH OVER THEIR FLOCKS BY NIGHTAND LO THE ANGEL OF THE LORD APPEARED TO THEM AND THE GLORY OF THE LORD SHONE ROUND ABOUT THEMAND THEY WERE SORE AFRAID BUT THE ANGEL SAID TO THEM DO NOT BE AFRAIDI BRING YOU GOOD TIDINGS OF GREAT JOY THAT WILL BE FOR ALL PEOPLE THIS DAY IN THE CITY OF DAVIDA SAVIOR HAS BEEN BORN FOR YOU HE IS CHRIST THE LORDTHIS WILL BE A SIGN UNTO YOUYOU WILL FIND THE BABE WRAPPED IN SWADDLING CLOTHES AND LYING IN A MANGERAND SUDDENLY THERE WAS WITH THE ANGELS A HEAVENLY HOST OF ANGELSPRAISING GOD AND SAYING GLORY TO GOD IN THE HIGHESTAND ON EARTH PEACE AND GOODWILL TO ALL MANKINDHow interesting that shepherds were chosen as the first to hear this angelic enunciation. Shepherds were watchmen, observant, especially at night as they made certain to protect their sheep. They knew the heavens, the stars and their movements. They were familiar with the night and they could, like wise men and kings, identify and follow the STAR OF WONDER, the star which shone brightly that night over the City ofDavid, the blessed Bethlehem of Judea, where the Prince of Peace was born.""And those shepherds left immediately and they found Mary and Joseph and the Babe lying in the manger. And when they had seen him, they were the very first evangelists, spreading the word of this miraculous and marvelous birth, the message they had been told by the angel about this Babe. And that was the beginning of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. From then on, the shepherds glorified and praised God for all the things they had heard and seen even as we who believe do so today. We well say today as the shepherds and angels did then:GLORY TO GOD IN THE HIGHESTAND ON EARTH PEACE, GOODWILL TOWARD ALL MANKIND""Men and women search today for truth even as the shepherds did. The search is everywhere but the truth, the ultimate truth was revealed to mankind in a manger in Bethlehem 2,000 years ago. Wise men and women, who truly seek him, will find him there. Those who scoff, mock a virgin birth, the concept of angels, and the creation of a God–man will never, ever know that:NOTHING IS IMPOSSIBLE WITH GODNothing.But to find HIM is a most joyous, wondrous discovery. It is an epiphany like no other. The finding of the Babe is the finding of the world's greatest treasure. The power, the love, and the understanding which results from finding HIM is life–changing then and forevermore. That finding allows us to become as a little child, open and transparent, filled with love and compassion, fully understanding the GRACE of God and that gracious gift which changed the world 2,000 years ago. That faith in the Babe of Bethlehem is the key to entering the Kingdom of God, humbly trusting and believing even as Mary did of old. Women become handmaidens of the Lord as Mary did. Men become servants of the Lord as the shepherds did.So that, on Christmas Day, we discover the greatest present, the greatest gift one could ever find:THE BABE OF BETHLEHEM""The gifts we give to others at Christmastime can never begin to equal the gift of God to us. We should celebrate that gift FIRST and wherever possible, give the love of that gift to others. That is what Christmas is all about and that should never change.And we, like the shepherds should spread the news, the Good News. That is true evangelism and we who believe must never let that message die not only at Christmas but every day. The wise men of old found Him and the wise men and women of today, the truly wise who search will find Him. For in Him, it is all that God is. And that, as the angels well said, are indeed the glad tidings and the great joy for all.For God so loved the world, that He gave His only Son to all humankind so that those who believe could have life abundant here and life eternal there. For those who""received this gift of God, there comes the power of God making them sons of God and daughters, life all brand new. Women praise the Lord like Mary of old. Men glorify the Lord as the shepherds of old. And that, and only that can bring peace to the world.The message of that Babe is the only message which can spread the goodwill of God and transform the lives of all mankind. May it be yours.We the Crawford Broadcasting Company, all of us, wish you a very happy, merry, blessed Christmas centered around the Babe of Bethlehem, and may the love of God in Jesus Christ be your very special gift this Christmas season. Glory to God in the highest and on earth, peace and goodwill for all.CHRIST IS BORN!"

What's up, dudes? It's Christmas Eve! Yes, tonight we begin Christmastide, so I've got Thom Crowe from ‘Tis the Podcast and Art Kilmer from A Cozy Christmas with to talk about Hanna-Barbera! No, not Yogi or Fred Flintstone, it's The Greatest Adventure: Stories from the Bible “The Nativity!”Several Gospel pericopes are concatenated in this 1987 straight-to-video animated feature. While surveying the sight of some ancient ruins, two young archaeologists, Derek and Margo, and their nomad friend Moki find themselves trapped and sinking in a whirlpool full of sand. When the dust settles, they stare up in awe at a vast chamber filled with giant relics and artifacts from another civilization. And there at the far end of the cavern, a door with a strange inscription: All who enter these portals pass through time!Finding themselves in the 1st century BC Holy Land, the trio arrive in time for Caesar Augustus's decree. Accordingly, St. Joseph and the Blessed Virgin Mary make the trek to Bethlehem, their ancestral home. Simultaneously the Magi follow a star to Bethlehem in search of a new king. The trio meet a shepherd boy named Yasha who leads them to Jerusalem, where they discover Herod's plot to have the Magi followed. That night they see the Angel's proclamation of great joy, and follow some shepherds to the inn where Jesus was born.An inn with no room? Check. Magi following a star? Got it. Adoring the Holy Family? Definitely! So grab your gold, frankincense, and myrrh, hop on a camel, and head to Bethlehem with this episode! O come, let us adore him in The Greatest Adventure: Stories from the Bible “The Nativity!”'Tis the PodcastFB: @tisthepodcastTwitter: @tisthepodIG: @tisthepodcastFB Group: Tis the Podcast GroupA Cozy ChristmasFB: @cozychristmaspodcastIG: @cozychristmaspodcastTwitter: @CozyXmasPodGive us a buzz! Send a text, dudes!Check us out on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Totally Rad Christmas Mall & Arcade, Teepublic.com, or TotallyRadChristmas.com! Later, dudes!

