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In his book Bringing Up Boys, Dr. James Dobson compares parents of sons to a bug called a processionary caterpillar. A scientist once tested these caterpillars by making them walk in a circle, with a food source in the middle of their circle. The caterpillars just kept following each other, instead of stopping to eat, and eventually died of starvation, right next to a food source. Dr. Dobson says parents of sons often follow other parents in the same way. They put their son in lots of activities, trying to help him keep up with his peers. But in reality, most of the time, what boys really need is to stop, take a rest, and connect with the source of true life– our Creator God. For more ideas on raising boys to become godly men, visit Trail Life USA or RaisingGodlyBoys.com.
A Sermon for the Eighteenth Sunday after Trinity St. Matthew 22:34-46 by William Klock Who is Jesus? It's important. It's why we have the creeds that put so much emphasis on who Jesus is. Because if you get Jesus wrong, you won't get anything else right. Someone knocks on your door and wants to start talking theology and it sounds weird. Ask them who Jesus is and you'll immediately get to the root of everything. Ah! Mormon…or Jehovah's Witness. What they say about Jesus lays everything bare. The last few days I've been watching videos from a conference that's held annually down in Oregon. I've wondered whatever happened to all the big-name people from the Emergent Church movement of fifteen to twenty years ago. This week I found out. They've moved on from just kind of being theology sketchy to holding annual conferences and seminars to help people deconstruct their faith—which is just the new, trendy way to talk about apostasy. And in what I listened to, it was all about Jesus. Except it wasn't the Jesus revealed in scripture. It was part of the Jesus revealed in scripture. It was the warm-fuzzy Jesus. But they've left out the Jesus who called people to repentance, the Jesus who talked about sin and judgement, the Jesus who stands alone and apart and above every other god and king. They've built a false religion around a false Jesus. Brothers and Sisters, it's imperative that we get Jesus right. Christians have known this since the beginning. Again, it's why we have the creeds. Faith itself doesn't save. Faith itself doesn't forgive sins. Faith itself won't set the world to rights. It's the object of our faith who forgives sins and saves us from death and fills us with God's Spirit and promises we'll be raised to new life as he has been. As the Gospels reach their climax with the crucifixion of Jesus, they bring this to the forefront. Who is Jesus? That's what's going on in our Gospel today from Matthew 22. All these last months our Gospels have been from early in Jesus' ministry, but today we jump almost to the end and to two questions. The first is about the law—asked by the Pharisees. “Which is the most important commandent?” And Jesus gave the right answer and left them fuming and with no grounds on which to challenge him. At the same time, his answer was so correct that it left them and everyone there utterly challenged. And then Jesus turned the tables and asks them a question: “Is the Messiah David's son or David's lord?” “Or is he both?” And you can just picture them totally flabbergasted. No one had ever even thought to ask that question. They had no idea how to answer even though the answer—Jesus—was standing right there in the middle of them. And that was the end of Jesus' confrontations with the leaders of the Jews. The next time he'll see them is when they have him arrested in the garden and then when they drag him before the Jewish council to make their accusations, and later as he hangs on the cross while they laugh and insult him. But hanging over those three scenes, will be the knowledge that Jesus knows the answers to these two all-important questions and that they do not. The very basis of their charges against him hangs on the answers to these two questions that they can't even begin to answer. And Jesus wants them to know (and Matthew wants us to know) that it is precisely in his arrest and trial and crucifixion that Jesus is fulfilling the two great commandments of the law. And it's precisely in his arrest, his trial, and his crucifixion that Jesus is taking his throne as Lord—as the King of the Jews and as David's lord. This is who Jesus is and this is how he's come to rescue his people—from their sins, from death, and to bring them into God's new world. So that first question. This is Matthew 7:34. Matthew writes, “When the Pharisees heard that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees, they got together as a group. One of them, a lawyer, put him on the spot with a question: ‘Teacher, which is the most important commandment in the law?'” The Lord gave Moses 613 commandments and everyone knew which was the most important. It was so important that it had become Israel's “creed” and part of their daily prayer. (It still is today.) Deuteronomy 6:4: “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one.” And it goes on, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.” It wasn't just something you did. The fact that it was every observant Jew's daily prayer meant that it was deeper than just doing. Loving God was supposed to be something that made its way deep, into your very being. It was a heart thing. But the big question is: Did this all-consuming love for God really capture Israel's heart? The Pharisees, of all the people in Israel, knew that it hadn't. They, of all people, not only knew the struggle personally, they knew how Israel on the whole had failed and failed and failed. That was their “thing”. They knew that Israel was still basically in exile despite having returned from Babylon five hundred years before. The Lord's presence had never returned to the temple. Pagans still ruled them. And no one had heard the Lord's voice in centuries. And the Pharisees knew it was because God's people hadn't kept his law, because they hadn't loved him with all their being. Jesus knew this too. A big part of his teaching—think of the Sermon on the Mount or we could go back to Matthew 15 where Jesus talked about cups that are outwardly clean, but filthy on the inside—a big part of Jesus teaching was that Israel was desperately in need of a renewal of her heart. Outward keeping of the law? Awesome! Keep it up. But what God's most concerned about is a keeping of the law—of a love for God and a love for neighbour—that goes deeper than externals—that grows out of a heart that truly loves God above everything else. But how is that even supposed to happen? Before he died, Moses reiterated the law to the people a second time—deuter-onomy, second law. And when he was finished, he exhorted them in Deuteronomy 30:11: “You can do this. It's not too hard. It's not far off. It's not up in heaven. You don't need anyone to bring it down to you. It's in your mouth and it's in your heart so that you can do it.” Neither Moses nor the Lord expected perfect sinlessness. That's why the Lord had made provisions for atonement in the law. The Lord simply expected them to follow his law, to be the holy people he had made them and for whom he'd made provision to stay holy. All they needed to do was to keep their eyes on him, to remember all he'd done for them, to know his word, to live in his grace. And I read that passage from Deuteronomy and I think: Okay. Being faithful to the law wasn't too hard, but that doesn't mean it was easy. If it had been easy, Israel wouldn't have failed over and over and over. Living on this side of the cross. Living as someone into whom God has poured his Spirit to fulfil his Old Testament promises of heart renewal, I still struggle to love God with all my being and to love my neighbours as myself. We all do. Sanctification is a process. The Spirit doesn't change our hearts all at once, although it's often the case—especially with new believers—that the Spirit will do some amazing things to jump start the process. I've been at it fifty-three years and there's still lots to do to dig out and uproot the darkness that lurks in my heart. Every time I think I've cleaned house and then sit down with the scriptures again, I hear God speak, and I find there's always something I missed: the baseboard behind the couch needs dusting, I forgot to scrub that invisible spot under the rim of the toilet bow, or—sometimes—there's a giant pile of garbage in the middle of the living room that I've somehow not noticed all this time. It takes work and prayer and scripture and counsel—and most of all the Spirit—to root all that darkness out and to replace it with love. Really, if I'm honest, I'm kind of sympathetic with the Israelites when they shared their skepticism with Moses. Really, Moses? This isn't too hard? I'm fighting to do it and I'm living in the fulfilment of God's promise of the Spirit to renew my heart? How were they supposed to do it? But maybe that's just it. Too often we think of the law as commandments to be obeyed—mostly in our own strength. Even Israel wasn't expected to do that. That's why God lived in the middle of their camp. He wasn't going to leave them alone to be holy all on their own, because that is impossible. But more importantly, what Jesus says here about loving God and loving each other really starts to come into focus as we see Jesus on the cross, dying for the sins of his people, his enemies, and then rising from death to bring to life God's new creation. Jesus forgives our failures and he invites us into this new life. God even comes to dwell in us—not just in our midst, but in us to renew our hearts. And we start to realise that these commandments aren't orders to be obeyed in our own power and strength. Instead, they're invitations into a whole new way of life—an invitation into new creation. They're a hope that looks forward to the day when God finally sets everything to rights. On that day there will be no more hate and no more pride and no more selfishness and no more sin. We'll be full of love for him and for each other. And so, in light of that invitation and that hope, in the power of the Spirit, we just start to live it now, day by day, bit by bit, welcoming God to expose the darkness and the dirt in our hearts and then gladly cleaning it out and letting light and love and life fill us—day by day and bit by bit, a little at a time as we live in hope—knowing for sure that one day it'll all be done. This is why we live, not only looking back to the cross in gratitude, but also looking forward in a hope made sure and certain by the cross. But wait, there's more. That's only half today's Gospel. That was the first question. The Pharisees asked it. And now Jesus turns the tables (verse 41): “While the Pharisees were gathered there, Jesus asked them, ‘What's your view of the Messiah? Whose son is he?” That probably seems like a weird question to us, but it probably wasn't for them—although they wondered where Jesus was going with it. They knew the answer. It was an easy one. Just as easy as the question they'd asked him. “He's David's son,” they said to him. Nothing controversial there. In fact, Matthew's made it clear right from verse 1 of his Gospel: “The book of the family tree of Jesus the Messiah, the son of David, the son of Abraham.” That's how Matthew's Gospel starts. But, of course, it can't be that easy. So Jesus follows up in verse 43, saying, “Why then does David (speaking by the Spirit) call him ‘Lord' when he says, ‘The Lord says to my Lord, sit here at my right hand, until I place your enemies down beneath your feet.' If David calls him ‘Lord,' how can he be his son?” What? I should spell that like the Internet meme: “Wut?” I can only imagine how they looked around at each other confused. No surprises when Matthew says, “Nobody was able to answer him a single word. From that day on nobody dared ask him anything anymore.” This one would take some time to sink in. I kind of suspect they never did figure it out—at least most of them. Maybe some of them did eventually figure it out in the weeks, months, and years after Jesus rose from the dead. Maybe they believed the stories—or maybe they saw him—and it finally clicked and they believed. But even a lot of Christians who do believe don't understand what Jesus is getting at. So here's his point: Just saying that Jesus is the son of David doesn't give the whole picture. For most of the Jews in those days, “Son of David” brought to mind images of a coming great warrior king. Like a literal David, only greater. And he would restore the kingdom of Israel over which David had once ruled at its height, only greater. The Son of David would expand the borders. He would utterly destroy every one of Israel's enemies. And there would be no end to his kingdom or his reign. He would put Israel at the top of the heap forever. No Solomon with his idolatry and foreign wives would mess it up. No royal rivalries would split it up. No foreign power would ever bring it down. This was their vision of the world set to rights. And we can probably forgive them, because it's easy to read God's promises that way. Just like it's easy for the folks in that deconstruction conference to read all the warm-fuzzy passages about Jesus and to forget the ones about repentance and judgement. The passage Jesus quotes is the first verse of Psalm 110—the psalm quoted more than any other by the writers of the New Testament. It's a psalm attributed to David and it goes like this. Again, Psalm 110 if you're following along: The Lord says to my Lord: “Sit at my right hand, until I make your enemies your footstool.” The Lord sends forth