Podcasts about emperor constantine

Friends of the Rosary,Today, December 6, we celebrate the memorial of St. Nicholas of Myra (d. 346), a 4th-century bishop and one of the most popular saints in the Western world, honored as the patron saint of children.Born in Lycia in Asia Minor (modern-day Turkey), he practiced remarkable spiritual and corporal works of mercy and worked tirelessly to defend the faith.His legends of generosity made him into today's Santa Claus, a white-bearded gentleman who captivates children with promises of gifts on Christmas Eve.During the persecutions of Diocletian, he was imprisoned for preaching Christianity, but was released during the reign of Emperor Constantine.His relics are still preserved in the church of San Nicola in Bari. There is an oily substance, known as Manna di S. Nicola, highly valued for its medicinal powers, that is said to flow.Veneration for Nicholas spread throughout Europe and Asia, and countless miracles were attributed to the saint's intercession.The story of Saint Nicholas reached America in a distorted form. The Dutch Protestants carried a version of the saint's life to New Amsterdam, portraying Nicholas as a Nordic or North Pole magician and wonder-worker who brings happiness to small children.Our present-day conception of Santa Claus has grown from this version.Catholics should think of Nicholas as a saint, a confessor of the faith and the bishop of Myra, not merely as a jolly man from the North Pole.Come, Holy Spirit, come!To Jesus through Mary!Here I am, Lord; I come to do your will.Please give us the grace to respond with joy!+ Mikel Amigot w/ María Blanca | RosaryNetwork.com, New YorkEnhance your faith with the new Holy Rosary University app:Apple iOS | New! Android Google Play• ⁠December 6, 2025, Today's Rosary on YouTube | Daily broadcast at 7:30 pm ET

Will It Be Peace or Persecution? (1) (audio) David Eells – 11/23/25 The short answer is: It depends on what you need to be ready to face the Lord. Some of this report is bad news. I suggest you pray for God's people and against the threats. I want to share two parables of Babylon. New York City has been known to be a Babylon. Also, the United States has been known as a type of Babylon. The lesser is a warning to the greater. As we can see, Zohran Mamdani, who is clearly representing Muslims, who lies and most of what he promised cannot come to pass. He is apparently by his own words a communist. There is proof out there that the vote count has once again been manipulated. The political left is clearly believing that this is their ticket to get back into power, which is waking people up. Zohran's intern has explained that electing him is part of a Jihad and holy war. This is obviously a call to all the hidden forces of Islam and communists to come to his aid. New York City will draw like a magnet these forces to come to them and join their political, legal, and law enforcement to support him. Lawlessness will be legalized there; crime will be rampant. Exactly what we see in the invasion of Europe and Scandinavia are being established in NY. However factious leftists are by far the greatest threat to the whole country. Tribulation and persecution for Christians will also manifest. It is ordained of God because “Christianity” is not Christian. Revival is coming because of persecution. Obama has joined himself to Zohran as an advisor, for Zoran has no political experience. Obama has been prophesied as an Alexander the Great to overthrow the US. (Of which we will speak of later.) He has acknowledged this but thinks it to be a great thing. We are going through repeats of history, which must happen as the scripture has said in Ecc.1:9 That which hath been is that which shall be; and that which hath been done is that which shall be done: and there is no new thing under the sun. Three succeeding empires of history are being repeated. We have been under the DS leftist Babylonian Empire. This was and is being conquered by Cyrus/Trump of the Medo-Persian Empire. We are preparing to go under the Grecian Empire of Alexander the Great. You are seeing the preparation for this one now. It will end with the mark of the beast in Revelation 13. These are not sudden changes but a fading in and a fading out. Preparations must be made. The sooner Christians will become disciples of Christ, Who is the Word, the sooner God will have mercy, and we will escape some of this. The camel's head is in the tent; the body follows. Get out of the big sin cities; judgment will fall there. Brain drain and economic collapse will come to NY. Low IQ will follow the leftist policies, as we can see already. Last I heard over 350 police have fled and Mamdani has said he will replace them with social workers. How does this work when they face people with guns? Most of the crime in the US is in these blue cities. Natural and unnatural catastrophes will come there.  New age foolishness is all through the Alliance, NESARA, GCR, movement. They call it the “Golden Age” and “thousand years of peace and prosperity.” But it will be cut short because the Book of Revelation now comes with its tribulation wilderness, as Israel found out when they came out of Egypt with their gold in their pockets. They ground it up and threw it in the river; it was so valuable. While it lasts, it will help get the gospel to the world, and the end will come.  Where does the Book of Revelation declare we are going? Rev.12:1 And a great sign was seen in heaven: a woman (The worldwide Church) arrayed with the sun(/Son), and the moon (reflecting the light of the sun/Son) under her feet, and upon her head a crown of twelve stars (knowledge from the 12 apostles); 2 and she was with child; and she crieth out, travailing in birth, and in pain to be delivered. 3 And there was seen another sign in heaven: and behold, a great red (communist) dragon, having seven heads (The worldwide seed of the 7 biblical beasts who ruled God's people) and ten horns (The worldwide 10 continental divisions of the earth. The dragon was the god of Babylon, which is now worldwide.), and upon his heads seven diadems. 4 And his tail draweth the third part of the stars of heaven (The falling away of 1/3 of the seed of Abraham according to faith, which God said was as the stars.), and did cast them to the earth (lost their place in heaven): and the dragon standeth before the woman that is about to be delivered, that when she is delivered he may devour her child. 5 And she was delivered of a son, a man child, who is to rule all the nations with a rod of iron: and her child was caught up unto God, and unto his throne. 6 And the woman fled into the wilderness, where she hath a place prepared of God, that there they (the man-child body) may nourish her a thousand two hundred and threescore days (As their type Jesus did). 7 And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels going forth to war with the dragon; and the dragon warred and his angels; 8 and they prevailed not, neither was their place found any more in heaven. 9 And the great dragon was cast down, the old serpent, he that is called the Devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world; he was cast down to the earth, and his angels were cast down with him. 10 And I heard a great voice in heaven, saying, Now is come the salvation, and the power, and the kingdom of our God, and the authority of his Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, who accuseth them before our God day and night. 11 And they overcame him because of the blood of the Lamb, and because of the word of their testimony; and they loved not their life even unto death. 12 Therefore rejoice, O heavens, and ye that dwell in them. Woe for the earth and for the sea: because the devil is gone down unto you, having great wrath, knowing that he hath but a short time. 13 And when the dragon saw that he was cast down to the earth, he persecuted the woman that brought forth the man-child. (through fake Christianity and left wing communist Islam) 14 And there were given to the woman the two wings of the great eagle (man-child overcomers), that she might fly into the wilderness unto her place, where she is nourished for a time, and times, and half a time (Man-child feeds her for 1st 31/2 years of wilderness trib as it was with the disciples of Jesus.), from the face of the serpent. 15 And the serpent cast out of his mouth after the woman water as a river, that he might cause her to be carried away by the stream. 16 And the earth helped the woman, and the earth opened her mouth and swallowed up the river which the dragon cast out of his mouth. (Jesus gave us the Living waters of His Word and the devil gives us the killing waters of the beast.) 17 And the dragon waxed wroth with the woman, and went away to make war with the rest of her seed, that keep the commandments of God, and hold the testimony of Jesus: (Then the dragon becomes a worldwide beast who hates the saints and creates the mark to get rid of them.) Rev.13:1 and he stood upon the sand of the sea. And I saw a beast coming up out of the sea, having ten horns and seven heads, and on his horns ten diadems, and upon his heads names of blasphemy. (They become their own god as men always do.) … 4 and they worshipped the dragon, because he gave his authority unto the beast; and they worshipped the beast, saying, Who is like unto the beast? and who is able to war with him? (Because it is a one world order and army.)