DateDecember 24, 2024SynopsisIn this sermon, we explore how God disrupts and rewrites our expected endings through the lens of a surprising Christmas carol and a fresh look at the nativity story. By examining how the traditional interpretation of "no room at the inn" might actually be a story of radical hospitality, we discover a God who consistently shows up in unexpected places and subverts our assumptions about how things "must" end. This message of divine disruption reminds us that our seemingly fixed endings are never truly final in God's economy of grace and possibility.ReferencesScripture: [Luke 2:1–20](URL here) About The Local ChurchFor more information about The Local Church, visit our website. Feedback? Questions? Comments? We'd love to hear it. Email Brent at brent@thelocalchurchpbo.org.To invest in what God's doing through The Local Church and help support these podcasting efforts and this movement of God's love, give online here.

2:1 And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be taxed. 2:2 (And this taxing was first made when Cyrenius was governor of Syria.) 2:3 And all went to be taxed, every one into his own city. 2:4 And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judaea, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem; (because he was of the house and lineage of David:) 2:5 To be taxed with Mary his espoused wife, being great with child. 2:6 And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered. 2:7 And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn. 2:8 And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. 2:9 And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid. 2:10 And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. 2:11 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. 2:12 And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. 2:13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, 2:14 Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men. 2:15 And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us. 2:16 And they came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger. 2:17 And when they had seen it, they made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning this child. 2:18 And all they that heard it wondered at those things which were told them by the shepherds. 2:19 But Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart. 2:20 And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told unto them.

Luke 2:1-7 In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered. 2 This was the first registration when Quirinius was governor of Syria. 3 And all went to be registered, each to his own town.4 And Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the town of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, 5 to be registered with Mary, his betrothed, who was with child. 6 And while they were there, the time came for her to give birth. 7 And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped Him in swaddling cloths and laid Him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn.   Key Words: Decree, Register, Bethlehem, David, Son, Swaddling, Manger Keystone Verse: There was no room for them in the inn. (Luke 2:7)     Download Bulletin Luke 2:1-7   In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered. 2 This was the first registration when Quirinius was governor of Syria. 3 And all went to be registered, each to his own town.4 And Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the town of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, 5 to be registered with Mary, his betrothed, who was with child. 6 And while they were there, the time came for her to give birth. 7 And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped Him in swaddling cloths and laid Him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn.   Key Words: Decree, Register, Bethlehem, David, Son, Swaddling, Manger Keystone Verse: There was no room for them in the inn. (Luke 2:7)     Download Bulletin

In the Gospel of Luke, Joseph and a very pregnant Mary travel to Bethlehem because Caesar Augustus has ordered a census of the entire Roman Empire. But does Jesus's birth story in Luke align with what we know about censuses in the ancient world? How were people counted? Who conducted these censuses? And did people really need to travel back to their ancestral homes to register with Rome? For this special holiday episode, Helen and Dave are joined by Andrew Whitby, a data scientist and author of The Sum of the People: How the Census Has Shaped Nations from the Ancient World to the Modern Age.  GIVE (& RECEIVE) THE GIFT OF BIBLICAL TIME MACHINEDave's mom has a Hanukkah gift for all of our listeners! The first 5 people to email us will receive a free, 2-month subscription to the Time Travelers Club. And if you're looking for the perfect gift for a Bible history nerd, you can buy them a membership with a Biblical Time Machine Gift Card.SUPPORT BIBLICAL TIME MACHINEIf you like the podcast, please consider supporting the show through the Time Travelers Club, our Patreon. We love making the show, but since we don't run ads we rely on listener contributions to cover our costs. Please help us continue to showcase high-quality biblical scholarship with a $5/month subscription.DOWNLOAD OUR STUDY GUIDE: MARK AS ANCIENT BIOGRAPHYCheck out our 4-part audio study guide called "The Gospel of Mark as an Ancient Biography." While you're there, get yourself a handsome Biblical Time Machine mug or a cool sticker for your water bottle.Support the showTheme music written and performed by Dave Roos

2:1 And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be taxed. 2:2 (And this taxing was first made when Cyrenius was governor of Syria.) 2:3 And all went to be taxed, every one into his own city. 2:4 And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judaea, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem; (because he was of the house and lineage of David:) 2:5 To be taxed with Mary his espoused wife, being great with child. 2:6 And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered. 2:7 And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn. 2:8 And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. 2:9 And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid. 2:10 And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. 2:11 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. 2:12 And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. 2:13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, 2:14 Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men. 2:15 And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us. 2:16 And they came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger. 2:17 And when they had seen it, they made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning this child. 2:18 And all they that heard it wondered at those things which were told them by the shepherds. 2:19 But Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart. 2:20 And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told unto them.

An Undignified Arrival Luke 2:1-7 In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. 2 (This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria.) 3 And everyone went to their own town to register. 4 So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David.  5 He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child.  6 While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, 7 and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them.   Humility Luke 2:6-7 6 While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, 7 and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them.   Philippians 2:5-8 In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus: 6 Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; 7 rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. 8 And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself  by becoming obedient to death— even death on a cross!   Jesus' humility brought hope.       Vulnerability  Luke 2:7 . . .she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them. Philippians 2:8 And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself  by becoming obedient to death— even death on a cross! Jesus' vulnerability led to victory.  Philippians 2:9-11 9 Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, 10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.     Simplicity  Luke 2:8-12 And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night.  9 An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. 10 But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people.  11 Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. 12 This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”   In Jesus' simplicity, He brought salvation.       Luke 2:13-20 Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, 14 “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.” 15 When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let's go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.” 16 So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger.  17 When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, 18 and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them.  19 But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart.  20 The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told. Differently      Jesus' undignified arrival was not an unforeseen accident, but rather an unparalleled announcement of good news.

Luke 2:1-20 ESVIn those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered. 2 This was the first registration when Quirinius was governor of Syria. 3 And all went to be registered, each to his own town. 4 And Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the town of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, 5 to be registered with Mary, his betrothed, who was with child. 6 And while they were there, the time came for her to give birth. 7 And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn.8 And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. 9 And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with great fear. 10 And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. 11 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. 12 And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.” 13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying,14 “Glory to God in the highest,    and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!”15 When the angels went away from them into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let us go over to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.” 16 And they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in a manger. 17 And when they saw it, they made known the saying that had been told them concerning this child. 18 And all who heard it wondered at what the shepherds told them. 19 But Mary treasured up all these things, pondering them in her heart. 20 And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them. For more information about Redeemer Church Lubbock visit our website at redeemerlubbock.org.

As the angels appear to the shepherds, there is a humbling and beautiful reality taking place. Though Joseph and Mary are to listen to Caesar Augustus, the real King is being born in a stable. And the command from the Lord to His angels isn't to go tell it to the Roman leaders, the people in positions of power - but to the least of these. Shepherds were unwanted and cast out to do dirty work, yet they are told of the birth announcement first. Their haste to see the Savior born King is how we are to be each and every day, then returning to our daily lives spiritually changed.

