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It's become popular to compare our current political moment with the rise of the Nazi Party in Germany in the 1930s, but what if the better comparison is Germany in the 1920s? A new article by Paul Miller argues that to avoid the rise of authoritarianism, Christian in the United States should do the hard work now of creating an alternative political narrative rather than the easy work of demonizing one side or the other as “Nazis.” Skye talks to Lee Camp, the creator and host of “No Small Endeavor,” about creating spaces for diverse people to have important conversations and why fear is the barrier to practicing godly hospitality. Also this week—evangelicals aren't entirely opposed to science. But, just like everyone else, they reject the science that contradicts their politics. Holy Post Plus: An Evening with the Holy Post: Kaitlyn Schiess and Shane Claiborne https://www.patreon.com/posts/124791463/ Ad-free Version of this episode: https://www.patreon.com/posts/125154482/ 0:00 - Show Starts 3:56 - Theme Song 4:15 - Sponsor - Rocket Money - Find and cancel your old subscriptions with Rocket Money at https://www.rocketmoney.com/HOLYPOST 5:25 - Sponsor - Glorify - Sign up for the #1 Christian Daily Devotional App to help you stay focused on God. Go to https://glorify-app.com/en/HOLYPOST to download the app today! 7:20 - Politics and Believing Science 21:43 - America's Weimar Moment 49:15 - The Leader's Way Podcast - Want to enrich your ministry to bring hope to the world? Listen to Christian thinkers and leaders at https://berkeleydivinity.yale.edu/podcast/holypost 50:05 - Sponsor - Bushnell University - Equip yourself to be transformative in your community! Go to https://www.bushnell.edu 50:55- Interview 57:40 - When Did No Small Endeavor Become so Broad? 1:03:02 - Hospitality vs Fear 1:15:25 - Hospitality Across the Spectrum 1:23:13 - End Credits Links from News Segment: Are Evangelical Clergy Outliers on Science? Yes and No https://religionnews.com/2025/03/20/are-evangelical-clergy-outliers-on-science-yes-and-no/?utm_medium=social A Confessing Church for America's Weimar Moment: https://thedispatch.com/newsletter/dispatch-faith/christians-confessing-church-america2/?utm_source=ActiveCampaign&utm_medium=email&utm_content=A%20Confessing%20Church%20for%20America%20s%20Weimar%20Moment&utm_campaign=A%20Confessing%20Church%20for%20America%20s%20Weimar%20Moment Other Resources: No Small Endeavor Tour: https://www.nosmallendeavor.com/events Holy Post website: https://www.holypost.com/ Holy Post Plus: www.holypost.com/plus Holy Post Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/holypost Holy Post Merch Store: https://www.holypost.com/shop The Holy Post is supported by our listeners. We may earn affiliate commissions through links listed here. As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases.
Get ready to uncover a shocking chapter in history as we explore how Adolf Hitler rose to power by manipulating Christian beliefs. This episode of Coffee with Conrad will equip you with spiritual discernment to recognize similar deceptions today. Join Conrad from conradrocks.net as he delves into the disturbing reality of how Hitler gained support from Christians in Germany. Learn about the tactics used and why it's crucial to have a faith anchored in the truth of God's Word. Key Takeaways:Understanding how Hitler used the promise of national greatness to appeal to patriotic Christians.The Nazi Party's exploitation of Christian fears of communism to gain support.The insidious nature of "Positive Christianity" and how it distorted core Christian doctrines.The rise of the "German Christians" movement and their attempt to align Christianity with Nazi ideology.The courageous resistance of the Confessing Church and key figures like Dietrich Bonhoeffer and Martin Niemöller.The Catholic Church's response, the Reichskonkordat, and instances of both resistance and silence.Hitler's private contempt for Christianity and his long-term goal to eliminate it.The historical role of antisemitism in Christian theology and how the Nazis exploited it.The power of Nazi propaganda in manipulating religious symbols and language.The impact of economic troubles in Germany on the rise of the Nazi Party.Practical takeaways for today: prioritizing Bible study, developing spiritual discernment through prayer, fact-checking teachings against Scripture, speaking out against injustice, being cautious about the mixing of patriotism and faith, and critically evaluating religious leaders.The ultimate importance of loyalty to God above any earthly leader or movement.Call to Action:Share this important message to help others learn from history.Visit Conrad's Blog for more insights and discussions.Check out the show notes for links to relevant resources.Links:Sophie Scholl: The Final Days (Movie): Watch Sophie Scholl: The Final Days | Prime Video - Amazon.comHitler's Last Days: The Death of a Nazi Regime (Audiobook): Hitler's Last Days Audiobook | Free with trial - AudibleConnect With Me:Blog: conradrocks.netSocial Media: Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | TikTokFree Resources:Try Audible Free TrialGet Readwise Free TrialStart Amazon Prime Free TrialMy Work:Books: Open Your Eyes | Night TerrorShop: Team Jesus T-ShirtsSupport: PayPalFor Creators: Get $10 off StreamYard840
In this next teaching on Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Leah explores his leadership in the Confessing Church and his efforts to disciple Christian resistance in Nazi Germany. She shares how Bonhoeffer trained young pastors in an underground seminary, centering their faith on intentional community and the radical teachings of Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount. His writings from this period, Discipleship and Life Together, challenge us to embrace “costly grace” —a faith the resists injustice rather than conforming to empire. Leah also reflects on the story of Martin Niemöller, a pastor who initially supported Hitler but later repented and spoke out, reminding us that resistance can take many forms. This teaching invites us to examine our own discipleship, the communities that shape us, and how we are called to live out faith in ways that challenge oppression.Review Leah's notes here and listen to or watch the teaching below.
It's Christmas time so it's time for a more light-hearted episode! In this potpourri I work through: my favorite and least-favorite Christmas music, my favorite and least-favorite Christmas food, my best-ever Christmas present, Jesus' first-century audience and their worldview, the snare that the Democrats laid for themselves and then walked into, what I think about the college football playoffs and who I'm rooting for, the massive cultural shift we are witnessing and how it came about, the many businesses that are forsaking DEI in their HR offices, and describe what is happening to DEI on college campuses. I also variously explain what a Confessing Church is, tell a Christmas joke, and narrate the recent assassination of a Russian general and what that was all about, or what might happen in and through that. And there's even more. Come laugh and think and reflect and pray with me!
Dietrich Bonhoeffer was born in 1906, and was a German Lutheran pastor, a figure noted in the theological world for his neo-orthodox views, and his most popular book, The Cost of Discipleship. Bonhoeffer is more widely remembered as an anti-Nazi dissident who was a key founding member of the Confessing Church which opposed the Nazis. In the 1940s, Bonhoeffer joined the German underground, but was arrested and incarcerated at Tegel Prison, where he remained for over a year. However, In 1945, documents were discovered that named Bonhoeffer among the dissidents and orders for his execution were made directly by Hitler himself. Bonhoeffer received no fair trial and had no lawyer to defend him. To humiliate him, Bonhoeffer was marched in the nude to his gallows with a few other victims, although the time for execution may have been drawn out and all the more traumatic. According to one source, Nazis were known to interrupt a hanging, revive the victim, and then continue the process repeatedly before final execution. Today Dietrich Bonhoeffer is considered a hero. The question posed in this brief episode is, why is Bonhoeffer a hero for so many, but John Brown is not?