from Zion your mighty scepter. Rule in the midst of your enemies! Your people will offer themselves freely on the day of your power, in holy garments; from the womb of the morning, the dew of your youth will be yours. The Lord has sworn and will not change his mind, “You are a priest forever after the order of Melchizedek.” The Lord is at your right hand; he will shatter kings on the day of his wrath. He will execute judgment among the nations, filling them with corpses; he will shatter chiefs over the wide earth. He will drink from the brook by the way; therefore he will lift up his head. It's right there. The Lord will shatter kings on the day of his wrath. He will execute judgement among the nations, filling them with corpses; he will shatter chiefs over the wide earth.” Again, I can't blame them for expecting the Son of David to come and smash Gentile heads. I can't…except that there's still the two greatest commandments in the law: love God with all your being and your neighbour as yourself. You have to account for both. Like our Article XX says, “It is not lawful for the Church to ordain any thing that is contrary to God's Word written, neither may it so expound one place of Scripture, that it be repugnant to another.” If the Son of David was just coming to crush and shatter Israel's enemies, how would that encourage the people, how would that help the people learn to love God with all their being and (especially) their neighbours as themselves? One of the things we see in Jesus, not least as he goes to the cross to give his life for his enemies, is that when we say that word, “God”, we're talking about the almighty Creator who not only loves his own people, but who loves the whole world. He loves his enemies enough to humble himself, taking on their—our—flesh, so that he could die the death that their—that our—sins deserve, all to reconcile us to himself and to set right the creation we have broken. And he does it all so that we can have a share in, so that we can once again live in his presence in that new creation. And so Jesus' point here is that, if David's son is also David's lord, then the great warrior-messiah the Jews hoped for will, in the end, bring the saving, healing, restoring, setting-to-rights rule of this loving Creator God not only to Israel, but to the whole world. And, yes, there will come a day when the last rebellious enemies of his people who remain, when the last rebels against the Gospel will be crushed and wiped from his creation so that it can finally and fully be set to rights, but in the meantime it means that Jesus the Messiah has not come to bash heads. He will indeed put his enemies—and kings and nations—under his feet, but he will do that as the power of the Gospel goes out to the nations—as the good news of the servant king who gives his life for the sake of his enemies turns their hearts to this God who is unlike any god they've ever known and as Jesus' new creation gives them a glimpse of and hope for a world to set to rights the likes of which they never imagined. And that good news will go out and it will go out and it will go out until the glory of the Lord covers the earth as the waters cover the sea and when it has done its work, then the Messiah will defeat even death itself. Brothers and Sisters, hear the scriptures and let this Jesus sustain you. The Jesus who, like David, has gone to battle—who has done single combat against our enemies, against sin and death at the cross. The Jesus who teaches us by his death what it looks like to truly love God with all our heart and life and mind and strength and to love our neighbours as ourselves. The Jesus who has risen from death and who has poured his Spirit into our hearts so that we can know God's life and God's new creation and live in hope of the day when he will finish what he has started. Not some other Jesus. Not a Jesus we build like a Mr. Potato Head, picking and choosing the parts we like, but this Jesus: the Jesus who is both loving shepherd and warrior king; this Jesus who ate with sinners and condemns sin and calls us to repentance; this Jesus who loves his enemies so much that he gave his life for our sake, but who will also one day wipe from his creation ever last remaining bit of rebellion and darkness and sin; this Jesus and only this Jesus who truly reveals the glory of God and moves our hearts to worship and to love and to loyalty. Let's pray: Almighty God, gracious Father, we give you thank for your promises and for your faithfulness to them. We think today especially of your promises to David and the Prophets that gave them a hope for your Messiah. He is both David's son and your own son, the true Israel, and in him we have forgiveness of sins and the life of your kingdom. We pray that as we live the life he gives, we would also live in hope, knowing your faithfulness and trusting in your promises, and joyfully expecting—and participating in—the work of your Church, empowered by Jesus and the Spirit as we look forward to your renewal of all things. Amen.
The vastness of Creator God and His Plan ‘A' is far greater than our brains can process. The Apostle Paul confesses that ‘now our knowledge is partial and incomplete, and even the gift of prophecy reveals only part of the whole picture.' Now we see things imperfectly, like puzzling reflections in a mirror …' All that I know is partial and incomplete, but then I will know everything completely. (1 Cor. 13:9,12). Jesus, as well, told the disciples ‘There is so much more I want to tell you, but you can't bear it now.' (Jn. 16:12). So, with those words of encouragement, we read the Prophet Isaiah for inspiration, for hope, all the while knowing the full mystery is too much. Isaiah 43:1-7 1. Isa. 43:1 – Yahweh, Kinsman-Redeemer, _________________ 2. Isa. 43:2-4 –Yahweh, Savior, _________________ 3. Isa. 43: 5-7 – Yahweh, Author of the Cosmos, _________________ The one perfectly divine thing, the one glimpse of God's paradise given on earth, is to fight a losing battle – and not lose it. G. K. Chesterton
My guest today on the Online for Authors podcast is LG Nixon, author of the book The Ghost of Darwin Stewart. LG Nixon fuses a page-turning fantasy with a haunting theme and turns it into a spirit filled adventure with quirky and likeable characters the whole family can enjoy. Her stories are lighthearted but carry an underlying message of the importance of a Biblical worldview. Her faith and her love of Biblical studies fuels her imagination and her desire to give teens who might not know about their Creator God, an engaging and entertaining way to learn what the Bible says about Him and to introduce basic spiritual concepts. After a long career in office management, she left the workplace behind and turned to writing. Today, she enjoys writing Biblically based ghost stories filled with mystery, suspense, and other worldly wisdom. She researches and writes full-time from her home in Michigan where she prowls the night star gazing and watching for a supernatural event. She is always in search of the perfect cup of coffee, the softest afghan, a good book and a quiet corner. LG loves to ski, ride motorcycles, travel, and fly small planes; but no bungy-jumping, thank you very much. In my book review, I stated The Ghost of Darwin Stewart by L.G. Nixon is a fast-paced Christian YA Fantasy Thriller. Yes - all of that! Talk about a book that crosses genres! Immediately, I found similarities to The Screwtape Letters by C.S. Lewis as well as a bit of Harry Potter by J.K Rowling. Early on, we meet the Dark Prince who realizes that the best way to get what he wants - an artifact from a girl named Lucy and her friend Schuyler - is to make them doubt who they are. He uses human emotions like anger, fear, and despondency. On the other hand, we meet the High King who uses love, meekness, and kindness. But it is up to Lucy to determine which way she will go, and the choice is not easy - especially when those she loves end up on the wrong end of the Dark Prince's wrath. If you love a good vs evil story with ghosts, demons, and battles, then you are sure to love this book. Subscribe to Online for Authors to learn about more great books! https://www.youtube.com/@onlineforauthors?sub_confirmation=1 Join the Novels N Latte Book Club community to discuss this and other books with like-minded readers: https://www.facebook.com/groups/3576519880426290 You can follow Author LG Nixon Website: https://lgnixon.com/ FB: @l.g.nixon.author IG: @lg_nixon X: @LG_Nixon Purchase The Ghost of Darwin Stewart on Amazon: Paperback: https://amzn.to/3GEOEQA Teri M Brown, Author and Podcast Host: https://www.terimbrown.com FB: @TeriMBrownAuthor IG: @terimbrown_author X: @terimbrown1 Want to be a guest on Online for Authors? Send Teri M Brown a message on PodMatch, here: https://www.podmatch.com/member/onlineforauthors #lgnixon #theghostofdarwinstewart #fantasy #christianfiction #terimbrownauthor #authorpodcast #onlineforauthors #characterdriven #researchjunkie #awardwinningauthor #podcasthost #podcast #readerpodcast #bookpodcast #writerpodcast #author #books #goodreads #bookclub #fiction #writer #bookreview *As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Send us a textMichel-Yves Bolloré is an author and entrepreneur, he co-wrote 'God, The Science, The Evidence' which sold over 400,000 copies in France, Spain and Italy - and is now coming to the UK and US. I wanted to speak to Michel to get an insight as more of a beginner into the comprehensive scientific evidences that God exists, a starting point to exploring more.Some highlights from this episode include why Michel put so much evidence into this book, why an understanding of the bridge between science and faith is important, and why the book has resonated so much in Europe.--You can find more of Michel's work at the following links:- https://michel-yves-bollore.com/en/home-english/- https://www.godthesciencetheevidence.com/Follow For All The Saints on social media for updates and inspiring content:www.instagram.com/forallthesaintspodhttps://www.facebook.com/forallthesaintspod/For All The Saints episodes are released every Monday on YouTube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts and more:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TVDUQg_qZIU&list=UULFFf7vzrJ2LNWmp1Kl-c6K9Qhttps://open.spotify.com/show/3j64txm9qbGVVZOM48P4HS?si=bb31d048e05141f2https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/for-all-the-saints/id1703815271If you have feedback or any suggestions for topics or guests, connect with Ben & Sean via hello@forallthesaints.org or DM on InstagramConversations to Refresh Your Faith.For All The Saints podcast was established in 2023 by Ben Hancock to express his passion and desire for more dialogue around faith, religious belief, and believers' perspectives on the topics of our day. Tune into For All The Saints every Monday on YouTube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and more.Follow For All The Saints on social media for daily inspiration.
The Creator God & The Fool - Part 3
Throughout the Eternal One's love story the Bible there are many references to how creation is an expression of Himself. How His handiwork reveals His glory and majesty. Like a master craftsman, the Eternal One spoke light into existence, and breathed life into His creation. Yet even in its damaged state, the entire cosmos still has elements of its creator. So let us begin this journey through Psalm 19 and see the handiwork of the Eternal One. As you listen be blessed, empowered and transformed in Jesus name.Send us a textFor more information and free resources visit our website jesuslovestheworld.info Also connect with us in discipleship, watch our videos, follow us on facebook or send us an email
We live in an unprecedented time where incredible amounts of information are readily at our fingertips, and at the same time we are starving for wisdom. We know that information is not the same as wisdom, but the keen observer will also recognize that human wisdom will only take us so far. In fact, the whole mess the human race is in, according to the Bible, stems from humanity grasping for knowledge and forsaking the wisdom of Creator God.Still – God offers us his wisdom, again and again, all through the biblical narrative.Our response to God's wisdom will effect the way life plays out, and never more so than when it comes to the wisdom revealed in Christ. How we respond to God's kingdom closing in on this world will have varying results in accordance with our response. That is something Jesus will highlight in the section of Matthew we'll be reading this Sunday, Matthew 11:20-30.Jesus gives some of his harshest rebukes outside of the religious leaders in v20-24. What is the repeated reason for their looming judgement? Do you think Jesus is angry with these people? What do you believe is motivating his words? What appears to be the result of rejecting God's kingdom?In v25-27 we see that everyone didn't reject Jesus' presentation of the kingdom. Who does it say it was revealed to? What do you think is significant in the contrast between the “childlike” and the “wise and clever” ones? What implicit attitudinal response seems necessary for recognizing and embracing God's wisdom revealed in Christ?Some of Jesus' most beautiful words are spoken in v28-30. Here's the thing – read them. Read them again. Read them from the Message version. Read those words out loud and hear them coming from Jesus to you, personally. Tell me how those words make you feel. What is the result of surrendering to Jesus and the wisdom of God?I can't wait to dig into this passage together! Hope to see you Sunday!Click here for a pdf of the teaching slideshow.