Luke 2:1-20 English Standard VersionThe Birth of Jesus Christ2 In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered. 2 This was the first registration when Quirinius was governor of Syria. 3 And all went to be registered, each to his own town. 4 And Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the town of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, 5 to be registered with Mary, his betrothed, who was with child. 6 And while they were there, the time came for her to give birth. 7 And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn.The Shepherds and the Angels8 And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. 9 And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with great fear. 10 And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. 11 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. 12 And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.” 13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying,14 “Glory to God in the highest,    and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!”15 When the angels went away from them into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let us go over to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.” 16 And they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in a manger. 17 And when they saw it, they made known the saying that had been told them concerning this child. 18 And all who heard it wondered at what the shepherds told them. 19 But Mary treasured up all these things, pondering them in her heart. 20 And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them.English Standard Version (ESV)The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

In the messes of your life, do you always see the Master's plan? In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered. This was the first registration when Quirinius was governor of Syria. And all went to be registered, each to his own town. And Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the town of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, to be registered with Mary, his betrothed, who was with child. And while they were there, the time came for her to give birth. And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn. — Luke 2:1-7 Imagine the exhaustion Joseph and Mary must have felt. A long, grueling journey from Nazareth to Bethlehem—a 90-mile walk on rocky and dusty terrain, navigating hills and valleys. Mary, who was heavily pregnant, likely felt every step in her weary body. And then, when they finally arrived, there was a final irritation: there was no room for them in the inn. They're forced to find shelter among animals, with the King of Kings born in the humblest of places. To us, this moment looks chaotic and irritating. But look closer, and you'll see the fingerprints of God. This is the Bible's only recorded account of Jesus' birth, and the details are breathtaking. At first glance, it seems Caesar Augustus is flexing his imperial muscles, issuing a decree for a worldwide census. But behind Caesar's throne sits another throne. From the holy throne, God orchestrated every moment, ensuring that Mary and Joseph arrived in Bethlehem to fulfill the divine plan. The Bible is abundant with Old Testament prophecies pointing to this moment—prophecies fulfilled with such precision that the odds of one person meeting just eight of them are 1 in 10 to the 17th power. Consider these eight prophecies: Micah 5:2 — The birthplace is Bethlehem. Isaiah 7:14 — The virgin birth of a son. Genesis 3:15 — A seed that would be human and divine. Micah 5:2 — A ruler from Israel will be born. Isaiah 9:6-7 — A man from David's line. Isaiah 11:1 — From the line of Jesse. 2 Samuel 7:16 — One who would lead a kingdom that would never end. Jeremiah 23:5 — A King who will reign justly and execute righteousness. Caesar may have worn a crown and called for a count, but God wrote the whole account. God's power was so great that he used a Caesar, a census, a crowded inn, and even a cradle in a corral to set the stage for the most extraordinary story ever told. Every inconvenience, every hardship, every detail was a masterstroke in God's perfect plan to bring a Savior into the world. What looked like a mess was the Master's plan. Is there a place in your life where God's plan has some details that you perceive as irritations? The God orchestrating every detail of Jesus's birth still works his plan in your life today. Trust him! Trust him with irritations and inconveniences today. Remember, there is a Throne behind the throne. God is in ultimate control. He cares for even the smallest of details. One day, it will all make sense when the story is fully told. #GodsPlan, #TrustHisTiming, #SovereigntyInChaos Ask This: What unknowns are keeping you from fully committing to God's plan in your life? How can you demonstrate faithfulness to the commitments God has already placed before you? Do This: Don't be irritated by the mess. Trust the Master's plan. Pray This: Lord, help me trust Your perfect plan, even when life feels messy and uncertain. Remind me that every detail is in Your hands. Amen. Play This: He Has Done Great Things.

Today’s Bible Verse: “In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria." - Luke 2:1-2 “Want to listen without ads? Become a BibleStudyTools.com PLUS Member today: https://www.biblestudytools.com/subscribe/ MEET OUR HOSTS at https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-daily-bible-verse/ Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Sign-up for my free 20-day devotional, The Word Before Work Foundations, at http://TWBWFoundations.com--Series: Christmas Vocations Part IIIDevotional: 2 of 4In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. (Luke 2:1)We're in a series exploring the vocations of some of the characters in the Christmas narrative and what they can teach us about our own work today. Today we come to Caesar Augustus.This secular leader has a mixed legacy including brutal tales of how he came to rule over the Roman Empire. And yet, God chose to work through Augustus and his census to bring Mary and Joseph to Bethlehem, thus fulfilling the prophecy of Micah 5:2 that God's chosen Messiah would be born in the town of David.This reminds us of a remarkable truth we see all throughout Scripture—namely that God works in this world through non-believers and believers alike. This is one element of “common grace” which my friend Mike Kelsey (lead pastor at McLean Bible Church) defines as “the reality that God extends his goodness to and through people apart from a saving relationship with him.”The number of ways common grace should practically shape our work are legion. Let me share just three today.First, submit to leaders so long as their edicts don't contradict God's Word. Yes, even leaders you loathe. Why? Because “the one in authority is God's servant for your good” (see Romans 13:1-7). I doubt Mary and Joseph agreed with Caesar Augustus's politics. But they obeyed his commands and the world was blessed because of it.Second, trust that God is at work in your workplace even if your leaders don't believe in him. It can be really hard to work for leaders who are agnostic or even hostile towards your faith. But don't fall for the lie that God is not working through them. Caesar Augustus reminds you that he is. There is no such thing as a truly “secular” workplace, because God is at work through believers and non-believers alike to accomplish his good and perfect will.Finally, call out the good God is doing through non-Christians as a means of evangelism. There are many things your secular co-workers do that are not good by God's standards. But God can use those same co-workers to bring about genuinely good things in the world. When you see your non-Christian co-workers working with justice, love, and beauty, call them out on it, encouraging them that you see God working through them and their work. And see how those otherworldly words of blessing can open up doors to share the gospel today!