… 7 And it was given unto him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them: and there was given to him authority over every tribe and people and tongue and nation. 8 And all that dwell on the earth shall worship him, every one whose name hath not been written from the foundation of the world in the book of life of the Lamb that hath been slain. Then they repeat Emperor Constantine's solution. Because the Empire was divided by antichrist religions, they created a different kind of beast; a one-world religion to force people to worship the political beast, a form of patriotism and pledge of allegiance. … 11 And I saw another beast coming up out of the earth; and he had two horns like unto a lamb (A false Jesus), and he spake as a dragon. 12 And he exerciseth all the authority of the first beast in his sight. And he maketh the earth and them that dwell therein to worship the first beast, whose death-stroke was healed. 13 And he doeth great signs, that he should even make fire to come down out of heaven (DEW weapons) upon the earth in the sight of men. 14 And he deceiveth them that dwell on the earth by reason of the signs which it was given him to do in the sight of the beast; saying to them that dwell on the earth, that they should make an image to the beast who hath the stroke of the sword and lived. (Cyrus/Trump is killing the beast and they will resurrect it.) 15 And it was given unto him to give breath (Greek: spirit) to it, even to the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak (The image of the beast is the people as in Daniels vision), and cause that as many as should not worship the image of the beast should be killed. (As it was with Daniel and the three Hebrews) 16 And he causeth all (All the lost people are identified as the beast by its mark), the small and the great, and the rich and the poor, and the free and the bond, that there be given them a mark on their right hand (works), or upon their forehead (mind); 17 and that no man should be able to buy or to sell, save he that hath the mark, even the name of the beast (Name meaning, the nature, character, and authority of the beast or the flesh) or the number of his name. 18 Here is wisdom. He that hath understanding, let him count the number of the beast; for it is the number of a man: and his number is Six hundred and sixty and six. (666) Paul said if we walk after the flesh we must die. Whereas the next verse speaks of the man-child company who will lead the people to have the name, meaning the nature, character, and authority of the Lord in their mind and works.) 14:1 And I saw, and behold, the Lamb standing on the mount Zion, and with him a hundred and forty and four thousand (Man-child body), having his name, and the name of his Father, written on their foreheads. … 4 These are they that were not defiled with women (the sects or denominations of men); for they are virgins (receiving no seed of man but the Lord as the Parable of the Sower says). These are they that follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth. These were purchased from among men, to be the firstfruits unto God and unto the Lamb. 5 And in their mouth was found no lie: they are without blemish. (Notice, they do not believe or speak the lies of religion. The truth will set us free.)   Obama Conquers US, Then Dies? David Eells - 2008 Obama Assassinated Rick Sergent - 07/15/2008, 08/24/2008 I say this with great reluctance. I was visiting my friend Mary in Indiana on 7/15/08. I was in her kitchen, at the table. I heard in my spirit, “Obama will be assassinated.” This really brought sorrow to my spirit… I struggled about going public with this. Then on 8/24/08 I was talking on the phone with a friend about that three-year-old missing girl in Florida when I saw a vision of a round tombstone and Obama's name was on it. That made me decide to share this.   Obama Inaugurated and Assassinated Eve Brast - 07/19/2008 As I watched Mr. Obama give a speech, I looked left down the street and had an open vision of his inauguration outside another government building with another crowd around him. It was still dark in this dream and in the open vision, also. (He is acting as another president in darkness and gathering his army.) I felt and thought “tragedy” when I looked at him. The next word that came to my mind was “assassination.” I thought to myself, “It is a shame he will be sacrificed and doesn't even know it.” Will Barack Obama conquer the great eagle of Babylon, as a type of the U.S., and then use it to conquer Persia (Cyrus/Trump), just as Alexander the Great conquered Persia before he died? Will he conquer Cyrus/Trump? Will this bring in the tribulation and persecution of the saints? Robert I. Holmes said the following: In 1999, as I prepared to travel to the US on ministry, the Lord gave me a very unusual prophetic word. He said that, “In the days of Babylon (the U.S.), when her walls stood wide and her leaders stood tall, her defenses were strong and her campaigns victorious, Alexander the Great (Obama) came and defeated her. In the same way, my Alexander will stand in the very midst of the United States of America”. I believe that God's “Alexander” is Barack Obama. He has now stood in the middle of America, and declared his victory speech in Grant Park in Chicago. (He and his “family” were all dressed in red and black, the colors of anarchy.) There, he prophetically declared, “Change has come to America”, and “The American Empire is coming to an end”. Obama is Sunni and Iran is Shiite. I believe they will be successful, at least initially. It was that way with Iraq, too. Amos's revelation seems to confirm this. I also do not rule out that Obama will use surrogates like Israel to do this and then claim some innocence. This is his favorite form of warfare. Amos Scaggs heard on 3/09/06: “We are going to invade Iran on three fronts with an overwhelming force and be victorious.” (At least Israel and the U.S. did a lot to take down the Islamic regime in 2025.) Also, on 3/07/06, he heard: “We broke their code -- The enemy.” According to type in Jeremiah 25, there are only two times the U.S. could conquer Iran. Jer.25:9 behold, I will send and take all the families of the north, saith Jehovah, and [I will send] unto Nebuchadrezzar the king of Babylon (U.S.), my servant, and will bring them against this land, and against the inhabitants thereof, and against all these nations round about (Middle East); and I will utterly destroy them, and make them an astonishment, and a hissing, and perpetual desolations. (This has been happening by using nation against nation and ethnic group against ethnic group.) 25:12 And it shall come to pass, when seventy years are accomplished, that I will punish the king of Babylon, and that nation, saith Jehovah, for their iniquity, and the land of the Chaldeans; and I will make it desolate for ever. (Babylon Deep State has been mostly destroyed by Cyrus/Trump.) The Lord showed me that in this 70 years the U.S. will be trampling the Middle East. The list of nations that are conquered during this time are in Jeremiah 25:17-26, and the last verse is when Babylon, as a type of the Deep State U.S., falls. The last on the list before Babylon is Elam or Iran, along with the Medes and the kings of the north. This is the only time in the list Iran is conquered, unless it is conquered to some extent before this seven-year tribulation list of wars. This is what I believe will happen, since the last war seems to be mixed with the kings of the north, which is probably Russia and company, and since this is the time Babylon fell, too. Also, I do not believe Obama will live to the end of the tribulation because of all the assassination dreams. This is what I wrote years before the U.S. struck Iran. “So, I think that the U.S. will in some form strike Iran before the tribulation (This came to pass by taking out their nuclear capabilities and arming Israel to do the job.) and help cause the tribulation covenant, as we will see below.” In Daniel's vision, he was in Elam (Persia/Iran) and saw the Medo-Persian (Cyrus, identified as Trump) Ram pushing westward. Dan.8:2 And I saw in the vision; now it was so, that when I saw, I was in Shushan the palace, which is in the province of Elam (Persia/Cyrus/Trump); and I saw in the vision, and I was by the river Ulai. 3 Then I lifted up mine eyes, and saw, and, behold, there stood before the river a ram which had two horns (Medo-Persians – Cyrus/Trump): and the two horns were high; but one was higher than the other, and the higher came up last. 4 I saw the ram pushing westward, and northward and southward; and no beasts could stand before him, neither was there any that could deliver out of his hand; but he did according to his will, and magnified himself. (Yep, that's him) Then, Daniel saw a he-goat (Alexander/Obama) that flies over the face of the whole earth without touching the ground (Using the airforce) 5 And as I was considering, behold, a he-goat (originally Alexander the Great's Grecian Empire - Second fulfillment - Barak Obama's U.S. Empire) came from the west over the face of the whole earth, and touched not the ground: and the goat had a notable horn between his eyes. 6 And he came to the ram that had the two horns, which I saw standing before the river, and ran upon him in the fury of his power. 