The Creator God & The Fool - Part 2
PRESENCE PRAYER SOUL AND SPIRIT The journey of our lives as human beings with a spirit and a soul involves the reordering of the psychikos or soulish self of separation back into alignment with our true spiritual self in Christ through the Spirit of God. We can become transformed from psychikos or soulish to pneumatikos or spiritual. Paul wrote about this to the church in Corinth. And we impart this in words not taught by human wisdom but taught by the Spirit, interpreting spiritual truths to those who are spiritual. The natural (psychikos – soulish) person does not accept the things of the Spirit because they are `spiritually (pneumatikos) discerned. (1 Corinthians 2:13) Adam and Eve started that journey by creating a limited human soul. The first man Adam became (ginomai) a living soul (psychikos) the last Adam (Jesus) became a life-giving spirit (pneumatikos). But it is not the spiritual that is first but the natural psychikos), and then the spiritual. (1Corinthians 15:45) God had created Adam's body from the dust of the earth and then breathed his spirit into that body. Adam now had a created body and a created spirit but then the Bible says a really interesting thing - that ‘man became a living soul'. That word ‘became ‘in the Greek is ginomai, and it means to cause to come into being, to make or create. God did not form a ready-made soul in us, but he created the capacity for us to shape a soul as a personal entity that was to become the expression of who we are in our inner being. That's becomes the face of us. Our soul expresses the mind and heart of our unique God created spirit through the journey of our life, embodied by a physical body. Adam and Eve walked in the garden of Eden with God, and they created blameless or innocent souls. Innocence means to not be harmed or hurt – not feeling forsaken. But harm and hurt and forsakenness came into Adam and Eve's lives through the lie of the serpent. Satan in the form of the serpent deceived them into believing that God had deprived them of the Divine wisdom that they could have if they ate from the tree of knowledge of good and evil. Adam and Eve then created souls that separated their true blameless selves from God's presence. Harm and hurt came into their lives and they became harmful and hurtful people and turned their harmless souls into harmful souls by creating protective helper parts in their souls to avoid feeling forsaken again. These soulish parts created a mindset and a heart-set of separation between them and God. This process became the universal human journey of the soul throughout its life. Our souls are the expression of our spiritual self but our souls have created an inferior version of OUR spiritual self because of the psychikos soul's self-serving needs. It has created parts to it that helped us to get over the problems, to deal with rejection, to advance itself, to be able to establish a reputation, to feel a victim or to be successful. It has become the me-self version of what the God with us self was created to be – God with us – Emmanuel. When we were very young we made immature decisions in our souls to protect us from having to suffer from these early traumas again. Don't condemn yourself for doing that as you had no option. You were there as a me-self person not knowing that God was there with you. and you didn't say ‘Lord come and help me here'. We tried to work out a way to work through these things - and we created strategies that ended up not having the wisdom to actually work. We created ‘helper parts' in our souls. We may have gotten our own way but look what those helper parts have done to our relationships, self worth - our lives. This has resulted in our spirits becoming ‘orphaned'. Jesus said he would not leave us as orphans but that he would send us ‘Another Helper' the Holy Spirit. (John 14:16-18) The individual uniqueness of every person mirrors the fact that we have each been created with a unique spiritual DNA. That spiritual DNA is contained in the spiritual seed of life of the Word (the Logos) that has spoken our spiritual life into being in eternity. That seed word was destined to be expressed from our spirit into and through our soul and embodied by us as a whole person, spirit soul and body. The journey is about our soul being reordered, not deleted. James 1:21… receive with meekness the implanted word (logos seed), which is able to save your souls. But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man observing his natural (genesis) face in a mirror; for he observes himself, goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was. But he who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, this one will be blessed in what he does. Genesis in the Greek means original. So our Genesis self is the original unique spiritual self, designed and created by God's word (LOGOS) before the foundation of the world. (Ephesians 1:4). We discover in the mirror of the Word our true unique spiritual self then we walk away and forget that and get drawn back into expressing our psychikos soulish self again with all its unresolved helper parts. That unique spirit is waiting to be expressed in a saved and healed soul, saved from what we have plunged our souls into because of a mindset of separation from God. That is why we are looking at presence prayer as a pathway of hope and faith and love back into what our souls could truly express as we draw near to God and ask for the Holy Spirit, our New Helpe,r to reveal to us what Jesus is saying to us and what our Father is doing for us. Jesus is that LOGOS, the seed of life that encompasses the true DNA of everything created, every instinctive response of every living thing designed and upheld by LOGOS (Hebrews 1:3) and his logos seed has been sown into our unique spirit to make us one in Spirit with the Father and Jesus and the Holy Spirit. (1Peter 1:23) John 1:1 In the beginning was the Word (logos), and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made The Greek logos was seen as the universal rational principle of creativity and design by philosophers like Heraclitus and the Stoics. and they revered this concept. The Roman Emperor Marcus Aurelius saw logos as the intelligent omnipotent and omnipresent Divine force that structured and guided all of existence. But for the Jews the WORD only meant Torah and their relationship to the Word was the fulfillment of the Law. So John in his Gospel would have deeply offended and insulted the Greeks and the Romans by declaring that Jesus, a bearded Galilean, was the one and only LOGOS. And for the Jews calling him the Word (their Torah) claim meant that he was the fulfillment of the law. so they all despised Jesus. And today the world despises Jesus. The Bible says that we have been born again, not of corruptible seed but incorruptible, through the word (Logos) of God which lives and abides forever (1Peter 1:23). This is not only Jesus as the logos seed of eternal life but also as the Word of God as Scripture. * Today the world believes that the Word, both as Jesus and as Scripture doesn't mean anything. There exists a cultural spirituality where the word Universe is used as if it was the source of creative design and blessing – The Universe be with you. Spiritual does not just mean mystical as opposed to material. Cultural spirituality can include reverencing created things and concepts and reading as many books or doing as many rituals possible to heal our souls. In the same way it also includes the religious and legalistic Christianity practiced today- and this mindset is soulish rather than spiritual. But for many people this kind of soulish spirituality has been a pathway to ultimately being drawn into true spirituality. True spirituality is the things of the Spirit of God in Christ (1Corinthians 2). This is the reality of the Creator God as the Father sending his Son Jesus into the world as human. In doing this God joined Divinity to humanity in one person, Jesus, whose death and resurrection and ascension led to the formation of a New Creation born of both human and Divine seed (logos). *Paul even put the church in Corinth in the category of cultural spirituality and his admonishment still applies to the church today. We began today with the words of Paul to the Corinthians in (1 Corinthians 2:13).The natural (psychikos – soulish) person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually (pneumatikos) discerned. Paul was addressing the people of the Corinthian church, not just worldly religious spirituality. Paul was dismayed at the lack of true spirituality amongst them. He said they were psychikos- soulish, not pneumatikos – spiritual. He admitted that they had all knowledge and were upfront in spiritual gifts(1 Corinthians 1:7) but he finally said to them I, brethren, could not speak to you as to spiritual people but as to carnal (sarkikos –that is worse than psychikos!), as to babes in Christ. I fed you with milk and not with solid food; for until now you were not able to receive it, and even now you are still not able; for you are still carnal. For where there are envy, strife, and divisions among you, are you not carnal? God has sent us the Holy Spirit through Jesus, the second Adam, for the healing and salvation of the soul in God's presence. We can choose to become spiritual (pneumatikos ) people or remain soulish (psychikos) people. The simplest way to experience being transformed from soulish to spiritual is to give ourselves to the work of the Holy Spirit in times of presence prayer to reveal to us Jesus as the Logos Word who speaks his Word to us in a multitude of ways, both in Scripture and in other ways that only the Holy Spirit can teach us and not other people's opinions (1John 2:27). We set aside time in presence prayer to contemplate the love and mercy and power of God in this way, and Jesus and the Holy Spirit reveal to us the will of the Father. The more we consciously do this practice the more our true genesis spiritual self becomes renewed in our minds and in our hearts. The veil of separation that blinds our minds and hearts is taken away and our souls become transformed. Paul OSullivan - pauloss@me.com PRESENCE PRAYER SOUL AND SPIRIT The journey of our lives as human beings with a spirit and a soul involves the reordering of the psychikos or soulish self of separation back into alignment with our true spiritual self in Christ through the Spirit of God. We can become transformed from psychikos or soulish to pneumatikos or spiritual. Paul wrote about this to the church in Corinth. And we impart this in words not taught by human wisdom but taught by the Spirit, interpreting spiritual truths to those who are spiritual. The natural (psychikos – soulish) person does not accept the things of the Spirit because they are `spiritually (pneumatikos) discerned. (1 Corinthians 2:13) Adam and Eve started that journey by creating a limited human soul. The first man Adam became (ginomai) a living soul (psychikos) the last Adam (Jesus) became a life-giving spirit (pneumatikos). But it is not the spiritual that is first but the natural psychikos), and then the spiritual. (1Corinthians 15:45) God had created Adam's body from the dust of the earth and then breathed his spirit into that body. Adam now had a created body and a created spirit but then the Bible says a really interesting thing - that ‘man became a living soul'. That word ‘became ‘in the Greek is ginomai, and it means to cause to come into being, to make or create. God did not form a ready-made soul in us, but he created the capacity for us to shape a soul as a personal entity that was to become the expression of who we are in our inner being. That's becomes the face of us. Our soul expresses the mind and heart of our unique God created spirit through the journey of our life, embodied by a physical body. Adam and Eve walked in the garden of Eden with God, and they created blameless or innocent souls. Innocence means to not be harmed or hurt – not feeling forsaken. But harm and hurt and forsakenness came into Adam and Eve's lives through the lie of the serpent. Satan in the form of the serpent deceived them into believing that God had deprived them of the Divine wisdom that they could have if they ate from the tree of knowledge of good and evil. Adam and Eve then created souls that separated their true blameless selves from God's presence. Harm and hurt came into their lives and they became harmful and hurtful people and turned their harmless souls into harmful souls by creating protective helper parts in their souls to avoid feeling forsaken again. These soulish parts created a mindset and a heart-set of separation between them and God. This process became the universal human journey of the soul throughout its life. Our souls are the expression of our spiritual self