In the last episode, we talked about Caesar Augustus, ruler of the vast Roman Empire at the time of Jesus' birth. One of the ways he made governing this massive area more manageable was to establish local kings to rule on his behalf. At this time, there arose in Israel a young man who fit the bill perfectly. He was half-Jew, half-Edomite, born into a politically connected family, and hungry for power. His name was Herod.He curried favor with Augustus and at 25 years old was conferred by the Roman Senate with the title, “King of the Jews.”Though Herod is known as an accomplished builder, history remembers him even more as a butcher. He was almost insanely suspicious, and his suspicions drove him to murder. He murdered his wife, his sons, his rivals, anyone who threatened his power. So you can imagine his response when the Magi showed up asking where they could find the new King of the Jews! Matthew 2 says Herod was “disturbed,” literally agitated, all shook up. But rather than eliminating these foreign visitors, he used them. People accustomed to getting and keeping power are masters at using those around them.  “Go find this child, and when you do, come back to me so I can worship him too.” Is that really what he intended to do? No! He played these guys. People who grasp for power are not only users, they are deceivers. When the Magi didn't return to Herod, but having been warned by God they went home a different way, Herod was furious. He ordered the slaughter of every baby boy under the age of two in the region of Bethlehem. People who seek to hold on to power, to stay in control, use people… they deceive people… and they ultimately hurt people. Though Herod died shortly after this, the Herod spirit didn't die. It's alive and well and threatens us today. Every one of us has areas of our lives that we struggle to submit to Jesus' rulership – private areas over which we desire to stay on the throne, protected places where we want to wear the crown. Ask yourself these questions and see if the Lord may identify a Herod spirit in your life.In what area of my life do I have a tendency to use people? At work? In your family? Perhaps you control or manipulate people to get what you want.In what area of my life am I guilty of deceiving people?  Whether you openly lie or leave others with false impressions, where do you shade the truth to maintain control?In what area of my life am I willing to hurt people? It may not be physical harm, but you're willing to hurt people through gossip or slander. Through lashing out in anger or rage. Or maybe you freeze them out and seek to punish them through passive aggression. Are you willing to lay down your crown and surrender control to the true King, Jesus?