Join America's Roundtable (https://americasrt.com/) radio co-hosts Natasha Srdoc and Joel Anand Samy with film producer John Scanlon. The conversation is focused on the feature film — "Bonhoeffer: Pastor. Spy. Assassin" which premieres in theaters on Nov. 22, 2024. americasrt.com (https://americasrt.com/) https://ileaderssummit.org/ | https://jerusalemleaderssummit.com/ America's Roundtable on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/americas-roundtable/id1518878472 Twitter: @john_scanlon307 @ileaderssummit @NatashaSrdoc @JoelAnandUSA @supertalk America's Roundtable is co-hosted by Natasha Srdoc and Joel Anand Samy, co-founders of International Leaders Summit and the Jerusalem Leaders Summit. America's Roundtable (https://americasrt.com/) radio program - a strategic initiative of International Leaders Summit, focuses on America's economy, healthcare reform, rule of law, security and trade, and its strategic partnership with rule of law nations around the world. The radio program features high-ranking US administration officials, cabinet members, members of Congress, state government officials, distinguished diplomats, business and media leaders and influential thinkers from around the world. Tune into America's Roundtable Radio program from Washington, DC via live streaming on Saturday mornings via 65 radio stations at 7:30 A.M. (ET) on Lanser Broadcasting Corporation covering the Michigan and the Midwest market, and at 7:30 A.M. (CT) on SuperTalk Mississippi — SuperTalk.FM reaching listeners in every county within the State of Mississippi, and neighboring states in the South including Alabama, Arkansas, Louisiana and Tennessee. Listen to America's Roundtable on digital platforms including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon, Google and other key online platforms. Listen live, Saturdays at 7:30 A.M. (CT) on SuperTalk | https://www.supertalk.fm
In this sermon by Chris Romig, the focus is on Reformation Sunday, commemorating Martin Luther's decisive act on October 31, 1517, when he nailed his 95 Theses to the church door in Wittenberg, challenging the medieval church's practices. Romig highlights the enduring relevance of Luther's courage, drawing a direct line to contemporary Christian responsibility. Romig invokes the memory of Dietrich Bonhoeffer, whose sermon in 1932 called the complacent church to action against the rising tide of antisemitism and Nazi ideology in Germany. Despite immense risks, only a minority of 3,000 pastors out of 18,000 joined the Confessing Church in resisting Hitler's regime. This historical context serves as a somber reminder of the cost of standing for truth and righteousness. The sermon emphasizes the biblical call for Christians to be "salt and light," based on Jesus' teachings in the Sermon on the Mount. Romig underscores the necessity of Christians engaging in societal and political arenas, notably through the act of voting and addressing morally complex issues such as abortion, always grounded in biblical principles. Through poignant testimonies, such as Leana Rebolledo's decision to choose life for her child under harrowing circumstances, Romig illustrates the transformative power of God's grace. These stories call Christians to balance personal freedoms with moral obligations, advocating for the voiceless and standing firm in the truth. Romig also references historical figures like William Wilberforce to stress the importance of speaking out against injustice. The sermon concludes with a solemn prayer for wisdom and strength, urging believers to faithfully bear God's light and truth in a challenging world. Romig's message is a powerful call to honor the legacy of the Reformation by engaging courageously and faithfully in the moral battles of our time.
Join America's Roundtable (https://americasrt.com/) radio co-hosts Natasha Srdoc and Joel Anand Samy with Emmanuel and Camille Kampouris, producers of the feature film presenting the life and legacy of an iconic leader — Bonhoeffer: Pastor.Spy.Assassin. Emmanuel and Camille Kampouris share about the forthcoming feature film Bonhoeffer: Pastor.Spy.Assassin arriving in theaters on November 22, 2024. The project in the making for some 12 years, brings to the forefront the life and legacy of a German pastor and theologian who joined a high-level group with plans to remove Adolf Hitler from power. Angel Studios, the studio behind the global blockbuster Sound of Freedom, acquired worldwide rights to the feature film Bonhoeffer: Pastor.Spy.Assassin. From Angel Studios: "As the world teeters on the brink of annihilation, Dietrich Bonhoeffer is swept into the epicenter of a deadly plot to assassinate Hitler. With his faith and fate at stake, Bonhoeffer must choose between upholding his moral convictions or risking it all to save millions of Jews from genocide." “Silence in the face of evil is itself evil: God will not hold us guiltless. Not to speak is to speak. Not to act is to act.” ― Dietrich Bonhoeffer Official Trailer of the Film | Bonhoeffer: Pastor. Spy. Assassin https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WZM90izJ8sI americasrt.com (https://americasrt.com/) https://ileaderssummit.org/ | https://jerusalemleaderssummit.com/ America's Roundtable on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/americas-roundtable/id1518878472 Twitter: @bonhoeffer2024 @ileaderssummit @NatashaSrdoc @JoelAnandUSA @supertalk America's Roundtable is co-hosted by Natasha Srdoc and Joel Anand Samy, co-founders of International Leaders Summit and the Jerusalem Leaders Summit. America's Roundtable (https://americasrt.com/) radio program - a strategic initiative of International Leaders Summit, focuses on America's economy, healthcare reform, rule of law, security and trade, and its strategic partnership with rule of law nations around the world. The radio program features high-ranking US administration officials, cabinet members, members of Congress, state government officials, distinguished diplomats, business and media leaders and influential thinkers from around the world. Tune into America's Roundtable Radio program from Washington, DC via live streaming on Saturday mornings via 65 radio stations at 7:30 A.M. (ET) on Lanser Broadcasting Corporation covering the Michigan and the Midwest market, and at 7:30 A.M. (CT) on SuperTalk Mississippi — SuperTalk.FM reaching listeners in every county within the State of Mississippi, and neighboring states in the South including Alabama, Arkansas, Louisiana and Tennessee. Listen to America's Roundtable on digital platforms including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon, Google and other key online platforms. Listen live, Saturdays at 7:30 A.M. (CT) on SuperTalk | https://www.supertalk.fm
Join us in this enlightening interview with Dr. Aaron Simmons as we delve into the life and legacy of Dietrich Bonhoeffer, a pivotal figure in Christian theology known for his profound resistance against oppressive powers. Dr. Simmons shares insights into Bonhoeffer's influences, his relationship with Lutheranism and the Confessing Church, and his enduring views on sacrifice and ethical resistance. This discussion explores how Bonhoeffer's teachings can inspire us to stand up to positions of power and advocate for the oppressed, highlighting his significant impact on modern Christian thought and activism.Support the Show.--------------------------If you would want to support the channel and what I am doing, please follow me on Patreon: www.patreon.com/christianityforall Where else to find Josh Yen: Philosophy YT: https://bit.ly/philforallEducation: https://bit.ly/joshyenBuisness: https://bit.ly/logoseduMy Website: https://joshuajwyen.com/
Welcome to day three of Camp My Seminary Life, campers! Today, we have a guest counselor here to speak to us about Heremeneutics. Joshau Noel, the host of Systematic Geekology, Dummy 4 Theology, and The Whole Church Podcast, has three reasons why he thinks Hermeneutics is important. Hermeneutics has played a role in his life story, feeds his quest for understanding why we believe what we believe, and...gives him lots of poop jokes? Shop: https://my-seminary-life-store.creator-spring.com/Buy Me a Coffee: buymeacoffee.com/mslpodContact: emailseminarylife@gmail.comFacebook & Instagram: @myseminarylifepodAMP: https://anazao-ministries.captivate.fm/The Confessing Church: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61562080810420Going Collecting: @goingcollecting
Welcome to day three of Camp My Seminary Life, campers! Today, we have a guest counselor here to speak to us about Heremeneutics. Joshau Noel, the host of Systematic Geekology, Dummy 4 Theology, and The Whole Church Podcast, has three reasons why he thinks Hermeneutics is important. Hermeneutics has played a role in his life story, feeds his quest for understanding why we believe what we believe, and...gives him lots of poop jokes? Shop: https://my-seminary-life-store.creator-spring.com/Buy Me a Coffee: buymeacoffee.com/mslpodContact: emailseminarylife@gmail.comFacebook & Instagram: @myseminarylifepodAMP: https://anazao-ministries.captivate.fm/The Confessing Church: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61562080810420Going Collecting: @goingcollecting
Dietrich Bonhoeffer, a famous twentieth century Christian, was a dynamic and occasionally controversial theologian who became a household name because of his character and courage. When it mattered the most, in a time when many of his fellow Germans—including pastors and priests—embraced Hitler and the Nationalist ideas of the Third Reich, Bonhoeffer stood with conviction. After the Nazi rise to power in 1933, the bulk of German Protestant groups submitted to the oversight of pro-Nazi leaders. These so-called “German Christians” compromised the eternal truths of God to a racist, statist, and eugenicist totalitarian regime. Because of their compromise, they were left free to practice their faith, as long they did not transgress Nazi doctrine. Bonhoeffer, with others such as Martin Niemöller and Karl Barth, did transgress. They also stood against compromising churchmen. Bonhoeffer helped found the dissident Confessing Church and underground seminaries and was among those who published the defiant Barmen Declaration. Rejecting his earlier pacifism, he took on an active role in resistance to Hitler's tyranny, eventually joining the plot to assassinate the madman. Though Bonhoeffer has been rightly praised for his faithfulness and courage in each of these activities, his most courageous act may have been simply going home. In the early years of the Nazi terror, Bonhoeffer went first to the United Kingdom and then the United States, taking up teaching positions in a free, safe part of the world. His conscience, however, did not let him remain in safety while his nation was facing and committing such evil. In 1939, just weeks before the war began, Bonhoeffer returned to Germany. Writing to the American theologian Reinhold Niebuhr, he explained, “I will have no right to participate in the reconstruction of Christian life in Germany after the war if I do not share the trials of this time with my people.” Despite his courage, Bonhoeffer wasn't perfect. His theology, at times, strays and is puzzling. In fact, one of his most important co-laborers, Karl Barth, had his own theological complications and moral failings. This is a theme that frequently emerges in Christian history. Figures as prominent as Martin Luther and Martin Luther King, Jr., though used by God in incredible ways, were flawed in behavior and belief. This fits well with the heroes described in Holy Scripture. The author of Hebrews, in chapter 11, offers a list of champions for God that is rightly described as the Bible's Hall of Faith. Even the best of the list, men like Abraham and Moses, are as famous for their flaws as their victories. In the cases of some who are included, like Samson, Gideon, and Jephthah, it's difficult to understand how they are even heroes. Yet there they are included among the others. The danger in refusing to honor the imperfect isn't just the temptation to whitewash others' sins while excusing our own. It's also the temptation to wait for an imaginary tomorrow when everything is just right rather than working today to oppose what's wrong. And it is here that we can learn another lesson from Bonhoeffer. In his book Ethics, he called on Christians to be faithful in the here and now, writing, Do and dare what is right, not swayed by the whim of the moment. Bravely take hold of the real, not dallying now with what might be. Not in the flight of ideas but only in action is freedom. Make up your mind and come out into the tempest of living. For Bonhoeffer, the Christian faith must be lived in the time and place in which God places us. In that sense, courage and faith are inseparable. We must do the right thing, even if the cost is great and even if we feel inadequate for the task. God has called you and me into this tempest of the living. As James instructs, Christianity is not merely believing the right things but doing them, empowered by the Spirit given to us in Christ Jesus. This will mean risk. It may mean failure. But it's through the imperfect faith of His people that God is at work renewing His world. This Breakpoint was co-authored by Dr. Timothy Padgett. For more resources to live like a Christian in this cultural moment, go to breakpoint.org.