7 And I saw him come close unto the ram, and he was moved with anger against him, and smote the ram, and brake his two horns; and there was no power in the ram to stand before him; but he cast him down to the ground, and trampled upon him; and there was none that could deliver the ram out of his hand. 8 And the he-goat magnified himself exceedingly: and when he was strong, the great horn was broken. (Obama will possibly be assassinated according to many dreams, and that would be after he as Alexander brings down Cyrus/Trumps empire. Several attempts have failed so far.) Michael Hare asked the Lord on 4/19/15, “Where are we now?” and then received: Dan.7:6 After this I beheld, and, lo, another, like a leopard, which had upon its back four wings of a bird; the beast had also four heads; and dominion was given to it. We knew this was Alexander the Great's kingdom, which was divided up by 4 generals at his death, and it reminded us of this revelation. Obama is ordained of God to judge apostate Christianity in America and wake up her sleeping multitudes to truly seek the Lord. Prophetically, the next thing Daniel describes in type is the saints in tribulation in the time of Antiochus Epiphanes (8:9-14), a type of the Beast. It is possible that this attack on Medo-Persia/Cyrus/Trump would bring the tribulation. Dan.8:9 And out of one of them came forth a little horn, which waxed exceeding great, toward the south, and toward the east, and toward the glorious [land]. (The saints are God's glorious land now according to scripture.) 10 And it waxed great, even to the host of heaven; and some of the host and of the stars it cast down to the ground, and trampled upon them. (The beast will cause a great falling away through the mark of the beast.) 11 Yea, it magnified itself, even to the prince of the host (The High Priest, Jesus); and it took away from him the continual [burnt-offering] (the crucified life), and the place of his sanctuary was cast down. 12 And the host was given over [to it] together with the continual [burnt-offering] through transgression; and it cast down truth to the ground (fits), and it did [its pleasure] and prospered. This describes the great persecution against Christians who have a continual burnt offering through offering up their beastly flesh as a living sacrifice in the fiery trials. The mark will bring an end of this sacrifice for many apostate Christians and they will be cast down as the sanctuary of God and the seed of Abraham by faith, who are identified as the stars of heaven by God.   The Perfect Storm in the Middle East: ISIS, Iran, Saudi, Egypt Avi Lipkin - 03/04/2015 Some points made in this video - 4/07/15 Avi's wife Rachael works for Israel listening to Arab broadcasts, since she knows the language. Here are some things she heard: President Obama was in Egypt in 2009 and he swore to the Prime Minister he was a Muslim, that his father was a Muslim, that his stepfather was a Muslim, and that he was raised in a mosque. On January 19, 2010, he said, “I swear what I am going to do with Israel”. (Meaning to destroy Israel.) Rachael picks up other broadcasts in which she heard where the Saudis said Obama have three commands from the Saudis: Command #1: To destroy the Shiite regime in Iran. That will be done by Israel. (Happening) Command #2: Destroy Israel. I.e., let Iran and Israel duke it out. (Happened) Israel attacks Iran and they destroy each other; destroy two birds with one stone. (Iran deal to destroy Israel announced on ominous date) Command #3: Make America a Muslim country. The plan is to bring tens of millions of Muslims into the United States. (There appears to be plenty of proof of this statement on Muslim broadcasts: Unscreened Muslims are flooding the U.S. by over 100,000 a year. 190 U.S. cities chosen by the Administration for invasion by Muslims. ISIS is in the US and will attack. Will ISIS Attack on American Soil Soon? Avi's comments: When things get really bad, Obama will be on the Muslim side. He is working with Iran now to push Israel into a corner where they will have to defend themselves. ISIS was born primarily by Saudi, Turkey, and the American backing of these Sunnis. Avi says what will end up being a perfect storm when Shiites attack Saudi Arabia from Yemen (the south)(done) and ISIS attacks them from the north. But ISIS hates the royalty because their morality copies the West. Egypt will come in from the west to save the royals. And Avi wonders if it might become so bad for the Saudi royalty that they will ask Israel to attack from the north. Considering the things truly coming on the world what Kind of person should we be? Luk.21:34 But take heed to yourselves, lest haply your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting, and drunkenness, and cares of this life, and that day come on you suddenly as a snare: 35 for so shall it come upon all them that dwell on the face of all the earth. 36 But watch ye at every season, making supplication, that ye may prevail to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man. 2Pe 3:11 Seeing that these things are thus all to be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy living and godliness, 12 looking for and earnestly desiring the coming of the day of God, by reason of which the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat? 13 But, according to his promise, we look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness. 14 Wherefore, beloved, seeing that ye look for these things, give diligence that ye may be found in peace, without spot and blameless in his sight. 15 And account that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation; even as our beloved brother Paul also, according to the wisdom given to him, wrote unto you; 16 as also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things; wherein are some things hard to be understood, which the ignorant and unstedfast wrest, as they do also the other scriptures, unto their own destruction. 17 Ye therefore, beloved, knowing these things beforehand, beware lest, being carried away with the error of the wicked, ye fall from your own steadfastness. 18 But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him be the glory both now and for ever. Amen.   Fleeing Bradon @ Last Days – 11/10/25 (David's notes in red) Brandon pieced together two previous video clips from 7/21/25 and 7/17/25 about what he sees in New York prior to the November election and its outcome. Portions of transcript: “…I see a mass exodus of all the rich people leaving New York because of the decisions that will be made in the future. (November elections) I saw New York City on fire. There were fires throughout the city. I could see the Statue of Liberty, and I saw smoke rolling all around the atmosphere above it. Even at her neck level, there was fire and smoke from inside the city, and I could see the flames burning.” The Lord said, “The seed is the ballot. For when they vote a wrong person into power, they vote corruption into power, and the seeds they sow for corruption bring forth a reprobate mind in the city.” “For seed time and harvest never ceases. For it is whatsoever man sows, that will he also reap.” He said, “There's a time to live and there's a time to die. There's a time to sew and there's a time to reap. A time to plant and a time to harvest.” He was saying this because they had sown in this way. And the Lord showed me David Wilkerson's face, and He said, “Remember what he said. Go and look at what he said. I gave a word to him. I spoke a prophetic warning through David Wilkerson years ago. Go find it and study it. I want you to hear what he prophesied would happen as people vote in the wrong people.” This is the prophetic word from David Wilkerson: “I stood in this pulpit two weeks ago, and it took every bit of Holy Ghost courage He could give me to say what I had to say. But I have felt this for weeks. I believe that New York City is in for 30 days of chastisement, such as America has never seen in any American city. I see at least a thousand fires burning in every burrow. Every business that's on the brink right now, deciding whether to move out of the city, will move. There's a hemorrhage already, and the economic base is collapsing. We're a third-world city already. I don't care what Mayor Dinkens says. It's a third-world city. We have a murder every hour on the hour now. A major crime every 20 seconds. This is a murder city. And I believe that we're going to see such chaos and anarchy in New York City coming. I