but our souls have created an inferior version of OUR spiritual self because of the psychikos soul's self-serving needs. It has created parts to it that helped us to get over the problems, to deal with rejection, to advance itself, to be able to establish a reputation, to feel a victim or to be successful. It has become the me-self version of what the God with us self was created to be – God with us – Emmanuel. When we were very young we made immature decisions in our souls to protect us from having to suffer from these early traumas again. Don't condemn yourself for doing that as you had no option. You were there as a me-self person not knowing that God was there with you. and you didn't say ‘Lord come and help me here'. We tried to work out a way to work through these things - and we created strategies that ended up not having the wisdom to actually work. We created ‘helper parts' in our souls. We may have gotten our own way but look what those helper parts have done to our relationships, self worth - our lives. This has resulted in our spirits becoming ‘orphaned'. Jesus said he would not leave us as orphans but that he would send us ‘Another Helper' the Holy Spirit. (John 14:16-18) The individual uniqueness of every person mirrors the fact that we have each been created with a unique spiritual DNA. That spiritual DNA is contained in the spiritual seed of life of the Word (the Logos) that has spoken our spiritual life into being in eternity. That seed word was destined to be expressed from our spirit into and through our soul and embodied by us as a whole person, spirit soul and body. The journey is about our soul being reordered, not deleted. James 1:21… receive with meekness the implanted word (logos seed), which is able to save your souls. But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man observing his natural (genesis) face in a mirror; for he observes himself, goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was. But he who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, this one will be blessed in what he does. Genesis in the Greek means original. So our Genesis self is the original unique spiritual self, designed and created by God's word (LOGOS) before the foundation of the world. (Ephesians 1:4). We discover in the mirror of the Word our true unique spiritual self then we walk away and forget that and get drawn back into expressing our psychikos soulish self again with all its unresolved helper parts. That unique spirit is waiting to be expressed in a saved and healed soul, saved from what we have plunged our souls into because of a mindset of separation from God. That is why we are looking at presence prayer as a pathway of hope and faith and love back into what our souls could truly express as we draw near to God and ask for the Holy Spirit, our New Helpe,r to reveal to us what Jesus is saying to us and what our Father is doing for us. Jesus is that LOGOS, the seed of life that encompasses the true DNA of everything created, every instinctive response of every living thing designed and upheld by LOGOS (Hebrews 1:3) and his logos seed has been sown into our unique spirit to make us one in Spirit with the Father and Jesus and the Holy Spirit. (1Peter 1:23) John 1:1 In the beginning was the Word (logos), and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made The Greek logos was seen as the universal rational principle of creativity and design by philosophers like Heraclitus and the Stoics. and they revered this concept. The Roman Emperor Marcus Aurelius saw logos as the intelligent omnipotent and omnipresent Divine force that structured and guided all of existence. But for the Jews the WORD only meant Torah and their relationship to the Word was the fulfillment of the Law. So John in his Gospel would have deeply offended and insulted the Greeks and the Romans by declaring that Jesus, a bearded Galilean, was the one and only LOGOS. And for the Jews calling him the Word (their Torah) claim meant that he was the fulfillment of the law. so they all despised Jesus. And today the world despises Jesus. The Bible says that we have been born again, not of corruptible seed but incorruptible, through the word (Logos) of God which lives and abides forever (1Peter 1:23). This is not only Jesus as the logos seed of eternal life but also as the Word of God as Scripture. * Today the world believes that the Word, both as Jesus and as Scripture doesn't mean anything. There exists a cultural spirituality where the word Universe is used as if it was the source of creative design and blessing – The Universe be with you. Spiritual does not just mean mystical as opposed to material. Cultural spirituality can include reverencing created things and concepts and reading as many books or doing as many rituals possible to heal our souls. In the same way it also includes the religious and legalistic Christianity practiced today- and this mindset is soulish rather than spiritual. But for many people this kind of soulish spirituality has been a pathway to ultimately being drawn into true spirituality. True spirituality is the things of the Spirit of God in Christ (1Corinthians 2). This is the reality of the Creator God as the Father sending his Son Jesus into the world as human. In doing this God joined Divinity to humanity in one person, Jesus, whose death and resurrection and ascension led to the formation of a New Creation born of both human and Divine seed (logos). *Paul even put the church in Corinth in the category of cultural spirituality and his admonishment still applies to the church today. We began today with the words of Paul to the Corinthians in (1 Corinthians 2:13).The natural (psychikos – soulish) person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually (pneumatikos) discerned. Paul was addressing the people of the Corinthian church, not just worldly religious spirituality. Paul was dismayed at the lack of true spirituality amongst them. He said they were psychikos- soulish, not pneumatikos – spiritual. He admitted that they had all knowledge and were upfront in spiritual gifts(1 Corinthians 1:7) but he finally said to them I, brethren, could not speak to you as to spiritual people but as to carnal (sarkikos –that is worse than psychikos!), as to babes in Christ. I fed you with milk and not with solid food; for until now you were not able to receive it, and even now you are still not able; for you are still carnal. For where there are envy, strife, and divisions among you, are you not carnal? God has sent us the Holy Spirit through Jesus, the second Adam, for the healing and salvation of the soul in God's presence. We can choose to become spiritual (pneumatikos ) people or remain soulish (psychikos) people. The simplest way to experience being transformed from soulish to spiritual is to give ourselves to the work of the Holy Spirit in times of presence prayer to reveal to us Jesus as the Logos Word who speaks his Word to us in a multitude of ways, both in Scripture and in other ways that only the Holy Spirit can teach us and not other people's opinions (1John 2:27). We set aside time in presence prayer to contemplate the love and mercy and power of God in this way, and Jesus and the Holy Spirit reveal to us the will of the Father. The more we consciously do this practice the more our true genesis spiritual self becomes renewed in our minds and in our hearts. The veil of separation that blinds our minds and hearts is taken away and our souls become transformed. Paul OSullivan - pauloss@me.com PRESENCE PRAYER SOUL AND SPIRIT The journey of our lives as human beings with a spirit and a soul involves the reordering of the psychikos or soulish self of separation back into alignment with our true spiritual self in Christ through the Spirit of God. We can become transformed from psychikos or soulish to pneumatikos or spiritual. Paul wrote about this to the church in Corinth. And we impart this in words not taught by human wisdom but taught by the Spirit, interpreting spiritual truths to those who are spiritual. The natural (psychikos – soulish) person does not accept the things of the Spirit because they are `spiritually (pneumatikos) discerned. (1 Corinthians 2:13) Adam and Eve started that journey by creating a limited human soul. The first man Adam became (ginomai) a living soul (psychikos) the last Adam (Jesus) became a life-giving spirit (pneumatikos). But it is not the spiritual that is first but the natural psychikos), and then the spiritual. (1Corinthians 15:45) God had created Adam's body from the dust of the earth and then breathed his spirit into that body. Adam now had a created body and a created spirit but then the Bible says a really interesting thing - that ‘man became a living soul'. That word ‘became ‘in the Greek is ginomai, and it means to cause to come into being, to make or create. God did not form a ready-made soul in us, but he created the capacity for us to shape a soul as a personal entity that was to become the expression of who we are in our inner being. That's becomes the face of us. Our soul expresses the mind and heart of our unique God created spirit through the journey of our life, embodied by a physical body. Adam and Eve walked in the garden of Eden with God, and they created blameless or innocent souls. Innocence means to not be harmed or hurt – not feeling forsaken. But harm and hurt and forsakenness came into Adam and Eve's lives through the lie of the serpent. Satan in the form of the serpent deceived them into believing that God had deprived them of the Divine wisdom that they could have if they ate from the tree of knowledge of good and evil. Adam and Eve then created souls that separated their true blameless selves from God's presence. Harm and hurt came into their lives and they became harmful and hurtful people and turned their harmless souls into harmful souls by creating protective helper parts in their souls to avoid feeling forsaken again. These soulish parts created a mindset and a heart-set of separation between them and God. This process became the universal human journey of the soul throughout its life. Our souls are the expression of our spiritual self but our souls have created an inferior version of OUR spiritual self because of the psychikos soul's self-serving needs. It has created parts to it that helped us to get over the problems, to deal with rejection, to advance itself, to be able to establish a reputation, to feel a victim or to be successful. It has become the me-self version of what the God with us self was created to be – God with us – Emmanuel. When we were very young we made immature decisions in our souls to protect us from having to suffer from these early traumas again. Don't condemn yourself for doing that as you had no option. You were there as a me-self person not knowing that God was there with you. and you didn't say ‘Lord come and help me here'. We tried to work out a way to work through these things - and we created strategies that ended up not having the wisdom to actually work. We created ‘helper parts' in our souls. We may have gotten our own way but look what those helper parts have done to our relationships, self worth - our lives. This has resulted in our spirits becoming ‘orphaned'. Jesus said he would not leave us as orphans but that he would send us ‘Another Helper' the Holy Spirit. (John 14:16-18) The individual uniqueness of every person mirrors the fact that we have each been created with a unique spiritual DNA. That spiritual DNA is contained in the spiritual seed of life of the Word (the Logos) that has spoken our spiritual life into being in eternity. That seed word was destined to be expressed from our spirit into and through our soul and embodied by us as a whole person, spirit soul and body. The journey is about our soul being reordered, not deleted. James 1:21… receive with meekness the implanted word (logos seed), which is able to save your souls. But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man observing his natural (genesis) face in a mirror; for he observes himself, goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was. But he who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, this one will be blessed in what he does. Genesis in the Greek means original. So our Genesis self is the original unique spiritual self, designed and created by God's word (LOGOS) before the foundation of the world. (Ephesians 1:4). We discover in the mirror of the Word our true unique spiritual self then we walk away and forget that and get drawn back into expressing our psychikos soulish self again with all its unresolved helper parts. That unique spirit is waiting to be expressed in a saved and healed soul, saved from what we have plunged our souls into because of a mindset of separation from God. That is why we are looking at presence prayer as