Hey there! Welcome to the podcast. In today's episode, we'll be taking a look at the hope and the promise of Christmas, from Luke chapter two. This is a time of year when hope is a watchword, and traditionally has been a season when people are much more open to receive kindness and blessings and when you say Merry Christmas and God bless you, maybe they don't do that little uncomfortable wince that happens at times. This year, let's take a few minutes and consider the hope we have because of Christmas, and because of all the promises God made and then fulfilled when Jesus came to earth as a newborn baby.    You're listening to The Burt (Not Ernie) Show, part of the Spark Network, now playing in the Edifi app. That's Edifi, spelled E D I F I, and you can find it in your device's app store. The hope and the promise of Christmas is our focus today, and this is episode number 201.    As I did some research for this episode, I read that there were at least eight specific prophecies that were fulfilled when Jesus was born in Bethlehem. Now of course, Jesus fulfilled hundreds of prophecies when He lived on this earth, and died and rose again. And the remainder will absolutely be fulfilled at His second coming. But regarding His birth in Bethlehem, we find the fulfillment of prophecies from Genesis 22:18, Numbers 24:17, Isaiah 7:14 (that one is a common Christmas card verse, for good reason), Isaiah 9:6-7, Daniel 9:25-26, Micah 5:2 (one of my favorite verses for this time of year), Jeremiah 31:15, Hosea 11:1 which does tie in with the birth of Jesus in Bethlehem.    The Bible truly is an amazing book, God's Word is profound. And at Christmastime, I hope it has a profound impact and blessing on your life. I say this a lot, but I think it needs to be said often -  not only are God's promises true…they are true for you. He loves you enough to make promises to you and then to keep those promises. And that's where hope comes in for us - we have such great hope because we've seen Him keep His promises, and in the midst of tough times, we hold on to our hope that He will continue to keep His promises. This is not hope misplaced; it's the opposite - perfectly placed hope. Hope in the Lord ends up being the kind of faith that yields results. It's unseen at first, those results, but ends up being seen when our faith becomes sight. If you need some hope right now, well, this is for you.   From the Amplified, Luke chapter two verse 1 says: Now in those days a decree went out from (the emperor) Caesar Augustus, that all the inhabited world (the Roman Empire) should be registered (in a census).  So this was more than just an emperor deciding he needed to take a census and get an accounting of all the citizens of his empire. This was done at the Lord's behest, because of His will. One of the things that is easy to overlook in the Christmas story, to take for granted, because we've heard this passage so many times, year after year, it's easy to overlook the significance of the way God's hand, albeit invisible, was at work to move the heart of Caesar to order this census that required everyone to return to their own city, hometown, the town for their family's official registration. And if we just read verse one, that single sentence, and move right on into the rest of the chapter, we can miss the reality that's here for us, for our lives, right now. God moves in the lives and in the hearts of men, women, and children. He moves little people, and that's like little in quotes because all mankind is so precious to Him, nobody is small or miniscule to Him. Our God is not in the business of marginalizing people. He created each one, knitting each in their mother's womb, has engraved us on the palms of His hands, and no one is without value to Him. So that's not what I mean when I say little persons. What I mean is, societally, the shepherds were not big wigs, power players, in that culture. And yet, they were given the message, the announcement, of the birth of the Messiah, the very Son of God. Amazing! The emperor, Caesar Augustus, was moved to issue the decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world, all his empire, and so mankind was on the move, headed to their hometowns to be registered as part of this mandatory census. Don't miss this. There is great importance and value to this moment in time - and it's valuable and important for your life. The God of hope is the God who wants you to believe that He can move mountains and the hearts of kings, rulers, those in authority, in order to bring about what He has in store for your life. He is not arrogant and narcissistic, that He would move those mountains and turn those hearts in ostentatious ways. He does not need to be loud about it, because He has no insecurities, needs no validation - so He can do it without there being a lot of fanfare about the WHY behind what He is doing.  And yet, He may still announce what He is doing, with great praise and rejoicing for His goodness toward us, He may still announce it to those who are not a big noise, household name, someone important in the world's eyes. This should amaze us, and simultaneously cause hope to spring up anew in us regarding our own lives and circumstances.    Got something you have been praying about, carrying a burden about, for a long time? Weeks? Months? Years, even? The message of Luke two verse one is for you, then. Now in those days… My friend, for you right now, it might just be one of “those days” when God begins to move on your behalf.    The hope we have when we live in a state of expectancy, of believing God for what we see no evidence of, well…that kind of hope is real hope. Romans 8:24-26 says that hope that only hopes for what is seen is no hope at all (that's not verbatim, of course). What kind of hope do you and I have? Is your hope doing any stretching in your life? Are you having to hope more, trust more, believe more, as the days wear on and the promise isn't yet fulfilled? Then that's actual, biblical hope.  Proverbs 13:12 tells us that hope deferred makes the heart sick, and that is true. So from these two passages about hope, which seem to be in conflict with each other, what do we learn? How do we make them make sense to us when we need to hold on to our hope in Jesus, and yet we can relate to the feeling of hope deferred making us heart sick? When your faith is not sight, and you cannot even begin to fathom how it will ever become sight, how do you hold on to hope and keep holding on?  Hope really does have a name, and His name is Jesus. Some moments are simply crawling through the crowd on your hands and knees, pressing and pushing to get to Jesus, reaching out and just skimming the edge of His robe, knowing that's all you can do, there is no more gas in the tank, you're spent, without Him it's over…that's what it is like sometimes. It's really that rough sometimes. Sometimes the biggest part of our faith journey ends up being hanging on to Jesus, hanging on to our hope in Him, when we are getting awfully heartsick and nearing the point of more than we can bear. (Spoiler alert: if you have not yet had a moment in your life when you were maxed out beyond what you ever dreamed you could handle, well, keep walking with Jesus and that will be your experience. It isn't easy street, this discipleship life. It's daily taking up your cross and following after Him, it's knowing that the servant is not greater than the master and as they treated Him, so shall they also treat everyone who follows Him. It is a somewhat hard knock life, this life with Jesus, but these hard knocks are the hardest it will ever be and for the unbeliever, this life is the best it will ever be. Eternity is worth living for, my friend, because Jesus is there and He has gone ahead of you to make ready a place for you, that where He is, you may one day also be. It's hard, but it's such a good hard.) Hope deferred does make the heart sick. It's absolutely true. But the point at which we feel our hope has been deferred for too long is not usually the same point at which God, in His sovereignty and providence, knows our hope has been too long deferred.  Trust Him, even when, especially when, it's been a long, hard road.  The journey to Bethlehem was not easy for Mary, or for Joseph. The labor and delivery, also not easy. But they were exactly where God wanted them to be for that moment in time. And they HAD to be there, according to Caesar's decree. Everyone had to be counted and registered…and likely, taxed, too. So, all around not ideal, at least from a human point of view. But thank God we have the option, the choice, the ability thanks to the Holy Spirit who indwells us, to look at the less than ideal, difficult times of life via God's point of view. Thank God that we have the Bible, full of all it's raw honesty about people and sin and life, and also full of God's love and intervention and His righteousness and His fair judgements and standard that played out at Calvary - thank God we can choose to face our most not so easy moments knowing that the God who was at work in the lives of those we read about in the Bible is also at work in and through our lives and circumstances.    I want you to know that God sees you. He really does know how hard this is, how long it has been going on, and how ready you are for it to be over. We can want our deliverance to come so badly that we get hyper focused on it, and we miss the presence of God in these places. Perhaps that's just me, maybe I am the only one who does that. It takes a reset sometimes to find God in our midst when life is overwhelming.    And I'd like to mention something about overwhelm. It isn't always what you'd think. Sometimes that one thing that pushes you right over the edge into a state of overwhelm is so small, such an itty bitty little thing, you can hardly believe that THAT was what did you in. But the old saying about the straw that broke the camel's back? A single piece of straw does not seem like much, and by itself, it sure isn't much, but it can be the thing that adds just enough pressure to be the last straw. Just like the last place you look is where you find something you've been searching for, that's the last place I looked - well, the final straw is the one that breaks the camel's back. Of course it is! The last one is of course the last one. But just like you didn't think that place was where you'd find the item you'd looked for, the last straw is not the one you thought would be the deal breaker and game changer.    Overwhelm happens to all of us. We need to give others grace in their overwhelm, and not judge them so severely when we don't understand how that little old straw could be the one that is just too much because we have our own pieces of hay, basically, that do us in, too. And give yourself grace as you navigate these things. Of course, if you are in sin as a result of your straw breaking your back, repent and don't delay in that. Today is the day to repent, to make things right with God, being sure to keep short accounts with Him. But giving yourself grace does not need to be exclusive of repentance. They go hand in glove, because the Cross is the standard for all the grace we receive and all the grace we extend to others and to ourselves, and we only access that grace by coming to the Lord in repentance and receiving Jesus as our Savior, since He was the propitiation for our sin. Give grace, to yourself and to others. Because grace is what you need when you find yourself in that place of hope getting close to being deferred for too long. Grace is yours, if you'll have it.    And next time you find yourself wondering why it is taking so long for God's promises to be fulfilled, remember Luke chapter two, verse one. God is still on His throne, He has not abdicated and He never will. He is still sovereign over all. He is still faithful and true and dependable and consistent and true to His word. God is, after all, still God. And He is still moving the hearts of kings and rulers to accomplish His perfect will in His perfect timing. Who knows? That time might just be today. And if you find yourself in a position where you can glorify the Lord, whether you are a big noise and a big name or no-name who makes no noise that is noticeable in this world, you just go on and rejoice like those shepherds did. Because the God who delivered the message of Jesus' birth to them is the same God who is still delivering messages to people today. Rejoice like the whole world is watching, even if nobody else is around. The darkest night can be pierced with angels rejoicing and the light of Jesus shining bright. What will you do when He shows up in your life? And what will you do while you wait for Him to show up?    Merry and Blessed and Joyful and Hope-filled Christmas to you. Thanks so much for joining me for this episode, and I do hope you'll share it with a friend or on social media this Christmas season.  God bless and I'll see you next time. Bye bye.

Luke 2:1–21 (Listen)The Birth of Jesus Christ2:1 In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered. 2 This was the first registration when1 Quirinius was governor of Syria. 3 And all went to be registered, each to his own town. 4 And Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the town of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, 5 to be registered with Mary, his betrothed,2 who was with child. 6 And while they were there, the time came for her to give birth. 7 And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn.3The Shepherds and the Angels8 And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. 9 And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with great fear. 10 And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. 11 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. 12 And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.” 13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, 14   “Glory to God in the highest,    and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!”415 When the angels went away from them into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let us go over to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.” 16 And they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in a manger. 17 And when they saw it, they made known the saying that had been told them concerning this child. 18 And all who heard it wondered at what the shepherds told them. 19 But Mary treasured up all these things, pondering them in her heart. 20 And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them.21 And at the end of eight days, when he was circumcised, he was called Jesus, the name given by the angel before he was conceived in the womb.Footnotes[1] 2:2 Or This was the registration before [2] 2:5 That is, one legally pledged to be married [3] 2:7 Or guest room [4] 2:14 Some manuscripts peace, good will among men(ESV)