don't know when, but I don't think it's too far off. And I don't know what's going to set it off. There will be no planes, trains, or anything coming into this city for probably two weeks. And all those who have money and are able to will escape. And New York City, our crown city, because of its absolute rebellion against God, its absolute sinfulness and wickedness, is going to be chastised. And this is God! He could have sent hydrogen bombs from Russia before this, and society would have collapsed and wiped us off the map. But no, He gives us warnings. He slaps our wrist and says, “Look, I'm talking to you.” And that's what AIDS is. It's a message. All of these calamities are messages. And God's saying, ‘Wake up.'” Brandon says, “I feel like that word is exactly what I saw. I saw thousands of fires burning inside New York. I saw a mass exodus of people leaving New York, but it would become a ruinous heap. There was judgment set in; I'm telling y'all folks, it was bad. People were leaving New York City, and I saw them going south.” The Lord spoke to me, and He said, “Mystery Babylon is coming.” And that is probably very controversial to many because a lot of people believe differently about who Mystery Babylon is. But the Lord spoke to me specifically about New York. And He said, “It's coming.” I saw Gavin Newsom's time is coming up. I saw former President Biden getting ready to go home soon. I saw him being buried; he's old, right? Everybody's going to die, right? But the Lord said it's coming. We also pray over Trump and his kids because if they can't get to him, they try to get to what he loves the most, his kids and grandkids. These people want revenge for their leaders in Iran. There's an enemy within. We must pray for an uncovering and turning on the light, exposing the cockroaches who are in our nation. Next clip: “I see people making big decisions. Relocation, relocation, relocation. This is a lot of people moving from the East Coast to the central area, like the Chicago area, and all around Ohio. They're being stirred on the East Coast, moving down [south]. Big decisions will be made around New York… “ Darkness is trying to set in. Great Mystery Babylon! It will be like a dark blanket will blanket over them. If they choose this man, I see a dark blanket blanketing, and people will flee. I hear the word, “Flee, flee, flee...” They will leave by the tens of thousands, if not hundreds of thousands. People, I see them fleeing as he's voted in. People will know that this is the end. Well, Father, you know, if he'll be voted in or not. I'm seeing that it is going to happen. He said, “No, they still have a choice. They have a choice to vote.” The Lord held up a veil, and I don't see the outcome. But I see the outcome if they vote this way concerning this man. I see a dark, dark cloud, like a dark blanket over them. And I see financial structures falling. I see the financial institution, all the money falling. I see them fleeing the city. It's like a mass migration and people fleeing from certain areas.   Crime Will Skyrocket  InfoWARS – 11/10/25 (David's notes in red) Mamdani Says He'll Replace Fleeing NY Cops with Social Workers by Raw Egg Nationalist, November 10th, 2025 New York's socialist mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani has said he's not bothered about facing a backlash from the city's police department, as he reiterated his plan to use social workers to carry out law-enforcement duties instead. (I would not be surprised if he got some of these people killed.) Mamdani was in Puerto Rico on Friday for a meeting of New York politicians when he spoke to reporters and said the increase in the numbers of police officers leaving the force is a clear sign his radical policies are needed. Mamdani seems confused as to why police have started leaving the force at a rate of 350 per month during his campaign. Promises to fix this with a plan for a Department of Community Safety… which he campaigned on. pic.twitter.com/cwnUDT6iun — Libby Emmons (@libbyemmons) November 8, 2025 Transcript: “I'm not worried about the backlash. What I'm worried about, frankly, is the continuation of a retention crisis that we've seen only deepen during the course of this campaign,” Mamdani said. “When we began, there were about 200 officers leaving a month, and by the end of the campaign, it was about 350. And a lot of that has to do with the fact that we've asked police officers for far too long to do much more than just police work. We've asked them to be responding to the mental health crisis and the homelessness crisis (OMG), and that's why we're going to create a Department of Community Safety that will be tasked with accomplishing those facts and allowing police officers to be police officers.” Mamdani has enjoyed a fraught relationship with New York's police force since announcing his run for mayor. Like many radical leftists, he has called for “abolishing the police,” and during the campaign he promised sweeping reform of law-enforcement, including bail reform. Senior police figures have been vocal in their criticism of him. “If you put a guy like him in there, our people are going to get hurt, and nobody's going to want the job. It's going to put recruitment back five more steps,” NYPD Detectives' Endowment Association president Scott Munro said in a statement to The New York Post in June. “I've had guys call me and say, ‘If he wins, I'm quitting,'” a police source also told the outlet “It's just weird that New York City would vote for him. I know he's not here for the police.” During his visit to Puerto Rico, Mamdani visited a local mosque and was greeted with loud chants of “Allahu Akhbar”—”God is great!” Footage of Mamdani's visit was posted to social media. He delivered a speech in which he focused on major aspects of his radical campaign, including “economic justice” and “exploitation,” and invoked radical figures, including Malcolm X. He also helped distribute meals at the mosque after Friday prayers. Zohran Mamdani won the mayoral race last Tuesday, defeating former state governor Andrew Cuomo, who ran as an independent, and Republican candidate Curtis Sliwa. Mamdani was widely predicted to win the race. He has promised a radical socialist program, including criminal-justice reform, rent controls and increased taxes for white neighborhoods, and is also rumored to want to turn New York into a national “sanctuary” for gender-realignment surgery. Infowars reported yesterday that a GOP lawmaker has proposed a new “Mamdani Act” to limit federal funding for New York while Zohran Mamdani is mayor. The legislation, which will be introduced by Rep. Buddy Carter (R-Ga.), is called the Moving American Money Distant from Anti-National Interests Act, or the “MAMDANI Act” for short. The short bill, just two pages long, states “notwithstanding any other provision of law, during any period in which Zohran Mamdani is mayor of New York, New York… any unobligated Federal funds available” for the city “are hereby rescinded” and “no Federal funds may be obligated or expended for any purpose to New York, New York.”   The Coming Coup d'état Rick Sergent - 07/18/2012 (David's notes in red) Wednesday night, I had a vision. I saw President Obama. He was at a desk. For whatever reason, it did not look like the one in the Oval Office. It seemed to be a smaller room. He was sitting at this desk and stood up when this military man came in. He appeared to be a general. He had stars on his shoulders. He did not look like a U.S. military man. On each shoulder was a red patch. He also had a red patch or mark on the front of his military cap. (It could symbolize the U.S. military submitting to a socialist, Marxist, communist-type government.) The president started to talk, and the general just listened. When the president stood up, he took and raised his left hand and made a fist. He first appeared to slam his fist on the desk. The Lord seemed to zoom me in for a closer look. He had not slammed his fist on the desk, but rather a black Bible on the desk. (The Koran calls Christians and Jews “The people of the Book”. This suggests he will deal harshly with them.) At the time he did this, he said these words to the general: “The people must know that I am the one in control here! We must have boots on the ground to every major city in this country. In smaller cities and towns, the police must know to uphold this law!” The general just nodded his head in acknowledgement and saluted, then left. The vision ended. (This speaks of the coming of martial law when the Constitution and law of the land are overturned, and the US will be ruled by executive order. This could also speak of enforcing Islamic Sharia law.) Quran references At-Taubah 9:29-30 about killing the Jews and the Christians: YUSUFALI: Fight those who believe not in Allah nor the Last Day, nor hold that forbidden which hath been forbidden by Allah and His Messenger, nor acknowledge the religion of Truth, (even if they are) of the People of the Book, until they pay the Jizya (Muslim tax) with willing submission, and feel themselves subdued. PICKTHAL: Fight against such of those who have been given the Scripture as they believe not in Allah nor the Last Day, and forbid not that which Allah hath forbidden by His messenger, and follow not the Religion of Truth, until they pay the tribute readily, being brought low. SHAKIR: Fight those who do not believe in Allah, nor in the latter day, nor do they prohibit what Allah and His Messenger have prohibited, nor follow the religion of truth, out of those who have been given the Book, until they pay the tax in acknowledgment of superiority and they are in a state of subjection. More on Sharia Law in the Obama Care Bill and paying the tax or Jizya or tribute spoken of above. A diktat is a settlement imposed on a conquered people. >Beat Obama Committee deciphers stealth Sharia law in Obamacare God turned the U.S. over to this coup because it turned down His peace, love and grace to be saved. Christians are guilty because they have given few examples of true Christianity to the world. Now a cross awaits.   