Sermon by Greenville Presbyterian Theological Seminary student and intern, Mr Joshua Morrison.
This is the 3rd and last installment in our fullsome review of Erwin Lutzer's Hitler's Cross. In earlier episodes, we saw what Hitler's intention way. He was being deception, pushing the church out of the picture. Most of the church cooperated. Some did not. They were called “The Confessing Church.” Many of those pastors couldn't […] The post The Churches' Experience in Hitler's Time : Losing or Finding Life appeared first on Jesus Pattern Son.
Episode 175 In response to Hitler's "cancelling" of Jewish people from full participation in German life, Deitrich Bonhoeffer helped to draft the Barmen Declaration. This document served to draw a clear line in the sand between the National Reich Church that was subservient to Hitler, and the Confessing Church which was fully submitted to Jesus Christ as its Head. What was shocking was that most pastors refused to sign the document! They suffered from either a lack of theological clarity or a lack of moral courage, or both! They chose to sit on the sidelines and do nothing. Only 3,000 pastors had the courage to stand against the Nazi regime. Twelve thousand pastors decided to stay out of "politics" and go on with business as usual. The result was the Nazi holocaust. What lessons are there to be learned for the Church in America today? That is the focus of this podcast. Find out more at https://ron-johnson-discipleship-podca.pinecast.co
Sermon based on Matthew 10:32-39
The Confessing Church was formed in Germany in May 1934 as an alternative to the German Nationalist Church which was complicit with Nazism. Dietrich would play a key role in its formation and work. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/allan-r-bevere/message Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/allan-r-bevere/support
Have you ever heard about that famous German pastor who was pitted against Hitler in the 1930s? Now I'm not talking about Dietrich Bonhoffer—no, I'm talking about Pastor Paul Schneider, one the greatest witnessers of a German to his nation…or, for that matter, to the whole world! Tortured and martyred by his fellow German citizens—the Nazis—just what is Schneider's story? And what does that story mean to us about the focus and risk of a robust Christian life? Join Kevin as we take a sobering—and exhilarating—look into the life and death of Pastor Paul Schneider! // Download this episode's Application & Action questions and PDF transcript at whitestone.org.
Dietrich Bonhoeffer (1906 – 1945) was a German Lutheran pastor, theologian, and anti-Nazi dissident who was a key founding member of the Confessing Church. His writings on Christianity's role in the secular world have become widely influential and his book The Cost of Discipleship is described as a modern classic. To learn more about his life and renewal legacy, hear from Pastor Nicholas Abraham, Lead Pastor of Reformation Bible Church in Navarre, Ohio, and author of Living Together in Unity with Dietrich Bonhoeffer (Lexham Press, 2023).
Co-hosts Doug Sweeney and Kristen Padilla talk to Paul House and Angela Ferguson about a few female figures in the Confessing Church and their ministry.
Co-hosts Doug Sweeney and Kristen Padilla talk to Paul House and Angela Ferguson about a few female figures in the Confessing Church and their ministry.
Title: A Confessing Church Text: Acts 4:1-31 Series: A Revealing Church Preacher: Rev. Shawn Slate
The Confessing Church (Matthew 16:13-28) | 021223 by One Ancient Hope Presbyterian Church
Psalm 84; 1 Kings 17; Magna et Mirabilia --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/christanglican-hotsprings/support
As we end our series through the Apostles' Creed, we look back on how our beliefs should change how we live in this world. From 1 Timothy 3:14-16, we see that Jesus is worthy of our faithful confession and fruitful conduct.
Many folks assume that after 50 years at Sojourners, they know what Jim Wallis will say. In this excerpt and the full version that is part of the podcast "Imagination Restor(i)ed," you will hear Jim fully identify as an Evangelical, call this a Bonhoeffer moment for a new Confessing Church, and note that we must go "neither left nor right but deeper." For the subscription to this and one full year of podcasts like this subscribe for 9.95 at https://poynt.godaddy.com/checkout/415bf8c0-3554-4af3-a592-a5934c760734/ImaginationRestoried.
Deitrich Bonhoeffer was a German Lutheran pastor, theologian, anti-Nazi dissident, and key founding member of the Confessing Church. His writings on Christianity's role in the secular world have become widely influential, and his book The Cost of Discipleship is described as a modern classic. Apart from his theological writings, Bonhoeffer was known for his staunch resistance to the Nazi dictatorship, including vocal opposition to Hitler's euthanasia program and genocidal persecution of the Jews. He was arrested in April 1943 by the Gestapo and imprisoned at Tegel prison for one and a half years. Later, he was transferred to Flossenbürg concentration camp where he was executed. Links to information... Christian History: Deitrich Bonhoeffer; German Theologian and Resister 20 Influential Quotes by Dietrich Bonhoeffer The Cost of Discipleship by Deitrich Bonhoeffer Letters and Papers from Prison by Deitrich Bonhoeffer Life Together by Deitrich Bonhoeffer ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Infinite thanks to ALL of you for listening! I pray you find what you are looking/searching for - and more - here! Please keep listening and share the show with as many people as you feel it would benefit/help! Check out our website!! This is an incredibly easy way to access the show, show notes, listen to the show, request prayers, and contact me! https://faithandmorepodcast.wixsite.com/my-site Contact me at... faithandmorepodcast@gmail.com or at anchor.fm/faith-and-more IF you would like to make an offering to/for the show, you can find the show's Amazon "wish list" at this link... Faith and More Podcast Wish List #hellotosoul #logicandthebible #martinluther #lutheran #mystics #mysticism #loveyourself #forgiveness #faith #hope #love #peace #digdeep #healing #trulyamazing #faithandmore #dietrichbonhoeffer #bonhoeffer #thecostofdiscipleship #theologian #lettersandpapersfromprison #lifetogether --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/faith-and-more/message
Pastor Kevin Hancock Exodus 1:1-22, 2:23-25
Folly(ies) of the week, Dietrich's defense to his accusers, the posing "threat" of the Confessing Church, and why Dietrich is being persecuted. "Hope refuses to be put to shame."
Dietrich Bonhoeffer (1906 – 1945) was a German Lutheran pastor, theologian, anti-Nazi dissident, and key founding member of the Confessing Church. His writing on Christianity's role in the secular world have become widely influential.
A second mark of a healthy church is a church filled with people who confess correct things about Jesus' nature and character.
‘Been here, done that' is a mini-series reflecting on five stories from church history and their wisdom for today. On this final week we look at the German Confessing Church. Taking place during the lead-up to World War II, this story is one of courageous fidelity to Christ and examples of costly discipleship amongst great pressure to compromise. As it's still level 3, we're sending it with love for you to enjoy on Sunday, written and read by Dan Sheed.
‘Been here, done that' is a mini-series reflecting on five stories from church history and their wisdom for today. On this final week we look at the German Confessing Church. Taking place during the lead-up to World War II, this story is one of courageous fidelity to Christ and examples of costly discipleship amongst great pressure to compromise. As it's still level 3, we're sending it with love for you to enjoy on Sunday, written and read by Dan Sheed.