Luke 2:1–21 (Listen) The Birth of Jesus Christ 2:1 In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered. 2 This was the first registration when1 Quirinius was governor of Syria. 3 And all went to be registered, each to his own town. 4 And Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the town of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, 5 to be registered with Mary, his betrothed,2 who was with child. 6 And while they were there, the time came for her to give birth. 7 And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn.3 The Shepherds and the Angels 8 And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. 9 And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with great fear. 10 And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. 11 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. 12 And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.” 13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, 14   “Glory to God in the highest,    and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!”4 15 When the angels went away from them into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let us go over to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.” 16 And they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in a manger. 17 And when they saw it, they made known the saying that had been told them concerning this child. 18 And all who heard it wondered at what the shepherds told them. 19 But Mary treasured up all these things, pondering them in her heart. 20 And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them. 21 And at the end of eight days, when he was circumcised, he was called Jesus, the name given by the angel before he was conceived in the womb. Footnotes [1] 2:2 Or This was the registration before [2] 2:5 That is, one legally pledged to be married [3] 2:7 Or guest room [4] 2:14 Some manuscripts peace, good will among men (ESV)

We will be looking at a very familiar portion of Scripture today, but I'd like to put a twist on it by starting with a verse that, as a recovering control freak, I've had to lean into again and again. It reminds me of who's really in charge…and who's not. “Many are the plans in a man's heart, but it is the Lord's purpose that prevails.” (Prov. 19:21)With that in mind, let's look at Luke 2. It starts, “In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world.”Let's set the stage here. In the days of Jesus, the Romans ruled the western world. Their military might was legendary. They were ruled by a series of “caesars” or czars. The first of whom was Julius Caesar. When he was assassinated in 44 B.C., a power struggle ensued. The assassins and conspirators Brutus and Cassius battled for control with Mark Antony and Julius Caesar's adopted son, Octavian. When Mark Antony sought to grab power for himself by making an alliance with Egypt and Cleopatra, Octavian took them both on and won. Octavian returned to Rome as a hero and was declared to be the new Caesar.He soon changed his name to Augustus (which means “the revered one”) and quickly took absolute power.About 10 years into his reign, there was an astronomical phenomenon (probably a comet). The Romans declared that it was actually Julius Caesar ascending to the heavens to join the other gods and become a god himself. If Julius was Augustus' father, what does that make him? “The son of God.” From then on, Augustus would be celebrated and worshiped as “God incarnate.”Notwithstanding his newly claimed status, Augustus still had a massive army that needed to be bankrolled. How would he do that? By raising taxes. So, now we come to Luke's account. A decree goes out that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. Why? So they can be taxed!A king lifts his finger in Rome and 1500 miles away, in an obscure little village, a poverty-stricken couple undertakes an arduous 70-mile journey. And because they did, Mary's child was born in Bethlehem, a little town that just happened to be the one mentioned in an ancient Hebrew prophecy about the Messiah. You might be tempted to think this was an amazing coincidence. That all this “came to pass” because Augustus gave a decree. He was in control.But who really made the decree? Whose will was really being done? Whose kingdom is it really?  Luke is exposing the illusion that we all live with – that we are mere pawns in the hands of human powers – whether they are government officials or city ordinances, whether they are employers or coaches, whether they are former friends or ex-spouses.  His point is clear: Human powers may make their plans and plot their strategies, “but it is the Lord's purpose that prevails.”  He is ultimately the One who is on the throne, and His will is that which will prevail.What was the slogan of the day 2000 years ago?  “Caesar is lord.”  What does Christmas tell us? “NO, HE'S NOT! Jesus is Lord.” God is in control. He was fully in charge then and He is fully in charge now.   Text: Luke 2 Originally recorded on December 10, 2006, at Fellowship Missionary Church, Fort Wayne, IN

The true nexus of power in the Roman Empire wasn't in the Emperor's box but in the shadowy ranks of the Praetorian Guard. First established in 27 BCE by Caesar Augustus, the first Emperor of Rome, they acted as his personal army and security escort. But it didn't take long for their influence in Rome to become more insidious … they became kingmakers and power brokers with the ability to topple a dynasty at the drop of a hat. They were the ones who decided who lived and who died.Dan and Dr Simon Elliot, a leading voice in Roman History, walk the streets of Rome where Praetorian conspiracies and assassinations spilt imperial blood on the stones of the eternal city… This is episode 4 of 4 in our mini-series 'Gladiators'.Produced by Mariana Des Forges and edited by Dougal PatmoreSign up to History Hit for hundreds of hours of original documentaries, with a new release every week and ad-free podcasts. Sign up at https://www.historyhit.com/subscribe.  