Communism in the White House Dream Winnie Osegueda – 4/22/24 (David's notes in red) I had this vivid dream yesterday when I took a nap, and I was thinking about it and praying about it. Then this morning, I heard Missy bring up the many Chinese people coming through our border and the communists in our government, and I thought there could be a correlation with this dream. I dreamt that I was in front of what looked like the White House, except in my dream, there was an outdoor balcony with a staircase. At the top of the staircase was an Asian couple (who I believe were Chinese) (or representing the Chinese Communists) who were just newly elected to be President and First Lady of the United States (Will this begin in NYC?). They were a young couple, and they seemed pretty surprised to be elected. They were told that the people voted for them. The young Chinese man was a little shorter than the woman, who was wearing a sleeveless white dress and had long, flowing black hair. At first, the couple looked normal, but when I looked up again, the Chinese man's face was now painted bright red; he almost looked like a cartoonish version of Satan (communists?) Suddenly, I was now an observer from the top of the stairs/balcony as if I could see through the eyes of the Chinese woman, and from the top of the stairs, I saw a flood of Chinese people now rushing up the steps of the White House. It seemed to be that this Chinese man and woman being elected opened the floodgates for all these other Chinese people to come in. (This is happening, and the cops and Christians are fleeing NYC.) I began to weep.   The Red Dragon of Revelation 12 Invading Then I looked across the field and saw Obama on another balcony, located across from, but slightly to the left of where I and the couple were standing. I heard Obama say that if the couple would not do it, he would, as he could see there was some hesitation on the woman's part. I believe he meant that he would take over and do the job if they could not, or would not, get the job done. Obama seemed desperate. I could see that he desperately still desired to rule and be President, and really didn't want to let go. He was crouching down trying to get attention by putting his hands through the bars of the balcony. And then I woke up. End of dream. I asked the Lord for a verse by faith at random and received: Jer.5:13 (12-18 for context) They have denied the Lord, and said, It is not he; neither shall evil come upon us; neither shall we see sword nor famine: 13 and the prophets shall become wind, and the word is not in them: thus shall it be done unto them 14 Wherefore thus saith the Lord, the God of hosts, Because ye speak this word, behold, I will make my words in thy mouth fire, and this people wood, and it shall devour them. 15 Lo, I will bring a nation upon you from far, O house of Israel, saith the Lord: it is a mighty nation, it is an ancient nation, a nation whose language thou knowest not, neither understandest what they say. 16 Their quiver is an open sepulchre, they are all mighty men. 17 And they shall eat up thy harvest, and thy bread, which thy sons and thy daughters should eat; they shall eat up thy flocks and thy herds; they shall eat up thy vines and thy fig-trees; they shall beat down thy fortified cities, wherein thou trustest, with the sword. 18 But even in those days, saith the Lord, I will not make a full end with you. Psa.56:4 (4-9 for context) In God (I will praise his word), In God have I put my trust, I will not be afraid; What can flesh do unto me? 5 All the day long they wrest my words: All their thoughts are against me for evil. 6 They gather themselves together, they hide themselves, They mark my steps, Even as they have waited for my soul. 7 Shall they escape by iniquity? In anger cast down the peoples, O God. 8 Thou numberest my wanderings: Put thou my tears into thy bottle; Are they not in thy book? 9 Then shall mine enemies turn back in the day that I call: This I know, that God is for me.   Obama Wants to be Worshiped as a God.  Debbie Horton 11/7/25 When Obama was running the first time, or maybe right after he was “elected,” I had a dream that made no sense to me, so I didn't send it in. The main part I recall is that on the subway steps in NYC (BTW some stations are several levels deep), on each landing, there were votive candles burning, but instead of a picture of the Virgin Mary or Jesus, there was a picture of Obama. People were worshiping him. BTW, the subway appeared to be almost empty and shabby and was very dimly lit.   The Trail of Tears Marie Kelton – 11/6/25 (David's notes in red) (We are now native Americans and the trail of tears is a warning to us that history repeats.) During lunch, I went to the Sequoia museum, and I saw on the sign that it said, “The Trail of Tears”. But I didn't think anything of it. As I was eating lunch, the sign came back to my mind, and I asked the Lord, “Oh, is this where the Trail of Tears happened?” All of a sudden, I heard what sounded like native American chanting and drumming. I had an open vision. Native Americans were walking on the gravel trail that was before me. I saw snow on the ground, and there were native Americans covered with brown blankets. There was a Confederate soldier behind the line of native Americans, and I guess one was walking too slowly because he pushed the native American to hurry up and walk faster. Behind the Confederate soldier was a native American man wearing a native American outfit with long pants and a long-sleeved shirt. He was beating a double-sided drum that was in front of him, attached to his chest with powwow drumsticks in both of his hands. Then I had another open vision while looking in the field of native Americans in a circle, and one was dancing by a fire wearing the native American war bonnet. A little way behind them was a bunch of teepees. And I saw Native Americans working outside with their children. And then I heard the Lord say, “They served the creature rather than the Creator.” (Like many Americans) Rom.1:24-25: “Wherefore God gave them up in the lusts of their hearts unto uncleanness, that their bodies should be dishonored among themselves: for that they exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshipped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen.” I looked it up on the internet because I wanted to know why the Confederate soldier was in the vision. I learned that the Confederates didn't have anything to do with the Trail of Tears. The Confederacy was formed some years later, but that Trail of Tears influence had caused a division among the Native American tribes, and some of the native American tribes took part in the Civil War becoming allies with the Confederates, the treaties were made with them.   