Deitrich Bonhoeffer (1906—1945) was a pastor, theologian, spy and conspirator against Hitler's Third Reich. Bonhoeffer guarded, proclaimed and lived out the Gospel when the fate of Western Civilization hung in the balance. He was executed by the Nazis just weeks before their official surrender in WW2. Bonhoeffer understood that following Christ meant opposing evil, preaching truth, and living fearlessly––and his integrity and insight impact us today.LinksVisit our website: https://www.wellreadchristian.comCheck our our blog: https://www.wellreadchristian.com/blogFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/wellreadchristianInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/wellreadchristianTwitter: https://www.twitter.com/WellReadChrist1Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCfGxz4OH1-hVD0fL9AWR4Xg
What is Confessional Christianity? In this episode I try to dig into the topic of how following Jesus is not easy-going like how so many people are saying. Ok, Let's get it. Please share and follow Bibletheory on Spotify, ITunes, IHeart Radio, Amazon Music, Google Podcast. Follow me on Twitter @thechicanoknox
What is Confessional Christianity? In this episode I try to dig into the topic of how following Jesus is not easy-going like how so many people are saying. Ok, Let's get it. Please share and follow Bibletheory on Spotify, ITunes, IHeart Radio, Amazon Music, Google Podcast. Follow me on Twitter @thechicanoknox
Dietrich Bonhoeffer was a Lutheran pastor, theologian, anti-Nazi dissident, and key founding member of the Confessing Church in Germany during the time of Adolf Hitler. He was ultimately arrested by the Gestapo in 1943 for his outspoken views based on God's Word. He was hanged and martyred for his faith on 9 April 1945 as the Nazi regime was collapsing. Bonhoeffer coined a term called “Cheap Grace.” He said that Cheap Grace “is the deadly enemy of our Church. We are fighting today for costly grace.” Now, obviously while God's Grace is a free unmerited gift and a gift of the highest value and price. Sadly, too many that call themselves Christians treat it of something of little value. Bob talks today about how the Western Church has been ineffective because of holding to “Cheap Grace.” --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/bob-biermann/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/bob-biermann/support
In this episode, Helen and Matthew speak with historian Frank McDonough, about the crackdown on the Confessing Church in Germany in the year 1937. Dr McDonough is Professor of International History at Liverpool John Moores University. The new volume of his book The Hitler Years is available here
In the this episode of Christian Mythbusters, Father Jared debunks the myth that you can follow Jesus entirely on your own. You can hear Christian Mythbusters in the Grand Haven area on 92.1, WGHN, on Wednesdays at 10:30am and Sundays at 8:50am. Here is the transcription of this episode, the audio file is at the bottom. This is Father Jared Cramer from St. John's Episcopal Church in Grand Haven, Michigan, here with today's edition of Christian Mythbusters, a regular segment I offer to counter some common misconceptions about the Christian faith. I know this election season has been difficult on many of you. As the rhetoric and vitriol has increased, you have also probably experienced members of your church saying things on social media, or in person, or even your pastor perhaps saying things from the pulpit, which left you feeling angry and frustrated. Or if you’re not a Christian, you may have been watching Christians during this time and wondered how they can claim to follow Jesus given how they have acted politically at this moment in our country. It may be tempting to want to do with so many people are doing these days, to throw in the towel when it comes to organized religion and just to focus on your own personal relationship with Jesus. Now, as a priest in the Episcopal Church, with an admitted bias toward organized religion, given what I do for a living, I'd urge you not to give up on the concept of church and Christian community. And so, this week I'd like to bust the myth of the idea that you can follow Jesus entirely on your own. Now before I start, I should be clear that some people are indeed called to live lives as hermits, people to whom the Holy Spirit has given a special vocation to live solitary lives devoted to prayer and service. The fact of the matter, though, is that that is not most of us. Most of us need community in order to follow Jesus better and more faithfully. I remember when I was in seminary and it seemed to me that several of my fellow classmates seemed to have a chip on their shoulder about the church, something they wanted to prove, or something they wanted fundamentally to change about the church as she was. That wasn’t me. I went in to Christian ministry because I have a deep and abiding love for the church in all of her imperfect glory. And trust me, in over a decade of ministry as a priest I have seen some of the dark underbelly of Christian community. And yet here I am, continuing to persist and to devote my life as a priest to the community of Christians at St. John’s Episcopal Church in Grand Haven. Like any Christian I been frustrated at times by hierarchy and I have been hurt by those who wear the name of Jesus. But I don’t walk away because the church continues to make me a better Christian. The great German Pastor, Dietrich Bonhoeffer, was an outspoken opponent of the rise of Nazism in Germany, including the complicity of some parts of the Christian church with the racist and fear-mongering horrors of the Nazi regime. Bonhoeffer was eventually executed by the Nazis in 1945 for his resistance. But before then, he actually ran an underground seminary for the Confessing Church, those Christians who refused to accept their government's insistence that you had to hate and fear those who were different than you. And out of that experience, he wrote a book called Life Together: The Classic Exploration of Christian Community. In it he explored the way that persisting in community with other Christians, particularly when it is hard, makes you more like Jesus. Other Christians can help sand off your rough edges.
In the this episode of Christian Mythbusters, Father Jared debunks the myth that you can follow Jesus entirely on your own. You can hear Christian Mythbusters in the Grand Haven area on 92.1, WGHN, on Wednesdays at 10:30am and Sundays at 8:50am. Here is the transcription of this episode, the audio file is at the bottom. This is Father Jared Cramer from St. John's Episcopal Church in Grand Haven, Michigan, here with today's edition of Christian Mythbusters, a regular segment I offer to counter some common misconceptions about the Christian faith. I know this election season has been difficult on many of you. As the rhetoric and vitriol has increased, you have also probably experienced members of your church saying things on social media, or in person, or even your pastor perhaps saying things from the pulpit, which left you feeling angry and frustrated. Or if you’re not a Christian, you may have been watching Christians during this time and wondered how they can claim to follow Jesus given how they have acted politically at this moment in our country. It may be tempting to want to do with so many people are doing these days, to throw in the towel when it comes to organized religion and just to focus on your own personal relationship with Jesus. Now, as a priest in the Episcopal Church, with an admitted bias toward organized religion, given what I do for a living, I'd urge you not to give up on the concept of church and Christian community. And so, this week I'd like to bust the myth of the idea that you can follow Jesus entirely on your own. Now before I start, I should be clear that some people are indeed called to live lives as hermits, people to whom the Holy Spirit has given a special vocation to live solitary lives devoted to prayer and service. The fact of the matter, though, is that that is not most of us. Most of us need community in order to follow Jesus better and more faithfully. I remember when I was in seminary and it seemed to me that several of my fellow classmates seemed to have a chip on their shoulder about the church, something they wanted to prove, or something they wanted fundamentally to change about the church as she was. That wasn’t me. I went in to Christian ministry because I have a deep and abiding love for the church in all of her imperfect glory. And trust me, in over a decade of ministry as a priest I have seen some of the dark underbelly of Christian community. And yet here I am, continuing to persist and to devote my life as a priest to the community of Christians at St. John’s Episcopal Church in Grand Haven. Like any Christian I been frustrated at times by hierarchy and I have been hurt by those who wear the name of Jesus. But I don’t walk away because the church continues to make me a better Christian. The great German Pastor, Dietrich Bonhoeffer, was an outspoken opponent of the rise of Nazism in Germany, including the complicity of some parts of the Christian church with the racist and fear-mongering horrors of the Nazi regime. Bonhoeffer was eventually executed by the Nazis in 1945 for his resistance. But before then, he actually ran an underground seminary for the Confessing Church, those Christians who refused to accept their government's insistence that you had to hate and fear those who were different than you. And out of that experience, he wrote a book called Life Together: The Classic Exploration of Christian Community. In it he explored the way that persisting in community with other Christians, particularly when it is hard, makes you more like Jesus. Other Christians can help sand off your rough edges.
Dietrich Bonhoeffer (1906 – 1945) was a Lutheran pastor, theologian, anti-Nazi dissident, and key founding member of the Confessing Church in Germany. His writings have become widely influential, and his book "The Cost of Discipleship" has been described as a modern classic.Apart from his theological writings, Bonhoeffer was known for his staunch resistance to Nazi dictatorship, including vocal opposition to Hitler's euthanasia program and genocidal persecution of the Jews. He was arrested in April 1943 by the Gestapo and imprisoned. After being accused of being associated with the 20 July plot to assassinate Adolf Hitler, he was quickly tried, and then hanged on 9 April 1945, 3 weeks before Adolf Hitler committed suicide.