How does one go about creating the Roman Empire? That is exactly what Caesar Augustus did, and on this episode, we dive into the strategies, tactics, and approaches that made it possible. --- Sponsors: https://gainsinbulk.com/pages/ben - Use code Ben to get a free shaker and $20 off Vesto - All of your company's financial accounts in one view HTTOTW Premium - For all endnotes, takeaways, and bonus episode, subscribe to How to Take Over the World Premium --- Stay in touch: Twitter/X: @BenWilsonTweets Instagram: @HTTOTW Email me: Ben@takeoverpod.com Sources: Augustus: The Biography by Jochen Bleicken Augustus: First Emperor of Rome by Adrian Goldsworthy --- Writing, research, and production by Ben Wilson. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit andrewsullivan.substack.comMusa is a sociologist and writer. He's an assistant professor in the School of Communication and Journalism at Stony Brook University. His first book is We Have Never Been Woke: The Cultural Contradictions of a New Elite. He also has a great substack, Symbolic Capital(ism).For two clips of our convo (recorded on October 9) — how “elite overproduction” fuels wokeness, and the myth of Trump's support from white voters — head to our YouTube page.Other topics: raised in a military family; a twin brother who died in Afghanistan; wanting to be priest; his stint as an atheist; converting to Islam; how constraints can fuel freedom; liquid modernity; going to community college before his PhD at Columbia; becoming an expert on the Middle East; getting canceled as a professor because of Fox News; his non-embittered response to it; engaging his critics on the right; my firing from NY Mag; the meaning of “symbolic capitalism”; how “white privilege” justifies the belittling of poor whites; deaths of despair; the dilution of terms like “patriarchy” and “transphobe”; suicide scare tactics; fairness in sports; books on wokeness by Rufo, Kaufmann, Caldwell, and Hanania — and how Musa's is different; Prohibition and moralism; Orwell's take on cancel culture; the careerism of cancelers; the bureaucratic bloat of DEI; “defund the police”; crime spiking after June 2020; the belief that minorities are inherently more moral; victim culture; imposter syndrome and affirmative action; Jay Caspian Kang's The Loneliest Americans; Coates and Dokoupil; Hispanic and black males becoming anti-woke; Thomas Sowell; and the biggest multi-racial coalition for the GOP since Nixon.Browse the Dishcast archive for an episode you might enjoy (the first 102 are free in their entirety — subscribe to get everything else). Coming up: Damon Linker on the election results, Anderson Cooper on grief, David Greenberg on his new bio of John Lewis, Christine Rosen on humanness in a digital world, and Mary Matalin on anything but politics. Sadly Peggy Noonan can't make it on the pod this year after all. We tried! And a listener asks:Is Van Jones still coming on the show? You said he was going to, and now his upcoming interview hasn't been spoken about for the last few episodes.He said he would but his PR team put the kibosh on it. Please send any guest recs, dissents, and other comments to dish@andrewsullivan.com. Our episode with Sam Harris last week was a smash hit, driving more new subs than any other guest in a while. A fan writes:I always really like your conversations with Sam Harris. You always seem to bring out the best in each other.A listener dissents:On your episode with Sam Harris — besides the fact that it was an “interview” of you, not him — your insistence that Harris and Biden haven't done anything about immigration needs more investigation. For example, see this new piece in the NYT:The Opinion video above tells the little-known story of how Mr. Biden and Ms. Harris worked behind the scenes to get the border crisis under control. I found that they acted strategically, out of the spotlight, since the earliest days of the administration. They even bucked their own party and fulfilled Republican wishes, though they've gotten little credit for it. Their hard work finally paid off when illegal crossings dropped significantly this year.Sam said toward the end of the episode, “I hope we haven't broken the Ming vase here. … We both want a Harris presidency. … It's the least bad option.” I listen to Kamala all the time, and your rants against her are warranted and should be done, but honestly, the two of you have done more to smash the bloody vase than carry it!I tried to make it through that NYT op-ed video. It's an absurdist piece of administration spin. There was nothing to stop Biden enforcing his 2024 executive order in 2021. He didn't because his core policy is expediting mass migration, not controlling it. As for Harris, it's not my job to be her campaign spokesman. I know a lot of legacy journalists seem to think it's their job to push her over the finishing line. But that has never been my thinking. I'd like both Trump and Harris to lose. But if I had to pick one, it would be Trump. The idea of four years of Harris is soul-sucking.Sam is also putting the episode on his own podcast, so the conversation was intended to be a two-way “interview” — though the Dishcast in general is always meant to be a conversation. On the following clip, a listener writes:You're absolutely right. But this is so obvious, and the fact that Harris can't articulate what would clearly be advantageous to her indicates she is incapable of clearly articulating positions. She's turned out to be the same horrid candidate she was in 2019. Unfortunately.Another writes about that clip, “As a prosecutor she makes a great case against voting for Trump, but she doesn't have the defense attorney skills needed to make the case for herself.” This next listener has an idea for a Sister Souljah moment:Sam asked you what Harris could do in the final stretch, and you both agreed that she needed to show some independence from Biden and also distance herself from the craziness of the woke left. I want to point you to my latest Substack post, which points out an opportunity she currently has to do both in one press conference.In the past couple of weeks, the Biden Justice Department has sued the Maryland State Police, the Durham Fire Department, and the South Bend Police Department over “racially disparate”  employment tests. They are testing skills such as literacy, basic math, and the ability to communicate, all in the context of doing the actual job. The DOJ is calling it discrimination because black people do worse on the test than white people. There is also a physical test where you have to prove you have the minimum level of fitness to do the job, and the DOJ calls that sexist because fewer women are able to pass.This is obviously complete insanity. Anyone but the wokest of the left understand that these jobs require standards, and that implementing any objective standards is likely to have a disproportionate impact on race and gender. While Maryland and Durham quickly settled the suits and signed consent decrees, South Bend is fighting it. South Bend is, of course, the hometown of former mayor Pete Buttigieg. Harris could schedule a campaign event in South Bend with Mayor Pete where she defends the South Bend police and pledges that a Harris administration will drop this suit and not prosecute any similar cases. This could be a “Sister Souljah moment,” as Sam called for. It would also show independence from Biden, since his DOJ has been filing these suits. It could bring the last few undecideds over to her side. Dream on, I'm afraid. This kind of race discrimination and abandonment of objective standards in hiring is at the heart of Harris' leftism. She hasn't renounced it. Au contraire. Here's another clip from the Sam pod:Another listener writes:I happen to subscribe to both the Dishcast and Sam's podcast, so I know you both well. I'm so surprised that you two can't understand the appeal of Trump to one half of the country. Let's be honest and clear: Trump voters care LESS about preserving the system as-is (the peaceful transfer of power) than about RESCUING the nation from the cancer of woke. It is almost completely cultural.Trump supporters despise the anti-white, anti-male, anti-Christian hatred that has been so deeply ingrained into our daily lives. We all live in terror for wrong thought and wrong speech. We feel disgust for being called racist, misogynist, xenophobic — with the knowledge that woke progressives control the apparatus of power in our media, corporations, entertainment, and education. It is cancer when our entire body politic has been so thoroughly invaded by this malignant force.We are sick of this cancer. Sick. Sick. Sick. Kamala is a shill of this force. Her tepid disavowals (and convenient pivot to the center) are not genuine. We know who she is. She protects and metastasizes this cancer into every touchpoint of our lives. Sam says she is “no woke Manchurian candidate,” but he is wrong. Even if he IS right, why should we trust her when she so clearly made her wokeness clear in 2019? We shouldn't.The left is cancer. Trump is radiation. No one wants cancer and no one wants the radiation, but that's where we are.I feel you. I do. It's