Left, Then Right, Fall Rick Sergent - November 2009 (David's notes in red) I saw a vision of President Obama's face in the foreground. In the background was the White House. There were red numbers floating and circling around his head. The numbers were 666. (The apostle Paul said the spirit of antichrist is already in the world.) I then saw what appeared to be three puffs of white smoke coming from the LEFT SIDE of the outside of the White House. The smoke came straight up, one after the other, three times. I then saw another vision of Nancy Pelosi. She was standing on a platform inside a building. There were many people in what appeared to be a large room. In the vision, I was standing in front of her, toward her left side. I did not see how many people were behind me. Then, all of a sudden, I saw Nancy Pelosi's head get rocked to the right side from an unseen force from the LEFT SIDE. Her head then bounced off her right shoulder and came up, then she crumpled down on the floor. The vision then ended. (She has become a liability to the Left for the Right have all the info on her J-6 deception.) That night, I had a dream. Nancy Pelosi was in the newspaper. I just knew it was an obituary. Even though I did not see the words, I felt in the dream that she was dead. (It appears she was a promoter of the J6 deception to take out Trump.) Then I woke up. Later on, my youngest son, Jeremy, came over the next day and said, “Dad, I had a dream and we were in it. We tried to tell people we were in the tribulation, but nobody would believe us, Dad”. (Even after the trib starts pre-tribbers will be denying it.) This vision and dream were pretty heavy on me, and finally I felt released to share this. I'm not going to try to interpret this. It may be literal or symbolic, as in political suicide(s) -- three puffs of smoke (three leftist leaders ???) I have my own idea, but I'd rather not say. Note from David: 11/15/10 update: Rick's vision appears to have been right on. Possibly, this means three key leaders committed political suicide by going against what the overwhelming majority of Americans wanted with their socialistic agenda. There certainly was a purge. Even the left realizes that they overstepped and asked Nancy Pelosi to step aside now. I'll leave it to you to decide who the most important three were. Update 2025: Could it be the leftist leaders pushing the government shutdown? I believe from past revelations that the left's fall is temporary, and what will follow could be something like this: The NWO crowd, who started all these wars for their own power grab, will sacrifice their right wing, who, with the Christians who supported them, will be blamed for getting us into these wars. It appears the 9/11 false flag from the right is being revealed more publicly so that the next false flag from the left will be blamed on the right and the Christian “terrorists” who supported it. The NWO has been spreading literature and hatred against the right for some time, using the word “terrorists” even in memos to civil authorities and police. Obama has made steps to clear the way for them to go after Bush and the right wing for war crimes. Christians will be persecuted for their support. The next strike on the U.S. will hasten this. Tribulation is coming soon after a terrible war. Most won't believe it is the tribulation.   Civil War Is Coming Mary Dooley - 01/07/2009 (David's notes in red) In the dream, I was standing at a crossroads that was close to the beach, in that I could clearly see the open sky over the ocean in front of me. (I had asked God to tell me if I had any fruit before I went to sleep, and had the dream and at the crossroads where I was standing, I was next to a fruit stand. If I had to quantify the amount, I'd say it was 60% my height. (I am going for the 100-fold.) To my right, I could see that there was a battle in the air, as I could see the smoke from the jets. To my left, two planes that were unlike any I have ever seen (and I have seen quite a few since 1988, living on or near military bases), they were speeding at low level toward the battle. (A battle for the “air waves” between left and right, first politically and then physically.) I knew in the dream that they were Turkish. They were totally black. (Turkey fell out with Israel over the Gaza war and is pushing the left more to the left, if that's possible, concerning their support for Israel. They have also threatened Israel if they move against the puppets of the Iranians. The first nation to fall to the new Babylon one world order was Israel [Jer.25:17,18,29], which is also a type for Christianity.) Next, from the left again, something was coming in the air. It was something big and black, with black smoke coming out from it in all directions. As it got closer, I could see something orange on its nose. Then I realized it was a black airship or blimp, (notice both sides are in darkness) and the orange thing on the nose was a jack-o-lantern. (This represents Halloween, Babylon DS's “Satan's birthday”, when the Celts say the living are closest to the dead and the forces of darkness are at work) The eyes, nose and mouth were orange because the inside of the airship was on fire. As the airship passed in front of me, I saw that it was slowing down and being totally consumed internally, as the orange flames were destroying it quickly. It stopped in front of me and fell into the ocean. (There is a battle going on for the “airwaves” before the physical battle. The left has used many inventions to shoot down the conservatives' command of the “airwaves”. On a more natural level, blimps cannot compete with jets, which are weapons. They are clumsy, slow, lack power and are relics of the past for warfare. This spiritually describes the badly outmatched right-wing when the U.S. is turned over to chastening by the communists and Islamists. The right have plenty of evidence of their evil but are slow to enforce it. The conservative Babylonish Christian movement that is rising up to “take the nation back” from the left wing who is trying to kill everybody with their weapons to have control. Vax, chemtrails, poison in food and water and animals we eat, engineered hurricanes, earthquakes, Satanism rising, etc. Other 9/11's are coming from the Left, and the blame will be put on the Right in part because so much proof is coming forward of the Bush administration's part in the first 9/11 that they will be blamed for this, too, by the left and the left-wing media. Like the Kirk assassination and threats against Tucker and other right wing influencers. The left is putting the blame on the right-wing Christian defenders of Israel, while they slaughter Gaza. This causes anger against Christians.) I felt like I should run to higher ground because the airship was so big, and I was so close that it might cause a big wave to hit me (This will bring great persecution to the Christians), so I ran upstairs into one of the nearby, rather short buildings behind me. (Christians will no doubt need to get to the High and Holy Ground of Scriptural foundation to escape this coming disaster from the division of America. The scriptures declare that militant Christians will lose this battle badly in the eyes of the world. Crucifixions are coming for those who need them. The Pharisees laughed at Jesus, thinking He lost on the cross. Listen to U.S. Covenant & Civil War) Now I knew I was on a Navy base, as I went up about one or two stories and an enlisted man in uniform was leaning back in his chair, with his hands behind his head, rather unconcerned. He was at the back end of what looked to be a small movie theatre, with the screen to my left. No one was in the room but the enlisted man who, from where he was sitting, would probably be the person running the projector. I told him what had happened, and he said, “Yes, my father was on that airship.” I was surprised at how unmoved he was. (A younger left-wing generation that has rebelled against the conservative morals and constitutional respect of the forefathers will show no mercy or pity on them in the coming civil war. An antichrist spirit is sweeping the world, much like anti-Semitism during the Nazi era. A great backlash against the Christians will come from this. The Left will have complete control over the media, typed by the movie projector, to bring a worldwide persecution of Christianity. Most Christians will not believe that this is of God to bring back true Christianity through persecution and revival. Read Sovereign God for rest and peace.) Next, I was outside at the crossroads again. (Crossroads here represents a fateful change for the future.) Now I could see that there was a convoy, almost like a parade, coming home from the direction of the air battle. I got the impression they were victorious, as they did not even appear tired or dirty, more like inspection-ready. They were sitting in tiers, like bleachers, on top of a vehicle bringing them back to the base. They were in camouflage uniforms, wearing dark glasses and holding flags. (These are hiding from the truth willfully; hiding from the Son, behind patriotism.) The flags were full-size and easy to see, as each person had a flag and held it stretched out in front of him. The flags were stiff, like posters, and they were held on each end. (The flags were stiff, cheap fakes of what the real flag that was blown by the wind stood for. Also, this is a “false flag” banner of victory over the right-wing and Christians.) Now I could see that the flags were distinctly Confederate, and the convoy was taking the curve in the road to their left. There were only two choices at this intersection: curve sharply to the left, or sharply to the right. I did not see anyone going to the right. (The conservative/religious right will lose badly. The rebels against our forefathers' morality will win. The country will turn sharply to the left, where the goats go in Jesus' parable. Like the Confederate rebels, their interest is to cast off any moral or constitutional restraint and keep black men, as a type of those who walk in darkness, or sinners, in bondage. Like the confederates, their money will also be worthless.) End of dream. On the 11th of January, I was at work. A Christian patient was about to leave when suddenly she remembered that her teenage daughter had a dream that night. She said an angel took her into the air, where