- SERMON TRANSCRIPT- Turn in your Bibles to Psalms 2 this morning, as we're gonna meditate on God bringing forth his Son. When it comes to Christmas, I think we Christians, especially older ones, the older we get, we know that things are not as they appear. The holiday, Christmas, has a surface feel to it, and it's there everywhere, everywhere we look. I, for one, enjoy seeing houses get decorated, I like seeing the lights, there are certain houses near us in North Durham that really roll out the red carpet for people. I mean, they put out lights, I don't know what their electric bill is. They even have dedicated radio stations where if you sit in front of their houses, you can listen to a presentation and it's pretty amazing. I'm not certain whether they take them down, I think they may be up year round, and then they just plug them in as though their neighbors don't see them, like in July or August, but there are other houses like us, we put up lights and we love to see it, our neighborhood is decked out and we enjoy that. We also see all the green and red in the malls and the different things, and that's all that kind of surface aspect, but appearances are deceiving. That's not what Christmas is all about, and we Christians know that. I think when it comes to appearances being deceiving, I think about Christmas presents and disappointments I've had over the years. I'm not gonna share them with you, but even quite recently, have you ever been part of a white elephant gift exchange? Alright, you know exactly what I'm talking about. For those of you that don't know what it is, you take something relatively worthless and put it in a very nice box with wrapping paper and ribbon and all that. What's really fun is when you see little kids who don't know the rules of the game, taking part. And so they frequently go to the largest, most spectacular box, and they'll rip off all of the wrapping paper and they'll open up and find a single shoe inside, or a pair of nail clippers, or some piece of lawn decoration like a gnome or something like that. I don't mean to offend those of you that love lawn gnomes, but those are the kinds of things that tend to show up at white elephant gift exchanges. And so, appearances are deceiving. Christmas is about far more than that. The real meaning of Christmas, we know as Christians, is about the indescribable gift I just prayed about, about the gift of the only begotten Son of God. The gift of Jesus Christ, and the gift of salvation, the infinite mystery of the God-man, the incarnation of Jesus Christ being fully God, fully man. Christians have wrestled with the theology of the incarnation from the very beginning when we try to understand. Really, Mary perhaps was one of the very first as she held her little baby boy in her arms, and she pondered the words that the angel Gabriel had spoken to her, how he would be both the son of David and the son of God. And it says in Luke 2, that she pondered these things and treasured them in her heart. When Jesus came into the world, it was a scene of amazing simplicity and weakness, and even poverty. Here was this young Jewish couple, so poor that they could not find decent lodging place in which Mary could give birth to her firstborn, there was no room at the inn, perhaps the most famous words ever spoken about an inn, or a hotel. So it led to Joseph and Mary finding a warm, dry place in a cave perhaps, or a barn or some place where animals were stored in the vicinity of Bethlehem. And she brought forth her firstborn and she wrapped him up with swaddling clothes as the scripture says and laid him in a manger. This's just a box filled with feed for animals. “The real meaning of Christmas, we know as Christians, is … the gift of Jesus Christ, and the gift of salvation, the infinite mystery of the God-man, the incarnation of Jesus Christ being fully God, fully man.” And so here, the only begotten Son of God was laid in a condition so far beneath the way most newborn babies are treated worldwide. This was a picture of weakness and poverty, and of obscurity. The halls of power around the world did not know anything about it that night. Think about the Roman Emperor who was on the throne of power, ruling over a quarter of the population of the world, he knew that Palestine, Judea was part of his domain, but he wasn't thinking much about it, was by his perspective probably a backwater. The Emperor Caesar Augustus had issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world, and that moved populations around, and so his mandate determined the motions of the Jewish nation as a whole, and of Joseph and Mary in particular. But when Christ was born, Caesar Augustus knew nothing about it. It didn't mean anything to him, at all. The Son of God entered the world as an infant, weak, totally dependent. He needed His mother to wrap Him up in cloths, needed his mother to feed him, needed her husband to protect them both and provide for them. They were hardly the picture of omnipotence, hardly a threat to the thrones of the high and mighty. And yet from the beginning of his life to the end, Jesus had mighty enemies that hated him and fought against him and opposed him, that took counsel together, enraged against him. And this sermon is to show the heavenly perspective of that earthly opposition, is to lift all of us as believers in Christ up into the councils of the Almighty, into the throne room of God and see all of that opposition to Christ from that heavenly perspective. To hear Almighty God laugh at the opposition is good for us. It's delightful for us to hear that laugh and to understand how deep, and wise, and powerful that laughter of God is in reference to all of his enemies. Appearances can be deceiving when it comes to opposition to the Gospel, it can be seen that the human opposition to Christianity have the upper hand, that they're actually winning. That they're carrying the day, but appearances can be deceiving. The fact is, Psalm 2 teaches us, that the decree of Almighty God is for the final success of this kingdom of Christ, and nothing can stop it. And he's put his omnipotence behind the spread of the gospel. Psalms 2 tells you how it's going to be with Jesus, the Christ. Almighty God has decreed that he will rule the earth. And Psalms 2 is telling the human race to get with that program. To not fight, to not oppose, to not resist, but rather to find refuge in Christ, and for us to realize the richness of that refuge, and to come into that refuge and find safety in Christ. That's what Psalms 2 all about. So let's walk through it together. I. The Nations Rage Against God’s Son It begins in Psalms 2, verses 1 through 3 with the nation's raging against God's Son. "Why do the nations rage and the peoples plot in vain, the kings of the earth set themselves and the rulers take counsel together against the Lord and against his anointed one." That is the Christ, saying, “let us burst their bonds apart, and let us cast away their cords from us." So it's amazing how the Psalm begins with the rhetorical question, “Why?” It's like, "Why do they do it?" It's nothing but futility. It cannot succeed. So this is heaven asking Earth, "Why?" From the beginning, nations and rulers conspired against the Lord and against his anointed one, conspired against Christ. You remember that shortly after he was born, Joseph and Mary took Jesus to the temple grounds, and there was an old man there named Simeon, a prophet, who had been waiting for the Lord's Christ. He had been assured by God in his own heart, in his spirit, that he would not die before seeing the Messiah. And now the time had come, and he took the baby Jesus into his arms and he said this, "This child is destined to cause the falling and rising of many in Israel. And to be a sign that will be spoken against. So that the thoughts of many hearts will be revealed." In other words, the nations will rage against this baby, the rulers will take counsel against him, they will rage against him. This was immediately, these words were immediately fulfilled by King Herod, Herod the Great. Why was he great? He was great in wealth, he was great in power locally, but not worldwide. He was great because he made big buildings, but he was not a great man, he was an evil man, he was a tyrant, and he was zealous and jealous over his own throne. So much so that he killed his two sons lest they should grow up and topple him from his throne. As a matter of fact, Caesar Augustus heard about this and said of King Herod, "I would rather be Herod's pig than his son." It was this very man who conspired to have all the babies born in Bethlehem, all the boy babies that were born in Bethlehem and its vicinity, who were two years old and under slaughtered, lest this baby should rise up and topple him from his throne. But Herod did not realize how impossible it was to kill this baby. How Almighty God, God the omnipotent sheltered Jesus, the baby Jesus with the shadow of his wings. And did enough to keep him safe, didn't need to do any more, just spoke to Joseph in a dream, to tell him to take Mary and the baby and flee to Egypt until the danger had passed, that was all. He didn't send an angelic army, which he could have done. They were there the night he was born, he could have sent, but instead just did enough to keep him alive and that's enough. But it was impossible for Herod the tyrant to kill the baby Jesus. And so this conspiracy, this rage, this opposition against Christ came from the very beginning of his life. And it went throughout his public ministry, right to the end of his life as well, right to the end of his days. And in his public ministry, throughout his ministry, Jesus had opposition. He had people that rose up against him that actually even conspired to find out how they might kill him. For example, in Matthew chapter 12, Jesus healed a man on the Sabbath and the Jewish leaders that were in opposition then went out and conspired how they should kill Jesus. And so they took counsel together. And so these plots continued day after day throughout the rest of Jesus's life. And culminated, of course, in his trial, in which the Jewish leaders pressured Pontius Pilate, against his will, but conspired together with Pilate to the end that Jesus should be killed, that he would be crucified. It was exactly what these evil leaders had wanted to do throughout Jesus's public ministry. They wanted him dead, and now he was dead. But God raised him from the dead. And within a short amount of time, bold and courageous Christians, followers of the Christ, rose up in his place, filled with his Spirit, and began boldly to preach the gospel to the very same ones who conspired to kill Jesus. And Acts Chapter 4 tells about how Peter and John boldly said, "Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved." What incredible boldness! Now, at that point, the leaders weren't quite ready to kill them, weren't quite ready to physically attack them or torture them, so they release them. And Peter and John went back to their own people, and they gathered the people together to pray and they quoted the same psalm, Psalms 2. Acts Chapter 4:25-28, they said in their prayer, "You spoke, oh God, by the Holy Spirit, through the mouth of your servant, our father, David. Why do the nations rage and the people's plot in vain? The