a pathway of hope and faith and love back into what our souls could truly express as we draw near to God and ask for the Holy Spirit, our New Helpe,r to reveal to us what Jesus is saying to us and what our Father is doing for us. Jesus is that LOGOS, the seed of life that encompasses the true DNA of everything created, every instinctive response of every living thing designed and upheld by LOGOS (Hebrews 1:3) and his logos seed has been sown into our unique spirit to make us one in Spirit with the Father and Jesus and the Holy Spirit. (1Peter 1:23) John 1:1 In the beginning was the Word (logos), and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made The Greek logos was seen as the universal rational principle of creativity and design by philosophers like Heraclitus and the Stoics. and they revered this concept. The Roman Emperor Marcus Aurelius saw logos as the intelligent omnipotent and omnipresent Divine force that structured and guided all of existence. But for the Jews the WORD only meant Torah and their relationship to the Word was the fulfillment of the Law. So John in his Gospel would have deeply offended and insulted the Greeks and the Romans by declaring that Jesus, a bearded Galilean, was the one and only LOGOS. And for the Jews calling him the Word (their Torah) claim meant that he was the fulfillment of the law. so they all despised Jesus. And today the world despises Jesus. The Bible says that we have been born again, not of corruptible seed but incorruptible, through the word (Logos) of God which lives and abides forever (1Peter 1:23). This is not only Jesus as the logos seed of eternal life but also as the Word of God as Scripture. * Today the world believes that the Word, both as Jesus and as Scripture doesn't mean anything. There exists a cultural spirituality where the word Universe is used as if it was the source of creative design and blessing – The Universe be with you. Spiritual does not just mean mystical as opposed to material. Cultural spirituality can include reverencing created things and concepts and reading as many books or doing as many rituals possible to heal our souls. In the same way it also includes the religious and legalistic Christianity practiced today- and this mindset is soulish rather than spiritual. But for many people this kind of soulish spirituality has been a pathway to ultimately being drawn into true spirituality. True spirituality is the things of the Spirit of God in Christ (1Corinthians 2). This is the reality of the Creator God as the Father sending his Son Jesus into the world as human. In doing this God joined Divinity to humanity in one person, Jesus, whose death and resurrection and ascension led to the formation of a New Creation born of both human and Divine seed (logos). *Paul even put the church in Corinth in the category of cultural spirituality and his admonishment still applies to the church today. We began today with the words of Paul to the Corinthians in (1 Corinthians 2:13).The natural (psychikos – soulish) person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually (pneumatikos) discerned. Paul was addressing the people of the Corinthian church, not just worldly religious spirituality. Paul was dismayed at the lack of true spirituality amongst them. He said they were psychikos- soulish, not pneumatikos – spiritual. He admitted that they had all knowledge and were upfront in spiritual gifts(1 Corinthians 1:7) but he finally said to them I, brethren, could not speak to you as to spiritual people but as to carnal (sarkikos –that is worse than psychikos!), as to babes in Christ. I fed you with milk and not with solid food; for until now you were not able to receive it, and even now you are still not able; for you are still carnal. For where there are envy, strife, and divisions among you, are you not carnal? God has sent us the Holy Spirit through Jesus, the second Adam, for the healing and salvation of the soul in God's presence. We can choose to become spiritual (pneumatikos ) people or remain soulish (psychikos) people. The simplest way to experience being transformed from soulish to spiritual is to give ourselves to the work of the Holy Spirit in times of presence prayer to reveal to us Jesus as the Logos Word who speaks his Word to us in a multitude of ways, both in Scripture and in other ways that only the Holy Spirit can teach us and not other people's opinions (1John 2:27). We set aside time in presence prayer to contemplate the love and mercy and power of God in this way, and Jesus and the Holy Spirit reveal to us the will of the Father. The more we consciously do this practice the more our true genesis spiritual self becomes renewed in our minds and in our hearts. The veil of separation that blinds our minds and hearts is taken away and our souls become transformed. Paul OSullivan - pauloss@me.com PRESENCE PRAYER SOUL AND SPIRIT The journey of our lives as human beings with a spirit and a soul involves the reordering of the psychikos or soulish self of separation back into alignment with our true spiritual self in Christ through the Spirit of God. We can become transformed from psychikos or soulish to pneumatikos or spiritual. Paul wrote about this to the church in Corinth. And we impart this in words not taught by human wisdom but taught by the Spirit, interpreting spiritual truths to those who are spiritual. The natural (psychikos – soulish) person does not accept the things of the Spirit because they are `spiritually (pneumatikos) discerned. (1 Corinthians 2:13) Adam and Eve started that journey by creating a limited human soul. The first man Adam became (ginomai) a living soul (psychikos) the last Adam (Jesus) became a life-giving spirit (pneumatikos). But it is not the spiritual that is first but the natural psychikos), and then the spiritual. (1Corinthians 15:45) God had created Adam's body from the dust of the earth and then breathed his spirit into that body. Adam now had a created body and a created spirit but then the Bible says a really interesting thing - that ‘man became a living soul'. That word ‘became ‘in the Greek is ginomai, and it means to cause to come into being, to make or create. God did not form a ready-made soul in us, but he created the capacity for us to shape a soul as a personal entity that was to become the expression of who we are in our inner being. That's becomes the face of us. Our soul expresses the mind and heart of our unique God created spirit through the journey of our life, embodied by a physical body. Adam and Eve walked in the garden of Eden with God, and they created blameless or innocent souls. Innocence means to not be harmed or hurt – not feeling forsaken. But harm and hurt and forsakenness came into Adam and Eve's lives through the lie of the serpent. Satan in the form of the serpent deceived them into believing that God had deprived them of the Divine wisdom that they could have if they ate from the tree of knowledge of good and evil. Adam and Eve then created souls that separated their true blameless selves from God's presence. Harm and hurt came into their lives and they became harmful and hurtful people and turned their harmless souls into harmful souls by creating protective helper parts in their souls to avoid feeling forsaken again. These soulish parts created a mindset and a heart-set of separation between them and God. This process became the universal human journey of the soul throughout its life. Our souls are the expression of our spiritual self but our souls have created an inferior version of OUR spiritual self because of the psychikos soul's self-serving needs. It has created parts to it that helped us to get over the problems, to deal with rejection, to advance itself, to be able to establish a reputation, to feel a victim or to be successful. It has become the me-self version of what the God with us self was created to be – God with us – Emmanuel. When we were very young we made immature decisions in our souls to protect us from having to suffer from these early traumas again. Don't condemn yourself for doing that as you had no option. You were there as a me-self person not knowing that God was there with you. and you didn't say ‘Lord come and help me here'. We tried to work out a way to work through these things - and we created strategies that ended up not having the wisdom to actually work. We created ‘helper parts' in our souls. We may have gotten our own way but look what those helper parts have done to our relationships, self worth - our lives. This has resulted in our spirits becoming ‘orphaned'. Jesus said he would not leave us as orphans but that he would send us ‘Another Helper' the Holy Spirit. (John 14:16-18) The individual uniqueness of every person mirrors the fact that we have each been created with a unique spiritual DNA. That spiritual DNA is contained in the spiritual seed of life of the Word (the Logos) that has spoken our spiritual life into being in eternity. That seed word was destined to be expressed from our spirit into and through our soul and embodied by us as a whole person, spirit soul and body. The journey is about our soul being reordered, not deleted. James 1:21… receive with meekness the implanted word (logos seed), which is able to save your souls. But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man observing his natural (genesis) face in a mirror; for he observes himself, goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was. But he who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, this one will be blessed in what he does. Genesis in the Greek means original. So our Genesis self is the original unique spiritual self, designed and created by God's word (LOGOS) before the foundation of the world. (Ephesians 1:4). We discover in the mirror of the Word our true unique spiritual self then we walk away and forget that and get drawn back into expressing our psychikos soulish self again with all its unresolved helper parts. That unique spirit is waiting to be expressed in a saved and healed soul, saved from what we have plunged our souls into because of a mindset of separation from God. That is why we are looking at presence prayer as a pathway of hope and faith and love back into what our souls could truly express as we draw near to God and ask for the Holy Spirit, our New Helpe,r to reveal to us what Jesus is saying to us and what our Father is doing for us. Jesus is that LOGOS, the seed of life that encompasses the true DNA of everything created, every instinctive response of every living thing designed and upheld by LOGOS (Hebrews 1:3) and his logos seed has been sown into our unique spirit to make us one in Spirit with the Father and Jesus and the Holy Spirit. (1Peter 1:23) John 1:1 In the beginning was the Word (logos), and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made The Greek logos was seen as the universal rational principle of creativity and design by philosophers like Heraclitus and the Stoics. and they revered this concept. The Roman Emperor Marcus Aurelius saw logos as the intelligent omnipotent and omnipresent Divine force that structured and guided all of existence. But for the Jews the WORD only meant Torah and their relationship to the Word was the fulfillment of the Law. So John in his Gospel would have deeply offended and insulted the Greeks and the Romans by declaring that Jesus, a bearded Galilean, was the one and only LOGOS. And for the Jews calling him the Word (their Torah) claim meant that he was the fulfillment of the law. so they all despised Jesus. And today the world despises Jesus. The Bible says that we have been born again, not of corruptible seed but incorruptible, through the word (Logos) of God which lives and abides forever (1Peter 1:23). This is not only Jesus as the logos seed of eternal life but also as the Word of God as Scripture. * Today the world believes that the Word, both as Jesus and as Scripture doesn't mean anything. There exists a cultural spirituality where the word Universe is used as if it was the source of creative design and blessing – The Universe be with you. Spiritual does not just mean mystical as opposed to material. Cultural spirituality can include reverencing created things and concepts and reading as many books or doing as many rituals possible to heal our souls. In the same way it also includes the religious and legalistic Christianity practiced today- and this mindset is soulish rather than spiritual. But for many people this kind of soulish spirituality has been a pathway to ultimately being drawn into true spirituality. True spirituality is the things of the Spirit of God in Christ (1Corinthians 2). This is the reality of the Creator God as the Father sending his Son Jesus into the world as human. In doing this God joined Divinity to humanity in one person, Jesus, whose death and resurrection and