there was a tremendous air battle going on, and it was so loud and disturbing that she covered her ears, and then the angel brought her back to her bed. She then woke her mom up to tell her and was crying because it was so disturbing, and she is only 16. I told her mom about my dream. (The argument between right and left will get very loud, polarizing the country and tearing it apart.) About three days after this, I called my very good friend, Ellen. I told her that I had had a dream that I wanted to tell her. She stopped me and said she just had one, and so she told me her dream first. She said that she was caught in the middle of a war that was about to start. She said she was trying to find cover behind a house, and that the battle was about to begin, and she was trying to help a little girl find cover, too. I asked her what kind of battle -- as in modern, or something from the past. She said, “It's a revolutionary...no, it's a civil war”. I believe this Civil War will escalate from the war of words over the “air” waves to physical weapons sometime soon. The negative rhetoric is causing people, especially leftists, to go crazy Many say guns will be needed if others fail to submit to their principles. Communists and Islamists are already this way. Polarization is everywhere. If you, as a Christian, think God has called you to fight and kill, you desperately need to read The Sword or the Cross? and listen to the Honor the king? series. Many Christians are victims of neglecting their Bibles and their consciences. Remember, if a man's ways please the Lord, He makes his enemies to be at peace with him. Obviously God is raising up a beast to bring Christians to their cross. God is not pleased with “Christianity” as a whole and is therefore bringing the beast to conquer her, as history repeats.   Civil War in the USA? The Visions 1/21/13 - Andrew Strom (David's notes in red; hyperlinks added) Before the recent US election and “gun” controversy, many would have laughed at the idea of a Civil War or similar conflict in America. I guess it is not quite so “laughable” now. I got a lot of nasty and bitter personal attacks aimed at me last week over my article, Do Christians Love Guns? People accused me of all kinds of twisted motivations for publishing such a thing. But the honest truth is that I am genuinely concerned. Concerned for a country that I love and a people that I love. I feel many Christians are being driven into a great anger that can only result in grief. Perhaps when you read the prophecies below, you will understand my concern. I truly would hate to see any of my friends caught up in such a conflict. Here are the visions: Kenny Atnip (Jan 2013)- “Some time ago, God showed me and some others that America would enter an internal war. You can call it a civil war, or revolutionary war, or anything you like, but it is coming. God showed me plainly that many Christians would be tempted to be part of a war against the government and that this war would be part of his judgment on the U.S.A. and we should not get involved. The current government's actions are because of God's judgment, so he who resists this government resists God's ordinance. Global war is coming as well, and America will be attacked, and after all of these things, I saw a time of peace again in the land. America will be humbled and once again look to God as its provider and defender. The message to Christians here in America is the same that Jeremiah told to Judah- Submit to God's judgment and it will go well for you, resist and it will cost some their lives and others their freedom.”... Hans Petter (June 2008)- “I started to see a movie in the spirit. In the First Act, Obama was elected as president, and he was the door opener for the next thing that happened. Dark skies came over the USA with thunderstorms. People were fighting against each other in the streets. Tires and cars were burning in the streets. People were really suffering, screaming for help and they had nothing to eat or a home. It was a hard time. The cities were burning. I saw a gap start to split the nation. It started in California (The “wild” fires for their “land grab” (Palisades fire), for their “Smart Cities” and the DS-funded, Antifa led riots, destroying Los Angeles and other blue cities.) moved forward across the nation and ended up by the East Coast, north of New York. (Civil War) Act 2. Then people started to pray for help and ask for help from Jesus. I saw two eagles (prophets) that came flying from the east and behind came Jesus. Healing came to USA and Jesus restored the cities and people's lives.” (Man-child ministry) Darren Smith (June 2009)- “Last night, while praying before I went to bed, the Lord gave me a vision that really rattled me. In the vision, I saw this land split into four parts, with each one under its own flag. Each region had terrible destruction, and many people were dead. As I looked over the destruction, I was crying, and the Lord asked me, “Why are you crying over the fall of Babylon? As a matter of fact, why have you been praying for the healing of Babylon?” In this vision, I didn't have an answer and the Lord opened a scroll and started reading off the indictments against our country, but before each one He clearly called the USA Babylon. The list was long and to the point, with such points as the killing of several generations of unborn children. Besides this charge, He added that these babies had been sacrificed to the god of self. The list also included greed, idolatry, pride, fornication, and many others, so many that I could not even read them all. As I looked at the list of charges, I was overwhelmed and broken by the fact that we live every day in a nation that is so far removed from God and in total opposition to the Kingdom of God, yet we are comfortable here. We have become just like Lot living in Sodom; the prosperity that the nation offers us has blinded us from the evil that rules this land. We complain about how bad it is, but still stay attached to it with every ounce of strength we have. The Lord told me to look at the nation as He sees it, not through my eyes but through His. I could not look too long before I had to agree and repent of loving Babylon. Once I repented, the Lord told me to prepare for the fall as time is running out. I must preach the Gospel of the Kingdom, not the Gospel of America. America is already judged; the time of shaking is now and will increase rapidly.”... 'Journey' (Jan 2013)- “I too believe that the United States is headed for a civil war or something to that nature. I have friends who are in the “Patriot” movement, so I hear of things happening that the media will never report. In a nutshell, here is my conclusion to what I hear. There have been hundreds of thousands of assault rifles sold in the past year. There have been laws and rules put into force against assault rifles. Why would this conflict be?... A move to rile up the people has been put into play. Arm the people and then make laws to make them revolt against the Government. The underlying purpose is actually to cause the individual states to secede from the union... Divide and conquer is the idea”. Kenny Atnip - “Civil War in U.S”. (Dec 2010)- “My 16-year-old daughter, Maryann, had a dream a few days ago. She dreamed of civil war against the current government. The scene was very chaotic, and those in rebellion to the government were going house to house, forcing any and all men to join with them. Many of us Christians were in hiding, not willing to join in a rebellion against the government. She awoke in the middle of the night with a strong taste of blood in her mouth. Her 13-year-old sister, Aimee, woke up as well and immediately asked her what was wrong. The 16-year-old said that she had the taste of blood in her mouth, to which the 13-year-old asked, “Were you dreaming of war?” Somehow, she knew that she was dreaming of war. Last November, my three-year-old son, Jeremiah, slept with Mom and Dad. He awoke at 5:30 AM yelling, “War is coming ... people are dying ... people are crying to God”. He has no idea what these things are. It woke me up from a dead sleep, and I sat up and looked at him. He was wide awake... We will have 5 years of terror and turmoil beginning very soon... I believe the government will begin rounding up people who are on a list. If we are on that list, don't resist or run; God sends some away to protect them. God will vindicate the righteous in his time”. Donald replies, “Kenny- that advice is the same as that given to the Israelites. Don't resist when King Nebuchadnezzar comes to take you away. If you go willingly, you will be established in a foreign land; if you resist you will die. (We may or may not actually die, but our lives could become so miserable that we will wish we would die). Good advice for all of us at this unsettling time”. 'Journey' replies- “Yes, Kenny, Good advice. It is better to serve God while in captivity than to die resisting His purpose. God is doing this to the Church because of their pride and arrogance. God is humbling His Church”.