kings of the earth take their stand and the rulers take counsel together against the Lord and against His anointed one. Indeed " they prayed, "Herod and Pontius Pilate met together with the Gentiles and the people of Israel in this city to conspire against your holy servant Jesus, whom you anointed. They did what your power and will had determined beforehand should happen." So even in their plotting against Jesus, they were just fulfilling the decree of Almighty God, even the decree in this Psalm. They were doing exactly what the Sovereign God had wanted them to do. So from the beginning of Jesus's earthly life, through to the end, and then after he was ascended and seated at the right hand of God, his followers, the same rage, and the same counseling together, and same plotting has gone on against the Lord and against his anointed one. So it is today. We Christians are aware, here in America of increasing rise of opposition to Christianity. We are learning more and more, and it's I think a good thing for us to know that we are aliens and strangers in this world, this is not our home. Our citizenship is not here, but in Heaven. And while Christianity has had a comfortable, generally positive relationship with the surrounding culture and with the government for centuries, generally positive, that it seems is a decaying orbit coming to an end. So we can see the aggressive secularization of our culture. I could reach for kind of low-hanging fruit on that and talk about how this or that nativity scene was forbidden in this or that locale. Or the things that Starbucks is or isn't doing with their coffee cups at this time of year. These things are minor. What's worse is the increasing rise of godless or unbelieving world views that are coming with teeth to force Christians to violate their consciences. I heard recently from a member of our church of, this particular man's mother was forced to sign a document that she would refer to transgender people by their preferred pronouns. And if she didn't, she would lose her job. Well, that's gonna bring people quickly to a fork in the road, isn't it? Imagine in a particular ward of a hospital that cared for anorexics, that you are forced to follow those individuals' delusions and tell them that they could stand to lose a little weight. And so we are surrounded, we are in enemy territory, and it's going to become more and more difficult for Christians to stand firm. I think back to the early days of the Roman opposition to the gospel, when the Emperor Decius in the year AD 249, forced Christians to burn a pinch of incense to Caesar, and get a paper certificate saying that it had been witnessed, that they'd done it. And they had to say, “Caesar is Lord” when they did it. And that brought people quickly to the fork in the road. And I wonder what kind of difficulties we're going to have, not just in that one issue, but in more and more issues living overtly for Christ. But the troubles that we American Christians have are as nothing compared to what our brothers and sisters are facing around the world. Many of our brothers and sisters know exactly what kind of counsel the rulers take against Christ in their country. I think about what happened in October in China, where the government sent bulldozers and backhoes and a large crane in a particular province where Christians were gathered together to worship and to pray and they began breaking the building down while the service was going on. This happened in October. The pastors were arrested and imprisoned for, "gathering people to disturb social order." And so we see the rulers of that most populous nation on earth gathering together and taking counsel together against the Lord and against his anointed ones. It's been going on for decades in that country. Or you could think of the leaders of Muslim nations that do the same thing and make life utterly miserable for people to cross over from the lie of Islam to the truth of Christianity, and then the laws are against them, they're incarcerated, they lose their freedom, they lose perhaps, even their lives, where their families are even encouraged to hunt them down and kill them and not prosecuted, because that's just part of their interpretation of Islamic law. Or it could be even at a lower level where governments like the Indian government will give a visa to a missionary wife, but not to her husband, and they know very well that that will keep that couple from going back on the field to continue their work. The government of Russia does the same kind of shenanigans. So those are lower levels of opposition, they're taking counsel together, they're opposing, they're trying to fight. Psalm 2 speaks to all of these situations, all of these circumstances. Behind all of this, we have to see a vast conspiracy. So, you're like, "Wow pastor, I didn't know you're a conspiracist." I actually am. I think there is a deep, dark, intelligent, wicked conspiracy at the highest level, to unify all of these efforts against the Lord and against his anointed one. And you know who's running it? Satan. And he is ruling over the dark opposition to the gospel. Revelation 12 talks about this, how that ancient serpent, the devil, Satan, stood ready to devour the woman and her child, and was unable to do so. So he turned his rage against the believers, the followers, the children of the woman. So it is. Revelation 12. This has been going on, and it continues, and it's going to continue till the end. II. God Laughs at their Rage... and Threatens Them with His Own Rage Well, God laughs at the rage, and he threatens them with his own rage. Look at Verse 4; "The One enthroned in heaven laughs, the Lord scoffs at them." This is for me an amazingly comforting picture of God. The reaction of all of this conspiracy and opposition is heavenly laughter. A laughter of derision. It is impossible to measure how infinitely above their plots and their power he is. It cannot be measured because it is infinite. AW Tozer in his book ‘The Knowledge of the Holy’. He said this, "Forever God stands apart in light, unapproachable. He is as high above an archangel as he is above a caterpillar. For the gulf that separates the archangel from the caterpillar is but finite. But the gulf between God and the archangel is infinite. The more we meditate on the infinite gap between creator and creature, the more we'll understand this laugh of derision, God's omnipotence.” God's throne does not experience the slightest tremor at this human opposition. Doesn't tremble at all. He's not alarmed. He's not at a loss. What to do? He just laughs. Now, you can imagine if every human being on the face of the earth were gathered into one vast plane, I don't know if there'd be one plane that would be large enough, but maybe somewhere in Central Asia, so 7.5 billion people, and all of them gathered in one place, and at a certain signal, they all jumped and landed back down on the Earth at the same time. Would the Earth crack apart? Would the earth shake and tremble? Would there be tidal waves all over the earth because of that? No, it says in Psalm 104:5 that God set the earth on its foundations. It can never be moved. But you know what something? Hebrews chapter 1 says, that Christ's throne is more eternal than the Earth. It's more eternal than the Earth. That's what it says in Hebrews 1:10-12. "In the beginning, oh Lord, you laid the foundations of the Earth and the heavens of the work of your hands. They will perish. But you remain. They will all wear out like a garment. Like a robe, you will roll them up, like a garment, they will be changed, but you remain the same, and your years will never end." That's what the psalmist says ultimately to Jesus, that's what the author to Hebrews says ultimately about Christ's throne. It cannot be shaken. All of the nations are as nothing before the sublime majesty of Almighty God. Isaiah 40:15-17 says, “Surely the nations are like a drop in a bucket. They're regarded as dust on the scales. He weighs the islands as though they were fine dust. Lebanon is not sufficient for altar fires, nor all its animals enough for burnt offerings, before Him all the nations are as nothing, they're regarded by Him as worthless and less than nothing.” So God's laughter of derision is a measure of how threatened he is? Not at all. But it's more than that. There's a deep cleverness and in a fascinating wisdom to God's laughter at his enemies. What he does is he takes their opposition, specific details of their opposition, and turns it around on them and actually uses specific aspects of how they are seeking to stop the spread of the gospel to actually spread the gospel. The clearest example of this is Tertullian, famous statement, "The blood of martyrs is seed." The blood of martyrs causes more Christians to spring up. You can't fight it by killing the Christians. You just make more Christians when people who until that time were afraid to die, saw men and women who were not afraid to die, and they said, "Whatever those people have, I want. I don't have it, and I want it." So that's the laughter of God. You dug a hole, you're going to fall into it while I pass by in safety and I'm gonna actually use the aspects of what you have done to spread the gospel. I was speaking to a mission's leader recently, and he was talking about… I think in heaven, we're gonna find how many laughters of God there were in 20 centuries where specific aspects of their plans were turned around and God used them for his glory. We're gonna find out. But there's a remarkable story, so I was speaking to a mission's leader, and he told me about things, great things that are happening in the Islamic Republic of Iran. Ayatollah Khomeini came in 1979, very famously took over the American Embassy. It was really a watershed moment in terms of the relationship between the West and Islam. And there's a lot of things that changed then in 1979, from that point on, it's like a hinge of history. But one of the things that happened is many, many Iranian Muslims became disenchanted with Islam and were looking for something, something else, not this, and they were open. And God, in amazing ways, began to infiltrate that country with the gospel, and it goes on to this very day. There's an explosion of Christians, of Christianity in Iran. Now, what's interesting is they have very significant health care needs, and they're not looking for missionary doctors to come from the United States. No, not at all. There's no way you could get in with a missionary visa into the Islamic Republic of Iran. So they actually strangely have a connection with the communist government of Cuba, and so they have asked for doctors to come from Cuba. Well, maybe you didn't know there's an evangelical revival going on in Cuba too. And God is doing an amazing work in Cuba. And who do you think is lining up to fill those slots, to go from Cuba over to Iran to serve the people of Iran? I'll just leave it to your imagination to figure out who it is that's going. But wouldn't it be amazing? Wouldn't it be the laughter of God for the communist government of Cuba to pay for missionaries to go to the Islamic Republic of Iran? Now, I'm not saying it's happening, but wouldn't it be amazing if it were? I'm gonna look forward to that part of our heavenly joy and looking backward at what