ascension led to the formation of a New Creation born of both human and Divine seed (logos). *Paul even put the church in Corinth in the category of cultural spirituality and his admonishment still applies to the church today. We began today with the words of Paul to the Corinthians in (1 Corinthians 2:13).The natural (psychikos – soulish) person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually (pneumatikos) discerned. Paul was addressing the people of the Corinthian church, not just worldly religious spirituality. Paul was dismayed at the lack of true spirituality amongst them. He said they were psychikos- soulish, not pneumatikos – spiritual. He admitted that they had all knowledge and were upfront in spiritual gifts(1 Corinthians 1:7) but he finally said to them I, brethren, could not speak to you as to spiritual people but as to carnal (sarkikos –that is worse than psychikos!), as to babes in Christ. I fed you with milk and not with solid food; for until now you were not able to receive it, and even now you are still not able; for you are still carnal. For where there are envy, strife, and divisions among you, are you not carnal? God has sent us the Holy Spirit through Jesus, the second Adam, for the healing and salvation of the soul in God's presence. We can choose to become spiritual (pneumatikos ) people or remain soulish (psychikos) people. The simplest way to experience being transformed from soulish to spiritual is to give ourselves to the work of the Holy Spirit in times of presence prayer to reveal to us Jesus as the Logos Word who speaks his Word to us in a multitude of ways, both in Scripture and in other ways that only the Holy Spirit can teach us and not other people's opinions (1John 2:27). We set aside time in presence prayer to contemplate the love and mercy and power of God in this way, and Jesus and the Holy Spirit reveal to us the will of the Father. The more we consciously do this practice the more our true genesis spiritual self becomes renewed in our minds and in our hearts. The veil of separation that blinds our minds and hearts is taken away and our souls become transformed. Paul OSullivan - pauloss@me.com
Throughout the Eternal One's love story the Bible there are many references to how creation is an expression of Himself. How His handiwork reveals His glory and majesty. Like a master craftsman, the Eternal One spoke light into existence, and breathed life into His creation. Yet even in its damaged state, the entire cosmos still has elements of its creator. So let us begin this journey through Psalm 19 and see the handiwork of the Eternal One. As you listen be blessed, empowered and transformed in Jesus name.Send us a textFor more information and free resources visit our website jesuslovestheworld.info Also connect with us in discipleship, watch our videos, follow us on facebook or send us an email
The debate between evolution and creation is fundamentally a clash of worldviews rather than purely science versus religion. Evidence from geology, linguistics, and religion all align better with the Bible's account, including a younger earth, complex ancient languages, and early belief in a single Creator God. These examples demonstrate that the Bible provides a more coherent explanation of history and origins. To support this ministry financially, visit: https://www.oneplace.com/donate/1232/29
“...Work plays a critical role in God's mission. As the Imago Dei, we are made to reflect the image of a Creator God, and we join him in making something of the world. To demonstrate the breadth and nuance of God's character, we need women and men to be vitally engaged in workplaces, homes, and organizations across our communities, utilizing the full extent of their God-given gifts.” In Women, Work, and Calling: Step Into Your Place in God's World,” author Joanna Meyer provides vision, encouragement, and practical guidance for women as they navigate work and it's demands. In this episode, Joanna and Autumn discuss themes from the book by asking, What is God's design for human work, and how does that theological vision inform our daily work? How does God use the circumstances of our work to shape us? What unique challenges do women face in their work and leadership? How can women and men partner to work together in a way that honors God's design?(Originally released September 11, 2024)Resources mentioned in this episode:Women, Work, and Calling by Joanna MeyerHalf the Church by Carolyn Custis JamesDenver Institute for Faith and WorkWomen, Work, and Calling
As a child of God we have been given many things, and direct access to Him is one of them. Many people yearn to please Him, to see Him and try all manner of ways to reach Him, yet our trust and belief of Jesus' death on our behalf gives us immediate access to Creator God who become our Father. We run through the throne room into His arms. His explosive love envelopes us as we lean in and trust Him to hold us still. Daylight Meditations is a daily podcast from CFO North America. Please visit CFONorthAmerica.org to learn more about our retreats, and online courses. If you are encouraged by this podcast, please consider supporting us. Contributors: Michelle DeChant, Adam Maddock, and Phil Reaser
Have you ever heard of the legendary English king, Arthur? An iconic figure in history, he led a defense of his country against Saxon invaders around 1,500 years ago. He has also been immortalized in literature.Only one problem: we don't know if he actually existed.We certainly don't know where he's buried.And it's a sure thing that King Arthur, if he lived, wasn't history's greatest ruler.1 Timothy 1:17, “All honor and glory to God forever and ever! He is the eternal King, the unseen one who never dies; he alone is God. Amen.”The Bible tells us that the Creator God is the ruler overall. He is the great King, seen on Earth as Jesus Christ, who will come again one day as a conquering King.Although other kings achieved legendary status, Jesus is no myth. The most documented figure in history, He waits for the right time to restore righteousness and perfection to our world.We long to see Him!Let's pray.Lord, you are indeed our great King, righteous and perfect in all your ways. Amen. Change your shirt, and you can change the world! Save 15% Off your entire purchase of faith-based apparel + gifts at Kerusso.com with code KDD15.
In this newest iteration of The Mix, Tom explores the idea of creation. What do we mean when we say "Creator God"? The God of creation is no cold architect from long ago who stepped back from His work, but a loving Father who sustains us every day. We were created to know and glorify Him right now.
a look into what the Creator/God's outlook on influencer culture is
“O LORD, thou hast searched me, and known me.” (Psalm 139:1) The marvelous 139th Psalm consists of a prayer by King David to his King, the omniscient, omnipresent, holy Creator God, the King of ... More...
Of all the facts about the Creator God, one of the most notable is that it is in His Nature to save. He is by Nature a rescuer of those unlike Him; i.e., those who are weak. In chapter 41 Isaiah depicts God as being supreme over time and all events and that all that glory is at His disposal to save His weak and powerless people. This Lord's Day we will consider God's greatness for our good.
Saturday, 30 August 2025 “When an unclean spirit goes out of a man, he goes through dry places, seeking rest, and finds none. Matthew 12:43 “And when the unclean spirit, it departs from the man, it traverses through waterless spots seeking rest, and it finds not” (CG). In the previous verse, Jesus spoke of the coming of the queen of the South rising up in judgment and condemning those of Israel in that generation, noting that One greater than Solomon was there. With that complete, a new thought begins with, “And when the unclean spirit, it departs from the man.” There are various ideas about the interpretation of the words of this parable. However, a few clues help direct the analysis. In verse 12:38, the scribes and Pharisees had asked for a sign. Jesus' response noted that a generation, evil and adulteress, sought a sign. A second clue is that in verse 12:45, He will say that it will also be as “this evil generation.” Therefore, the words apply to those He is speaking to, referring to their inherent evil. Therefore, “the man” is referring to them. He has an unclean spirit. If Jesus were to give a sign to them, oh boy! They would see it and accept the sign as some type of sure proof that He was their Messiah, as if they were free of their evil state. While they are basking in this condition, Jesus says of the unclean spirit that “it traverses through waterless spots.” In these few words are three newly introduced words. The first is dierchomai. It is derived from dia, through, and erchomai, to come or go. Thus, it refers to passing through an area. A single word that suits would be traverse. Next is anudros, it is from hudor water (think of hydrate), which is prefixed by the negative particle a. Thus, it signifies “no water,” or “waterless.” The third is topos, a spot or location. One can immediately see the etymological ancestor of topology, topographic, etc. This unclean spirit is out in arid places “seeking rest.” The obvious meaning is that it had a home in the man. It then left the man and went searching for a new place to settle down. However, men don't frequent arid places unless they have a purpose for being there. A man with a purpose is not a suitable place for an unclean spirit because the man is focused on his business. But such an unclean spirit needs a person who is not clearly focused. He needs someone whose ears are easily tickled and who is swayed by goofy videos on YouTube that have nothing to do with proper theology. Instead, he wants sensationalism, just like those speaking to Jesus wanted a sign to excite their minds and stimulate their otherwise dull lives. This unclean spirit has looked for a suitable place, “and it finds not.” There are either no bodies at all in the arid places, or those who are there have brought their own water and are satisfied with their pursuits, being actively employed in a life activity that would make them unsuitable to infest. Such was the case with John the Baptist – “In those days John the Baptist came preaching in the wilderness of Judea, 2 and saying, ‘Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!' 3 For this is he who was spoken of by the prophet Isaiah, saying: ‘The voice of one crying in the wilderness: “Prepare the way of the Lord; Make His paths straight.”' 4 Now John himself was clothed in camel's hair, with a leather belt around his waist; and his food was locusts and wild honey. 5 Then Jerusalem, all Judea, and all the region around the Jordan went out to him 6 and were baptized by him in the Jordan, confessing their sins.” Matthew 3:1-6 Life application: As noted above, unclean spirits revel in those who are not grounded in life's proper pursuits and activities. When humanity gets out of focus with what has been instilled in it by the Creator, unclean spirits find easy targets to infest and inflict them. This is why larger cities inevitably fill with people who appear absolutely immoral and even demonic. In large cities, people migrate away from hard work and industry and turn towards social programs, easy access to easy lifestyles, attraction to sensationalism, etc. There is an increasing hunger for things that replace the idea of a Creator God who holds man accountable for their actions. It is why cities normally shift towards left-leaning ideology. For example, abortion becomes common because lovers multiply. Because of this, consequences for affairs only get in the way of more affairs. People gravitate towards what is fascinating, miraculous, etc. A magician can set up on the corner of a busy avenue and impress the people with tricks that are unexplainable to the masses. People think they possess special powers and abilities. The newest Nephilim video on YouTube will score a million view, but the sound preacher who carefully explains biblical doctrines may get no views at all. Jesus refused to give a sign because He would have been appealing to the masses' desire for that which is sensational. Stay away from this type of thinking. Focus on what is right, sound, and proper. Just because something sounds exceptional does not mean it is. The magician's tricks are always explainable. When they are revealed, people say, “Duh! I see now.” And then, they go looking for another magician to tease their senses. Lord God, help us to think clearly and logically as we view the world around us. Help us to not get caught up in sensationalism and hype, but to pursue a path of hard work, careful and circumspect conduct, and – above all – a close and personal walk with You. Amen.