what makes this election so painful for me. Another listener comments on “the subject of why the Democrats and Harris can't say what the majority of Americans want to hear on issue after issue”:Isn't the fundamental problem very simply that the Overton window of the Democratic Party doesn't allow it? Harris may know that Americans want to hear a defense of fracking, but can a Dem really speak in favor of fracking at a San Francisco dinner party and expect to be invited back? Can a Dem really speak against the trans activist position? Against DEI? Against abuse of asylum rules at the Southern border? Of course not. Those are not acceptable positions in Dem activist and donor circles. Contra what Michelle Goldberg tried to say when she was on your podcast, or what Rahm Emanuel told Sam Harris, the activist position sets the limits of acceptable discourse among Democrats.All of us who live in NPR-listening land know this. I would never say what I actually think about gender revolutionaries at a social gathering in my left-liberal community, because it'd be the last social event I'd ever attend. It might be safe to talk about the need for some actual policing these days — that issue might get a few cautious nods — but everyone in the room would be nervous, because who knows if one of these guests we've never met before who works at a nonprofit is going to turn out to be a social justice activist and trot out “systemic racism” and the carceral state and all the rest of it. Maybe Rahm and Michelle are right that most Democrats don't actually buy most of far-left activist thinking, but that doesn't mean it's okay to disagree. And remember, most Democrats are riddled with guilt about everything: climate change, systemic racism, patriarchy, theft of land from Indigenous peoples … it's all our fault, isn't it? So we need to be humble, check our privilege, and listen to the activists and their moral truths.By the way, I listened to your podcast with Sam only a week after finishing Tom Holland's Dynasty — about Caesar Augustus and his heirs through Nero. I know comparisons between America and ancient Rome can get tiring, but holy s**t: an elite appealing to the masses not as one of them, but as their tribune? Check. Entertainment value winning the day every time over serious speeches by humorless patrician elites? Check. Amusing the plebs by publicly humiliating the most esteemed senators, reducing them to flattery and groveling? Check.  I'm not saying Trump is knowledgeable enough to copy a Caesar's playbook intentionally, but he seems to have stumbled on a remarkably similar (and similarly effective) approach.I have explored the Roman parallels myself. One more listener on the episode:The conversation with Sam Harris was really what we need right now: insightful and often humorous in light of the grave situation we face. It's not Trump I'm afraid of; it's everyone else. If Trump does not win, I fear there will be violence — and he won't even have to call for it this time. Whether it's business or politics, the leader sets the tone, and Trump's tone is angry and permissive of trampling perceived enemies. I don't think it's a stretch to predict self-formed Trump militias springing up as a pretense to defend election integrity, hunt down illegal migrants, or generally “keep order” where another organization has failed to do so. I pray that I'm wrong. Another thing to consider is that if Trump loses, we won't be rid of him. He's controlled the Republican Party and influenced the culture wars for the last four years, and we won't see that endSam brought up Nixon, and it's something I've been thinking a lot about in the Trump years. Watergate — the foolish break-in itself — was nothing compared to what Trump has said and done since 2016, but the scandal took down the president because the public perceived that the president's behavior was reprehensible to the office. Nixon KNEW he lied and had enough integrity to actually resign over it. I was a kid then and can remember how appalled people were by Watergate and thought of Nixon as a disgrace. How things have changed in 50 years.I'm also worried about leftist violence if Trump wins. Another writes, “I thought your episode with Tina Brown was tremendous”:She's an exceptionally astute and admirable woman. I immediately took out a full year to her new substack. It was touching to listen to the account of her model marriage to Harold Evans (I think the Sunday Times was at its greatest when he was the editor). And the description of her autistic son and their time together shows her to be a beautiful, loving mother, as well as a towering intellect.I particularly appreciated the comparison you both made of US to UK politicians:Like you, Andrew, I studied at Oxford in the mid-1980s and always felt that institutions like the Oxford Union (where I saw you, Boris, and Micheal Gove perform, amongst others), and later Prime Minister's Question Time, toughened up UK politicians to a degree that is unheard of in the US. I actually had the pleasure of witnessing Question Time live when Thatcher was PM. What struck me was not only the substantive issues raised during those sessions, but also the sheer brilliance of the repartee. Thatcher gave as good as she got, and she made mincemeat of the Labour opposition. Question Time compared to the deliberations of the fatuous Congress is like comparing Picasso's work to that of a 5-year-old finger painter. It doesn't even bear thinking about how Biden would cope in an environment like that, let alone Trump. Both you and Tina come from that glorious UK debating tradition, and it shines through consistently throughout the episode.My massive disappointment when I first watched the US House and Senate was related to this. So unutterably tedious. Another on the Tina pod:If not too late, perhaps this will offer some help to Tina Brown, as your other listeners have suggested communities for adults with special needs: Marbridge in Austin, TX. Our daughter is only 12 and she has a rare genetic condition that basically means she will not be able to fully integrate into society. We are in the process of learning about opportunities for her to have some level of independence as she ages, if she so desires.Here's a suggestion for a future guest:I'm glad you are gaining new subscribers, but I think it may be time to cull the herd and have on someone who will make the smugs' blood boil. The brilliant and caustic Heather Mac Donald — one of a few prominent conservatives to excoriate Trump for January 6th — is scrupulously honest yet merciless in attacking left-wing hypocrisies on topics ranging from race and policing to the DEI takeover of classical music.She sure is. Amy Wax anyone? Another rec:I know you have quit Twitter somewhat, so I am not sure if you know who Brianna Wu is, but I strongly suggest looking her up. Bari Weiss just interviewed her:I think you and Wu would be absolutely fantastic, and I think you would really like her — as would Dishheads.Yep, great rec — we're already planning to reach out to Wu. Another plug for a trans guest:In case you didn't see it, here's an interesting interview with a trans man, Kinnon MacKinnon, who researches detransition. I found it refreshing to hear someone speak about detransition from an empirical perspective. It's a real phenomenon that to date has either been denied by trans activists or turned into red meat for the right-wing. A fact of logic so often forgotten is that two things can be true at the same time. Thus, adults who are truly trans should be allowed to live the lives they want; AND society should protect children against fervent trans activists who would rush them into radical “gender-affirming care.” The reality of sex (as opposed to gender) needs to be more firmly established in the public's understanding. In short, we need more honest brokers in the discussion about trans issues if we are ever going to find the proper balance between allowing adults to make their own life decisions and respecting biological females on issues where sex (not gender) should be the overriding variable on which to make public policy and healthcare decisions. I don't know if Kinnon MacKinnon is truly an honest broker, but he seems to have potential. Perhaps you could consider him for a Dishcast.I passionately defend the right of trans adults to do whatever they need to make their lives as fruitful as possible. It's children — and children alone — I'm concerned with. On the topic of sex-changes for kids, a frequent dissenter writes:When confronted with evidence that only a minuscule percentage of kids in the US are being prescribed puberty blockers and hormones in the late 2010s, it's an artless dodge to try to reframe the discussion around the experiences of 124 kids who presented at a UK gender clinic in the 1990s, the vast majority of whom never transitioned at all. You cannot use that data to imply that the majority of kids being prescribed puberty blockers in America today are actually gay kids destined for detransition and regret. You are distorting the facts to fit your narrative.Time and time again, the evidence shows that there is no epidemic of “transing” gay youth.