God did to turn the whole thing around again, and again, and again, that's the laughter of God. Psalms 18:25-26, "To the faithful, you show yourself faithful, to the blameless, you show yourself blameless to the pure, you show yourself pure, but to the crooked, you show yourself shrewd." You wanna be crooked with God, He will be shrewed with you. And Psalms 2 just teaches that, God laughs at the plans and turns them around. God also, however, doesn't just laugh, he also threatens them with his own wrath. Look at verses 4-6 again, "The one enthroned in heaven laughs, the Lord scoffs at them. Then He rebukes them in his anger and terrifies them in his wrath, saying, 'I have installed my King on Zion, my holy hill.'" Now, at the end of this Psalm, this threat of God's wrath is made overt, is made plain. You don't have to wonder what he means. It says it. "God will not take the attack on Christ and on His people kindly. He will wait patiently, but at the right time, He will overwhelm all human enemies with His wrath and with His judgment." Psalm 110:1-2, "The Lord says to my Lord, 'Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet. The Lord will extend your mighty scepter from Zion, you will rule in the midst of your enemies.'" It's teaching the same thing as Psalm 2. Now, at the end of the world, I believe, scripture teaches us that the persecution against Christians will reach an almost unbearable crescendo. Jesus said, "Unless those days had been cut short, no one would survive." We're talking about, as I preach to you the Book of Revelation, the reign of the anti-Christ and his hatred of God and of His people. And so the antichrist will establish himself as God, and he will speak words of blasphemy against God, and he will attack the people of God, and he will kill many of them. Daniel 7 makes it very plain, what's going to happen. Daniel 7:21-22, it says, "As I watched this horn was waging war against the saints and defeating them" and defeating them, that means killing them, "until the Ancient of Days came and pronounced judgment in favor of the saints of the Most High and the time came when they, the saints, possessed the kingdom." A few verses later, Daniel 7, 25-26, "The anti-Christ will speak against the Most High and oppress his saints and try to change the set times and the laws. The saints will be handed over to him for a time, times and half a time. But the court will sit," that's the heavenly court, "and his power will be taken away and completely destroyed forever." So God is going to pour out his wrath on that final phase of human government, and the second coming of Christ will happen then, and at that point, there will be no refuge for those that up till that moment have rebelled. With the breaking open of the sixth seal in Revelation 6, we see the seeking for refuge, and they don't find it. Listen to what it says, "Then the kings of the Earth, the princes, the generals, the rich, the mighty, and every slave, and every free man hid in caves and among the rocks of the mountains." What are they seeking? Refuge, refuge, "They called to the mountains and to the rocks, ‘Fall on us and hide us from the face of him who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb, for the great day of their wrath has come, and who shall be able to stand?’" They're seeking refuge from rocks and mountains and caves, and they will not find it. III. God’s Decree About His Son So appearances can be deceiving, right up to the very last moment, it will seem that the anti-Christ forces will be winning, they will have the upper hand, but it is not so. So look at God's decree about his son in verses 7-9, "I will proclaim the decree of the Lord. He said to me, 'You are my son today, I have begotten you. Ask of me, and I will make the nations your inheritance, the ends of the earth your possession. You will rule them with an iron scepter. You will dash them to pieces like pottery.’” So now we are listening to an inter-trinitarian conversation, a conversation between the Father and the Son, between the first person in the Trinity and the second person. Who is telling us about it? Well, first the mouthpiece, David, but he was just speaking by the Spirit. This is really Jesus telling us what his Father told him. Jesus is telling, I want to tell you what my father told me, he made a decree and so God's made an eternal decree about Jesus Christ. All authority in heaven and earth has been given to him. He is the King of kings and the Lord of lords. The text speaks of a decree that's a settled ruling from a potentate, a law written down. Remember the laws of the Medes and Persians if written down, cannot be changed. This is more secure than that. This is a decision by Almighty God concerning Jesus. It's a settled final decision, a decree. And foundational to this decree is the identity of Jesus of Nazareth as the only begotten Son of God, “You are my son today, I have begotten you.” As the ancient Creed said, begotten, not made. Jesus is not a created being, but eternally existed as the second person of the Trinity. But a significant change happened concerning him, he became what he was not before, which was human. “Jesus is not a created being, but eternally existed as the second person of the Trinity. But a significant change happened concerning him, he became what he was not before, which was human.” Now turning around and we were created in the image of God, that is true, but until that point, he had not been human, he didn't have a body, but he was eternally pre-existent. For John 1:1 says, "In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God, and the Word was God." But then in John 1:14, it says, "The Word," and here's a key word, "became flesh." So he wasn't flesh before, then he became flesh, and made his dwelling among us, and we beheld his glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth. So there was never a time Jesus did not exist. Yet the text says, "Today... Today I have begotten you." What does that mean? Today is a time-bound statement, it's a sequence statement, the Alpha and Omega, first and last, beginning and end. So today, something happened. Like there's yesterday, today, tomorrow. So today, something happened. Didn't happen yesterday. Happened today. So what does it mean? Well, when did it get said? Well it got said at Christ's birth. Hebrews 1:5-6, listen to this, "For to which of the angels did God ever say, 'you are my son today. I have begotten you?", that's Psalms 2. None. God didn't ever say that to an angel, he said it to his son, or again, "I will be his Father and he will be My Son." When did he say this, verse 6. And again, when God brings his first born into the world, he says, "Let all God's angels worship him.” So that's the today, when Jesus was brought into the world as human, when he was conceived, when he was born, when he became human. Today I've begotten you. But then it gets said again at his resurrection. Listen to what Paul said, at Pisidia in Antioch, the synagogue there. So he's preaching the Gospel to the Jews assembled in the synagogue. It's Acts 13:32-34, "We tell you the good news, what God promised our fathers, he has fulfilled for us his children by raising up Jesus from the dead. As it is written in the second Psalm, you are my son, today I have begotten you." God raised him from the dead, never to decay. So he says, "Today, I've begotten you," concerning the resurrection, "into an eternally human, glorified resurrected body." Both of these moments, his incarnation and his resurrection show the commitment of Almighty God to the second person in the Trinity being human, the Son of Man, and he still is, he will forever be the Son of Man, forever human. “Both of these moments, his incarnation and his resurrection show the commitment of Almighty God to the second person in the Trinity being human, the Son of Man, and he still is, he will forever be the Son of Man, forever human” I'm amazed the number of Christians, I'll ask, “Is Jesus still human?”, or “Does Jesus still have a body?” And they just, they look at each other and they're not sure. Cause I think I have a reputation as being a kind of a tricky Bible teacher, and they're not quite sure what to say. So let me tell you, if I should ever ask... Or anybody asks, "Does Jesus still have a body?" the answer is, yes. Is Jesus still human? Yes. Is he still the Son of Man? Yes, forever. He is human. But there's a decisive act of God to make him human to begin with, a decisive act of God again that he should be raised up in a human resurrection body. And then God gives an invitation to his son. Psalm 2:8-9, he says, "Ask of me and I will make the nations your inheritance, the ends of the earth, your possession. You will rule them with an iron scepter. You'll dash them to pieces like pottery." So after Jesus Christ died on the cross as an atonement for our sins, God raised him from the dead. Then God lifted him from the surface of the Earth, moved him through the heavenly realms that we can't even understand and seated him far above all those heavenly realms at his right hand. And he said to him, "Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies a foot stool for your feet." Along with that, he invites him, "Ask of me and I'll... " you know how the kings would say that, "Whatever you want. Even up to half of my kingdom." You know how kings would say that? So, this ruler of the universe, God the Father, Almighty God said to His Son, "Ask of me, and I will make the nations your inheritance, the ends of the earth, your possession. I'll give them to you." Well, we don't ever have an overt statement, by the way, Jesus has asked, but he's asked. He has openly asked, and God has granted it to him. And so we get it in the great commission. Jesus came to his disciples after his resurrection and said, "All authority in heaven and earth has been... " what? "given to me." I didn't usurp it, I didn't seize it, I didn't take it. It's been given to me by my Father. And that gives him the right to then build a kingdom. "Therefore, go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I'm with you always to the very end of the age." So that's the right that He has. IV. God’s Invitation to Joyful Worship As they celebrate in Heaven in Revelation 5, after Jesus takes the scroll from the right hand of God, remember that? And they're celebrating wave upon wave of celebration. One of the waves of celebration says this; Revelation 5:9-10, "You are worthy to take the scroll and to open its seals because you were slain, and with your blood, you purchase people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation." We are his plunder, we are his gift, we are part of his inheritance. We are his, we are his. God the Father gave you to Jesus. All that the Father has given me will come to me and I'll raise him up at the last day. You are a love gift from the Father to the Son if you're a Christian, and so you're part of that inheritance that Jesus asked for, and he's gonna get the whole thing, he's gonna get all of the elect, all of them are gonna come. Every one of them are gonna be standing around the throne and they're gonna be wearing white robes, and they're gonna be holding palm branches and saying, "Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne and to the Lamb." Now, it says, "He will