We have talked about God's graceand how important it is that we experience God's grace before we can experienceHis peace—peace with God. The Bible definitely teaches that we'reat enmity with God before our salvation. We're enemies of God. We're alienatedin our minds by wicked works away from God (Colossians 1:21), and we needreconciliation. Justnow the world is looking for peace in the Ukraine in the Middle East. But there will be no peace without the Man of peace.That's Jesus Christ. And I can tell you one day He will bring peace to thisworld. Jesus said to His disciples, "Let not your heart be troubled.You believe in God, believe also in Me" (John 14:1). Ourhearts are yearning for peace. Your heart yearns for peace. There's somethingmissing inside because you literally are not at one with the Father in heavenwho created you, your Creator God. You've been alienated from Him by sin thatyou were born with in your heart. And there's only one way to make peace, andthat's through the blood of His cross. That's why Romans 5:1 says, "Therefore,being justified by faith," remember we talked about grace and faith. Paulwrote to the “faithful in Christ” at Ephesus, those who have a savingfaith. And when you have a saving faith in the blood of Christ on the cross ofCalvary, you can then enjoy His peace. You're at peace with God only throughthe sacrifice and the blood of His Son Jesus Christ. Paul wrote, “Therefore,being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our LordJesus Christ" (Romans 5:1). Peacewith Godis what we need and what we are longing for. No more war, no more enmity, nomore separation. We're reconciled to God. And it says He reconciles all thingsto Himself in Colossians 1:20, “And having reconciled all things to Himself,having made peace by the blood of His cross”. It's only through the bloodof His cross that you can experience by faith this wonderful peace with God.Have you ever come to the cross? Have you ever come to Christ through Hisblood? InEphesians 2:13-17 Paul wrote, "But now in Christ Jesus, you who oncewere far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. For He Himselfis our peace, who has made both one and broken down the middle wall ofseparation, having abolished in His flesh the enmity, that is the law ofcommandments contained in ordinances, so as to create in Himself one new manfrom the two, thus making peace, that He might reconcile them both toGod in one body through the cross, therefore putting to death the enmity. AndHe came and preached peace to you who were far off, those who are nownear”. Myfriend, Paul was saying that the Jews were near, (they had the law of Moses),but the Gentiles, we were far off, but we are all separated from Christ. But inChrist, we are brought together, and we have peace. Oh, today this is peacewith God. But then there is also the peace of God that passes allunderstanding. Read Philippians 4:4-9. Those first verses there that talk aboutbeing at peace with God because we yield everything in our lives to Him. Wesurrender our will. We surrender our possessions. We surrender everything toHim. And we can then enjoy the peace of God that passes allunderstanding. And then think on these things that are pure and holy and lovelyand kind and good and gracious. Youcan live a life of peace. That's why John 14:27 means so much to me when Jesussaid, "Peace I leave with you, My peace I give unto you, (The verypeace He had with His Father), not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Letnot your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid." Troubledhearts, fearful hearts can come to reconciliation with God through Christ inHis blood on the cross and find that peace that passes all understanding andthat peace that takes away the enmity with God. Godbless you today as you experience and enjoy grace and peace throughfaith in Christ Jesus.
The shocking achievement of the suffering servant results in the fulfillment of God's long-awaited promise to his people. The chosen family now begins to spread throughout the whole earth because of the covenant relationship the family enjoys with the Creator God. Nothing can prevent God's people from the privileges of their inheritance since they are being shaped into the image of the victorious servant himself.
Have you ever felt like you've just plain run out of juice? The book you've been reading seems pointless halfway through. That new sofa or lawnmower or set of wheels was pretty exciting last month, but now you're not sure what the big deal was. Even your relationships feel lackluster.Human beings aren't like cell phones or toy robots. We can't rev up with a fresh set of batteries...we need other, more meaningful fuel to refill our tanks, and the energy we seek can't be found at any store.1 Thessalonians 5:17 says, “Pray continually.”One of the shortest verses in God's Word, the Bible, this pithy reminder was written by the Apostle Paul to believers in Thessalonica, an ancient city in what is now Northern Greece. These new converts to Christianity faced persecution, but Paul's colleague Timothy reported that they were persevering in the face of challenges.Paul's letter, recorded as the biblical book of First Thessalonians, is written to inspire renewed energy in these early followers of Jesus. They were looked down upon, their motives and actions were questioned, they sometimes struggled with doubt about the outcome of their faith — and Paul wisely encouraged them to keep on praying, just as the Lord wants us to do today.Let's pray.Heavenly Father, sometimes we feel exhausted by our struggles, and sometimes we feel alone. Remind us that the greatest power in the universe — You, our Creator God, are just a prayer away. In Jesus' name, amen. Change your shirt, and you can change the world! Save 15% Off your entire purchase of faith-based apparel + gifts at Kerusso.com with code KDD15.
Paul's time in Athens was a bold step of courage. Surrounded by idols and intellectual pride, he took the Gospel straight into the marketplace, engaging with the great thinkers of the time. Even with the real risk of death, Paul stood firm, declaring that the Creator God had always been present. His courage wasn't based on intellect, but on being deeply aware of God's presence—reminding us that we don't need all the answers to share our faith, just the willingness to step in when God calls. Pastor Dave Dummitt challenges us to be ready, wherever we are, to speak truth with courage!
In a world full of contradiction and confusion, the Apostle Paul's encounter at Mars Hill offers a powerful blueprint for engaging a spiritually lost culture. This sermon explores Paul's bold message to a city filled with idols and intellect, yet starving for truth. Drawing from Acts 17, we examine what it means to live “in Christ” in contrast to life “out of Christ.”Listeners will discover how Paul transitioned from cultural observation to gospel proclamation, revealing the identity and supremacy of the Creator God. We unpack key scriptural truths:Jesus as the Creator and Sustainer of lifeThe necessity of living in Him, not just believing about HimThe contrast between Sunday-only religion and everyday Christ-centered livingThis message challenges believers to bring Jesus out of the church building and into everyday life. Learn how to guard your spiritual house, shut the door to the enemy, and keep your heart open to Christ's lordship. A practical and convicting call to be the Church in a confused and broken world.
In part seven of "Your True Identity," Brother Duane teaches that we were created in God's image and likeness and that this image is our true identity. Our real identity doesn't come from our feelings or personal views, but from our Creator God. Being made in God's image is what makes us human and gives us our true worth.The attributes of God's image in people encompass several key traits: the ability to rule and have dominion, being created as male and female, having sovereignty and free will, creativity, the power of words, and the capacity to judge. He stresses that while sin can distort and damage God's image in us, it cannot change or eradicate it. The image of Jesus is a perfect example of God manifesting His image in us.
Genesis 1:26-27, 30-31 NLTThen God said, “Let us make human beings in our image, to be like us. They will reign over the fish in the sea, the birds in the sky, the livestock, all the wild animals on the earth, and the small animals that scurry along the ground.” So God created human beings in his own image. In the image of God he created them; male and female he created them. … And that is what happened. … Then God looked over all he had made, and he saw that it was very good!God said “let us”—us being the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit—“in our image.” We were created by a Community, in community, for community.The Father made us, the Son saves us, the Spirit guides us. Right now, when God sees you, when He looks at who you are, He sees you as “very good.”Can you, will you accept today that God looks at you with eyes of love and goodness?Listen again to these key phrases, this time from the Message Bible:God spoke: “Let us make human beings in our image, make them reflecting our nature. … God created human beings; he created them Reflecting God's nature..… God looked over everything he had made; it was so good, so very good! (Genesis 1:26-27, 30-31 NLT) Right now, close your eyes and picture Your loving heavenly Father, Your Creator, looking at You, inviting You into His community, caring for You, and pleased with who He made you to be.Can you accept that He says this of you right now - God looked over everything he had made, He looks over you and says; it is so good, so very good!Pray with me: “Creator God, Father, thank You that you made me with purpose, for a purpose. You created me to live in community with You and for You. Help me to always remember that I am made in Your image. As above, so below.”
In this sermon from John 6:16–21, Pastor Andrey unpacks the often-overlooked account of Jesus walking on water—not merely as a miraculous event, but as a moment charged with theological meaning and comfort for every believer. Set between the feeding of the 5,000 and Jesus' declaration as the bread of life, this passage reveals Jesus as the Creator-God who brings peace not only to raging seas, but to fearful hearts.Drawing connections to Genesis, the Psalms, and the other Gospel accounts, Pastor Andrey shows how this moment at sea pulls back the curtain on Christ's divine identity. The disciples are exhausted, overwhelmed, and terrified. But everything changes—not when the storm stops, but when Jesus steps into the boat. With the simple declaration, “It is I,” Jesus reveals Himself as the great “I AM” and brings instant calm.This sermon reminds us that trials aren't accidental—they are often God's gracious design to draw us closer to Himself. Our hope is not ultimately in changed circumstances but in the presence of Christ.Whether your soul is weary, fearful, or doubting, listen and be reminded: Jesus still enters the chaos and speaks peace.
Living Hope, part 2. It is out of a place of worship, adoration and revelation of the Creator God that Abel surrenders control, and places his best offering before the Lord. By Adz Brennan.
These scriptures give us perspective of God's dominion and reach. They remind us that Creator God is also the only one with power and dominion over the universe. As God's children, we are in awe of all we see - powers and authorities in heaven and on earth acknowleding His rule. May we not forget, as we too, belong to Him.Daylight Meditations is a daily podcast from CFO North America. Please visit CFONorthAmerica.org to learn more about our retreats, and online courses. If you are encouraged by this podcast, please consider supporting us.Contributors: Michelle DeChant, Adam Maddock, and Phil Reaser
Living Hope, part 1. How we view the beginning shapes how we approach everything that follows; and faith begins by believing in a Creator God. By Oli Stevens.
Wrapping up a month in the Psalms, we look into Psalm 136 and the extraordinary love of God. Zeroing in on the Hebrew word HESED, today's message unpacks the depth of the concept of a faithful God, ultimately expressed in Jesus himself. We will discover that God is with us in this life, in our triumph and in our hardships. Even when silence fells like we're being ignored or forgotten, we can remember the HESED, the promise of covenant, divine agreement, the commitment on the part of our Creator God.This message is from our Sunday morning service on June 8th, 2025.We gather on Sunday mornings at 10:00am at the AMC Orchard Theatre (14653 Orchard Parkway, Westminster 80023). Connect with us:kindredchurch.co@kindredchurch.cofacebook.com/kindredchurch.co
Welcome to the 2nd sermon in our series on what the Bible is all about. Do you really know what the Bible is about? When you understand the point an author is trying to make even the most complicated of books make much more sense. This summer we are going to “stand on the shoulders” of D. A. Carson and his book The God Who is There: Finding Your Place in God's Story as we walk through the big story of Scripture to discuss what the Bible is truly about.
Why does science work at all? This fundamental question reveals something profound about reality itself. Modern science didn’t emerge by accident, it flourished uniquely under a Christian worldview while remaining stillborn in other cultures throughout history. The very foundations that make scientific investigation possible—objective truth, an orderly universe, rational thought, and honest reporting—find their roots in biblical principles. Without these presuppositions, there would be no basis for expecting consistent natural laws or trusting human reason to understand them. This exploration challenges the popular narrative about faith and science, revealing how Christianity provided the essential framework that made modern scientific discovery not just possible, but inevitable.
The testimony of God in the heavens is inescapable. People on every continent and speakers of every language all "hear" the same declaration--the Creator God is great, and He is glorious!
Discover Jesus' remedy for boring, self-satisfied, lifeless religion, today in the conclusion of 7 Letters to 7 Churches. In the seventh letter, Jesus addresses the situation in ancient Laodicea. Their self-satisfied complacency was robbing them of the richness of their relationship with Jesus in the present, and putting in peril the fulfillment of their purpose with him in the future. Don't fall to the same fate. Trade in your complacency for an energetic and vital communion with your Creator-God.