rule the nations with the rod of his power." He has the power to dash them to pieces like pottery. He is patient, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance. But at the end of the world, at that crescendo of wickedness, he will dash his enemies to pieces like pottery. The first coming was quiet, silent night, holy night. A little town of Bethlehem. How deep we see thee lie. There's a quietness to the coming of Jesus, it won't be that way the second time. It's gonna be like lightning that flashes from one side and rips the heavens across to the other. No one will miss it. It ends everything. And what will happen? Revelation 19 tells us, "I saw heaven standing open, and there before me was a white horse whose rider is called faithful and true. And with justice, he judges and makes war. And his eyes are like blazing fire, and on his head are many crowns, and he has a name written on him that no one knows but he himself. And he is dressed in a robe dipped in blood, and his name is the Word of God, and the armies of heaven were following him, riding on white horses, and they're dressed in fine linen white and clean. And out of his mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations. He will rule them with an iron scepter. [Psalm 2] He treads the wine press of the fury of the wrath of God Almighty. And on his robe and on his thigh, he has this name written, King of kings and Lord of lords." Well, God gives us therefore an invitation to come and worship, that's how the Psalms ends. We go through verse 10 through 12, "Therefore you kings, be wise, be warned you rulers of the earth. Serve the Lord with fear and rejoice with trembling. Kiss the Son." Christmas is an opportunity to worship. Come and worship. Come and worship, worship Christ, the newborn king. We can come like the angels did that night, and the heavens were open. You see this angelic heavenly hosts, and they're saying, "Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rest." The shepherds took the counsel of the angel and they went to Bethlehem to come and see what the angel had talked about. And when they had seen him, they went home glorifying God and praising him for what they had seen, which was just what the angel had told them. When we think about the Magi, when they finally came, we don't know exactly when, but might have been a year after Jesus' birth, maybe two, no idea. But when they came, they did the same thing. They bowed down and worshipped. And they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold, incense and myrrh. It's all about worship. That's what this is about. This is the purpose of Christmas. To call us away from our idols, to call us away from the idols of our hearts, which Christmas, the secular spirit of Christmas panders to and draws from us the idols of our heart. “This is the purpose of Christmas. To call us away from our idols, to call us away from the idols of our hearts…” V. God’s Warning to the Rebels Christianity, true Christianity causes us to kill our idols to turn away from those things in emptiness and find joy in worship in Christ. That's what the text is calling us to do, to come and worship, but it also gives a warning to the rebels. Look again at verse 10 and following, "Therefore you kings, be wise, be warned you rulers of the Earth, serve the Lord with fear, and rejoice with trembling. Kiss the Son, lest He be angry and you be destroyed in your way for His wrath can flare up in a moment. Blessed are all who take refuge in Him." Do you see at the beginning of the Psalm, how the wicked of the earth, the tyrants are taking counsel together? They're seeking advice from one another to what end? How can we stop Christ? How can we shut him down? You think about the Jewish opponents of Jesus, how they would counsel together and share advice on strategies on shutting Jesus down. Or you can imagine Nero, or some of the other tyrant opposers of the Roman emperors, getting their counsel together, "We have a problem, Christianity is growing, how can we shut this down? Or you can imagine Atila the Hun, and it's like he's bumping into Christianity trying to figure out what it is, and he's got counselors, he's like, "What do we do to stop Christ and to stop Christians?" or the viking plundering leaders, the pagans that were coming, "What shall we do with Christianity? What shall we do with Christ?" You can well imagine one of the 20th century, the tyrants there, you can imagine Joseph Stalin getting some counselors together, "What can we do to shut down Christ and Christians?" or Adolf Hitler? Gathering all of his Nazi cronies, "What can we do about Dietrich Bonhoeffer and the Confessing Church, and all of their opposition to our Nazi reign? How can we stop Christ? How can we stop Christians?" Or Mao Zedong thinking, "What can I do to humiliate Christ? To crush Christ and to oppose. What can I do?" Do you feel like you wish you could, in the spirit of Psalm 2, to just walk in there and say, "Excuse me, I have some advice to give you. Can I give you some counsel? It's good advice. Don't fight Christ. You will lose." You lose. And any specific thing you try to do, God will laugh at it and use it. So let me just tell you, you kings be wise, be warned you rulers of the Earth, serve him with fear and rejoice with trembling. That's what you need to do. And why? Because the sword of Damocles is hanging over your heads, o kings, that's an ancient story about a man named Damocles that was enamored by the trappings of a king, Dionysius in Syracuse, about four centuries before Cicero wrote about it. And he was like, "Boy, I would love to be a king." It turns out Dionysius was a wicked tyrant and had many people plotting to kill him. And he knew it, so uneasy lay the head that wore that crown, and he got sick of this flatterer, Damocles, coming and saying, "I wish I were king." He's like, "Fine, I'll let you be king. You can lay on this gold couch and I'll put you in royal robes, and I'll anoint you with aromatic resins and you can eat whatever you want." And Damocles enjoyed that for a day, but then he looked up and noticed that there was a razor-sharp sword hanging by a single horse hair over his head, what is that? And he realized at any moment that sword could fall. Now, Dionysius that put it there, was afraid of human assassins as most tyrants are. That's why the praetorian guard is around Caesar, that's... They're afraid of human... That's not what they should fear. Jesus said, "Do not fear those who kill the body, and after that can do nothing more to you. I'll tell you who to fear. Fear the one who has the power to destroy both soul and body in hell, yes, I tell you, fear him." That's where the wrath of God leads. Not to a single sword severing a head or puncturing a heart, not at all, the judgment of God. And look what he says at any moment, his wrath can flare up in a moment. You could have a stroke, you could have a heart attack, you could have a sudden brain fever, you could go out in battle and stay well clear of the battle and surround yourself with the mightiest soldiers in your army, and some Archer will notch an arrow at random and fly it through the air and it'll somehow find a chink in your armor. It's happened before. So let me just give you some advice. Be wise, you don't know how much longer that you have. Kiss the Son, lest he be angry and you be destroyed in your way for his wrath can flare up in a moment. But you know something? That's true of all of us, not just the rulers and the kings of the Earth. That's true of every single one of us. James, chapter 4 makes it plain. “Now listen, you who say today or tomorrow, we'll go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money while you don't even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? It's a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. Instead, you ought to say, ‘If the Lord wills, we will live.’ And do this or that.” So it's really a warning to everybody, while you have the time, kiss the Son. While you have the time, believe in him, trust in him. If I could just say it, while you have the time, find refuge in him. Look at verse 12, the final phrase, "Blessed are all who take refuge in Him." The word is poignant, isn't it? It's like a hurricane is coming, and you go to a safe shelter that can survive a hurricane, a tornado is coming, and you go down into that root seller with the iron doors and you're safe from the tornado. It's a life boat when the cruise liner is about to go down in the North Atlantic after having hit an iceberg, it's safety in the face of imminent danger, that's the refuge, and there is no other other than the grace of God, it's the only refuge there is. So find refuge in Jesus, that's ultimately what Christmas is about. It's not about all the trappings and the colors and the paper and the lights. Behind all of that is an offer from Almighty God to give you refuge, refuge in Christ. Close with me in prayer. Thank you Lord for the time we've had to meditate in your word, thank you for Psalms 2. Thank you for how it tells us the truth. Thank you how it gives us joy that we have been delivered from the real danger that faced us, which was the wrath of God, thank you that it shows us that there is a life of joyful worship waiting for us in heaven and that we can experience and drink in now. That we can serve the Lord with joy and with trembling, that with our tears of thankfulness, we can kiss the Son, and with our faithful sacrificial service, we can kiss the Son. Lord, help us to worship him and find refuge in him. In Jesus name, Amen.
Show Notes: In this episode, Will and John discuss what it means to be free, positive and negative freedom, the relationship between freedom and responsibility, and the historical stand against Hitler by the Confessing Church. Bonhoeffer: Pastor, Martyr, Prophet, Spy by Eric Metaxas
Nazism was not a Christian movement in any meaningful sense https://www.gresham.ac.uk/lectures-and-events/two-kingdoms-in-the-third-reichGerman Protestants of the 1920s and 1930s shared many Nazi assumptions and voted disproportionately for the Nazi party, partly in the hope that they might use it for their own ends. One result was the 'German Christian' movement, which tried to create a dejudaised Christianity which the Nazi state would accept with a place in the coming Aryan utopia. Many moderate, sensible Christians in Germany, even in the supposedly anti-Nazi 'Confessing Church', collaborated with the regime in other ways. This lecture will explore how so many Christians came to support Nazism, and how some managed to oppose it.The transcript and downloadable versions of the lecture are available from the Gresham College website: https://www.gresham.ac.uk/lectures-and-events/two-kingdoms-in-the-third-reichGresham College has been giving free public lectures since 1597. This tradition continues today with all of our five or so public lectures a week being made available for free download from our website. There are currently over 2,000 lectures free to access or download from the website.Website: http://www.gresham.ac.uk Twitter: http://twitter.com/GreshamCollege Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/greshamcollege Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/greshamcollege
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