Join us as we explore the topic of spirituality, specifically when it comes to demons and the Devil. Lucifer, an archangel created by God, also known as Satan, possesses remarkable power, yet it pales in comparison to the infinite power of his Creator God. Join Pastor Jack as he gives Biblical insights and opinions on the demonic spiritual realm, as well as what some denominations choose to talk and not talk about regarding this important topic. (00:00) Spirituality and Biblical Demonology(16:55) Understanding Lucifer and Spiritual Warfare(28:59) Increasing Podcast Visibility Through Audience InteractionCONNECT WITH PASTOR JACK:Website: https://jackhibbs.com/ Instagram: http://bit.ly/2FCyXpO Facebook: https://bit.ly/2WZBWV0 YouTube: https://bit.ly/437xMHn DAZE OF DECEPTION BOOK:https://jackhibbs.com/daze-of-deception/CALLED TO TAKE A BOLD STAND PRE-ORDER:https://tinyurl.com/33d5dpaj Did you know we have a Real Life Network? Sign up for free for more exclusive content:https://bit.ly/3CIP3M99
Global Warming or God's Warning? What the Bible Says About the End!For more information visit Pastorvlad.orgChapters0:00 - Intro1:36 - When the interest in climate change began in America3:11 - Three views on the climate change5:58 - 1. We are caretakers of the earth, but we are not to worship it6:35 - Three main views on the environment according to Scott Rae7:40 - 2. Worship the Creator God, not the creation10:10 - 3. Human life is valued above animal and plant life13:20 - 4. Our view on end times shouldn't encourage the destruction of the earth14:16 - 5. Technology and cities are not evil14:46 - 6. Humans will be held accountable for what they do to the earth15:43 - 7. Father God will remake all that humans and devils have wickedly harmed, damaged, and destroyed16:50 - Final thoughts
Many creatures in nature have been designed with clever camouflage, mimicking their surroundings to avoid predators. From moss-like crickets to leaf-resembling moths, these examples show remarkable attention to detail by our Creator God. To support this ministry financially, visit: https://www.oneplace.com/donate/1232/29
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“Alas and did my Savior bleed and did my Sovereign die! Would He devote that sacred head for such a worm as I?”Listen to this message to hear the chaotic and evil events that happened after the Last Supper. Hear how Jesus and His disciples went to the Garden of Gethsemane. Listen to the numerous ways the Jews broke their own laws that night and into the early morning in their eagerness to rid themselves of Jesus. As you put all these pieces together, remember that this was happening to the Creator God of the universe who was willing to suffer this on our behalf.
5–Minute Parenting: Tips to Help You Raise Competent, Godly Kids.
Send us a textJoin 5-Minute Parenting Host Karen Ferguson as she discusses putting the focus of Earth Month back where it belongs, onto our Creator God! The world tries to convince our children that mother earth is in charge of this world, and that we must help save it. As parents and grandparents we can be intentional to take the focus off the fictional character of mother earth, and put it right where it belongs: on God our Creator. We can have fun celebrating Earth Day, but from a Christian perspective. Rather than remain silent on the issue and leave the lessons to the classroom, or social media thread, let's use this secular holiday as a teachable moment to point our children to the beauty and intentional design of God's Creation
Bruce Herman is a painter, writer, speaker, and the author of Makers by Nature: Letters from a Master Painter on Faith, Hope, and Art. Bruce also taught studio art for nearly four decades at Gordon College and his art has been exhibited internationally and is in public and private collections worldwide.In our time together, Bruce reminds us that, being made in the image of the Creator God, we have all been created to create. He also awakens us to the miracles all around us, discussing how God's own being is revealed in the things He's made. As a master painter, Bruce's insights on beauty in the human face and figure, as well as in the world around us, are profound and distinct. I found this interview to be deeply inspiring; I hope it is for you as well. Buy Melissa L. Johnson's book, Soul-Deep Beauty: Fighting for Our True Worth in a World Demanding Flawless, here. Learn more about Impossible Beauty and join the community here.
"Listening is everything. Without listening, there's no music, no art, no understanding—just noise.” (Charlie Peacock, from the episode) Acclaimed musician, producer, podcaster, and author Charlie Peacock joins Mark Labberton to reflect on music, art, attention, listening, faith, and spirituality. From his groundbreaking work in pop music production (e.g., Amy Grant, Switchfoot, the Civil Wars), to his deep engagement with faith and mentorship, Charlie explores how attention shapes creativity, why making space for beauty is a spiritual discipline, and how a life of music can be an act of service. Through stories of artistic risk, collaboration, and calling, this conversation explores the rhythms of a flourishing life. In this episode, they discuss: Charlie's new memoir, Roots and Rhythm: A Life In Music The communal nature of making and producing music The unsung music heroes from Charlie's life Non-neutrality and the interdependence of all things Hearing and visualizing music The intersection of creativity, spirituality, and paying attention, How listening transforms both art and relationships, Life lessons from jazz, pop, and worship music production, And the role of both sound and silence in artistic and spiritual life. About Charlie Peacock Charlie Peacock is a six-time Grammy Award–winning musician and producer, having produced Amy Grant, Switchfoot, the Civil Wars, and many more artists. A three-time recipient of the Gospel Music Association's Producer of the Year Award, he's named by Billboard's Encyclopedia of Record Producers as one of the five hundred most important producers in popular music history. His latest book is Roots and Rhythm: A Life In Music, and you can listen to his podcast, Music & Meaning. For more information visit charliepeacock.com. Episode Highlights "If you're not paying attention, you're missing the song that's already being sung around you." "A mentor doesn't hand you a map; they help you learn how to navigate." "Faith and art are both about trust—trusting the unseen, the unfinished, and the uncertain." "The hardest and best lesson for any artist: keep showing up and doing the work." "Music isn't just a product—it's a means of connection, healing, and worship." Show Notes Charlie Peacock, Roots & Rhythm Music and community The unsung music heroes from Charlie's life Non-neutrality and the interdependence of all things Hearing and visualizing music Michael Polanyi tacit understandings Re-creation of the old into the dramatically new—e.g., Notre Dame Cathedral The joy of generational community Jazz: spirit, skill, and ability “That's what I love about jazz improvisation. There was nothing and then there was something. Over and over again. … When you have those people in a room making music … it's hard to go to sleep at night.” “I have been pursued by a loving Creator … God-haunted since I was a little boy.” “I wanted to know everything. … how, why, what, when … everything.” “Never once was there a moment when I was out of God's grip.” Charlie Peacock's Secret of Time: “God gives you time to be saved.” John Coltrane's spiritual journey “250 people a night…” “I took the F-word out of two songs, and stopped taking 10% from the bar tab.” Hans Rookmaaker Inklings Time in England and the Netherlands, including time at L'Abri (run by Francis and Edith Schaeffer) “An artist and a follower of Jesus, and how those two could be congruent …” “Our death is life to life. The kingdom has already begun. We have been living it. And we will continue to live it.” “Playing with the entire history of music in your brain.” The Civil Wars: “We re-presented hyper-dynamics. … A lot of people have never heard that before. … It invites you in and lets you sit back.” (e.g., pianissimo to forte) Over-compressed music. “That lean in to the music is a part of your participation. … I'm committed to this music.” “I produced music in the ‘80s. I know how to ruin a record. … Big hair and big snare. … But really it had to do with technology.” Music in the late ‘70s and early ‘80s Neil Postman: “To a man with a hammer, everything looks like a nail.” “When I use this tool I have to make sure it doesn't use me.” “My subtext is that this is a book about epistemology. … To say, ‘This is how I know what I know.' It came through God, people, and place.” A worker-bee in the music business “Like a house with a party going on” Vocation, epistemology, and how an artists become who they are Production Credits Conversing is produced and distributed in partnership with Comment magazine and Fuller Seminary.
Many biology textbooks claim that the appendix, a vestigial organ, is a leftover evolutionary part of the human body. In Episode 3 of the “Unpacking Darwinian Evolution” podcast series, former evolutionist turned Christian Michael Lane provides evidence from various research articles to show how the appendix is in fact helpful for the body given by God, not an evolutionary leftover which came by chance. The appendix is part of our immune system, and it possesses lymphoid tissue, playing a role in antibody production. Join Michael in the E4F studio and examine how the appendix in humans is not a digestive organ, but an important construct in a wonderful design by our Creator God.Reference this lesson and find out more here: https://evidence4faith.org/portfolio/unpacking-darwinian-evolution/CREDITS: Developed & Hosted by Michael Lane. Produced & Edited by Julia Shoppach. Graphics & Publication by Julia Shoppach. Stock Music provided by mv_production, & lynnepublishing / Pond5.------------------------------------Evidence 4 Faith (E4F) is a nonprofit Christian ministry based in Wisconsin, United States, led by biologist, author, and Bible teacher Michael Lane. E4F is on mission to move people from shallow convictions and unbelief to deep faith in God through the study of history, science, the Bible, and logic.
We conclude our roundtable discussion with Dr. Alphonzo Monzo, ND, and David Beverley, Sr., began on EP 121, discussing the technology infrastructure being built for the Beast System. We talk about foglets, otherwise known as Utility Fog, Satan's attempt to delay Christ's return, and the season we are in, prior to a veritable explosion of chaos yet to unfold, for us to build, get our house in order, and get right with Creator God, Jesus Christ. Check out David's website here: www.jesusfreakcomputergeek.com And Dr. Monzo's website here: www.drmonzo.com Please consider supporting our podcast; for Luke and I to create 4 episodes a month takes an average of 40 hours to research, record, and produce, sometimes more. If you find value in our work and would like to help support us, please choose from the options below. Thanks very much!! -Luke and Pete Paypal: https://www.paypal.me/peteohlinger Cash App: https://cash.app/$PeteOhlinger Venmo: https://venmo.com/u/Pete-Ohlinger Feel free to contact us with any questions or comments for the show! Email us at: thedaysofnoahpodcast@gmail.com We'd love to hear from you! Thanks for listening- we appreciate each and every one of you out there. Don't forget to like, share, and subscribe, and tell your friends and family about the show, and leave us a five-star review, which helps to spread the show to others! All show music is original (by BassManPete) Cover art is of Mt. Hermon, site of the Watcher's descent, photo credit: By Almog - Own work, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=2181987, and beautifully crafted into our logo by graphic designer Christine Forster (https://x.com/GfxChristine00?s=20)
In this episode of the Cold-Case Christianity Podcast, J. Warner Wallace talks about his new book, God's Crime Scene, as he examines the first important piece of evidence in the universe: the origin of all space, time and matter from nothing. Does Big Bang Cosmology (the Standard Cosmological Model) point most reasonably to a Creator God?