Welcome to Episode #191 of the Way of the Bible podcast. This is our seventh of eight episodes in our Twenty-Fourth mini-series entitled The Return of Jesus Christ [3]. On today's episode, we will begin with background on the state of Eschatological thinking today, and then compare the Rapture of the church and the Second Coming of Jesus on the Day of the Lord. We will then begin an exploration into what's happening in heaven after the church is taken off the earth and before the tribulations on earth begin. I've been saying since the beginning of these mini-series on the return of Jesus, that the signs of the times are lining up such that if something as paradigm-shifting as the Rapture were to occur, it would not be outrageous and unexplainable. And yet, so few, and I mean very few, in the visible church today are even aware of such a thing called the Rapture. Let me start there and work toward the materials for today.It wasn't always this way. I'd presented on Episode #189 a boatload of New Testament rapture passages validating that the snatching away/Rapture of the church was the eschatological position of Jesus, his apostles, and the early church fathers through the second century. The eschatology of the church was radically, or better yet, hard-wired to drop this view and pick up another when the church married the world under Emperor Theodosius I. The marriage idiom for the church is critical when thinking of the Bible. This marriage happened when Christianity became the official religion of the Roman Empire in 380 AD. Prior to that, during the church's engagement period to the world, Emperor Constantine legalized Christianity with the Edict of Milan in 313 AD. This ended the state-sponsored persecution of Christians and began a period of religious tolerance of Christianity throughout the Roman Empire. Constantine built churches, declared Sunday a public holiday, and granted the church legal and financial advantages. You could say the visible church, in which the bride of Christ is hidden, exchanged remaining pure for the anticipated return of Jesus for enmeshment and acceptance in the world, and to reengage opportunities to indulge in the idolatries of the world from which had been forsaken by the teachings of the epistles for almost 300 years. Why would it do that?

Astrologer and consciousness teacher Mercedes Arnús Arraut explains how astrology and the star chart reveal a hidden design connecting human destiny, awakening consciousness, and the rise of technology in episode 225 of Far Out with Faust.Mercedes Arnús Arraut is an astrologer, consciousness teacher, and founder of The Astral Method, an education platform that bridges Hellenistic, Egyptian, and Vedic astrology with modern psychology and energy work. She guides students in reading their natal chart blueprint as a mirror of consciousness — a map of patterns, ancestral memory, and potential. Her teachings restore astrology's original purpose: a tool for self-knowledge and spiritual awakening.In this conversation, Faust Checho and Mercedes trace astrology's origins and its modern evolution, exploring how the star chart decodes both personal and collective destiny. They examine Carl Jung's insight that “until you make the unconscious conscious, it will rule your life,” and connect that idea to ancient cosmology and today's rise of AI and ChatGPT. Mercedes discusses how Emperor Constantine and the Catholic Church severed humanity's link to the stars, how civilizations like Atlantis fell when they misused technology, and why dream journaling can reopen a channel to higher awareness. Together they uncover how cosmic patterns, free will, and consciousness intertwine in the unfolding story of humanity's evolution.In this episode:

Friends of the Rosary,Today, Sunday, November 9, we celebrate the Feast of the Dedication of the Lateran Basilica in Rome, the cathedral of the Bishop of Rome, the Pope, and the oldest church in the West.Built during the time of Emperor Constantine in the fourth century, when Christians were granted freedom to practice their religion. This Cathedral/Basilica is called “mother and head of all the churches of the city and the world.”The solemnity recalls that the temple of stones is a symbol of the living Church, the Christian community,Signifying that we, the faithful, are “living stones,” St. Paul wrote, “You are God's building,” “Holy is God's temple, which you are” (1 Corinthians 3:9c, 17).The Church of living stones, built up in truth and charity, is internally formed by the Holy Spirit.Today's feast celebrates the mystery of God's desire to build a spiritual temple in the world —a community that worships Him in spirit and truth (cf. John 4:23-24).The churches, with their beauty and harmony, are destined to give praise to God.Every community must take special care of its sacred buildings, always calling upon the intercession of the Most Holy Mary.Today, we also celebrate the feast of the Virgin of the Almudena in Madrid, Spain.Ave Maria!Come, Holy Spirit, come!To Jesus through Mary!Here I am, Lord; I come to do your will.Please give us the grace to respond with joy!+ Mikel Amigot w/ María Blanca | RosaryNetwork.com, New YorkEnhance your faith with the new Holy Rosary University app:Apple iOS | New! Android Google Play• November 9, 2025, Today's Rosary on YouTube | Daily broadcast at 7:30 pm ET

In this week's episode, we take a look at the Praetorian Guard of the Roman Empire, and consider how ancient history can inspire fantasy novels. This coupon code will get you 25% off the ebooks in the Silent Order series at my Payhip store: SILENT2025 The coupon code is valid through November 10, 2025. So if you need a new ebook this fall, we've got you covered! TRANSCRIPT 00:00:00 Introduction and Writing Updates Hello, everyone. Welcome to Episode 275 of The Pulp Writer Show. My name is Jonathan Moeller. Today is October 31st, 2025, and today we're talking about the Praetorian Guard of Ancient Rome and how that can inspire fantasy novels. Also, Happy Halloween (or Happy Protestant Reformation Day, if you prefer). Before we get into all that, we will have Coupon of the Week and a progress update on my current writing, publishing, and audiobook projects. First up, Coupon of the Week. This week's coupon code will get you 25% off the ebooks in my Silent Order series at my Payhip store: SILENT2025. And as always, both the coupon code and the links to my store will be in the show notes. This coupon code will be valid through November 10th, 2025. So if you need a new ebook for this fall as we come into winter, we have got you covered. And now for an update on my current writing and publishing projects. As I mentioned last week, Cloak of Worlds is now out and you get it at Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Kobo, Google Play, Apple Books, Smashwords, and at my Payhip store. The initial response has been very strong and very positive, so thank you for that and I'm glad that people are enjoying and reading the book. Now that Cloak of Worlds is done, my next main project is Blade of Shadows, which will be the second book in my Blades of Ruin epic fantasy series. I'm currently 44,000 words into it, which puts me on chapter 9 of 20, though I'll probably have more chapters in the final draft than I will in the first draft. I found people really do tend to prefer shorter punchier, shorter chapters. Anyway, I'm about 44,000 words into it. I think I'll be about 109,000 words, when all is said and done. So hopefully that will be out in November. I'm also 4,500 words into the next Rivah book, which is Wizard-Assassin. It'd originally been entitled Elven-Assassin, but I decided Wizard-Assassin sounded punchier, so we went with that instead. I'm about 4,500 words into that and if all goes well, it will come out in December, which will make it the final book I'll publish in 2025, though hopefully I'll be publishing more books in 2026 before too much longer. In audiobook news, Brad Wills is currently recording Blade of Flames and we've been listening to some proof chapters of it and are very excited about what we're hearing. Hollis McCarthy is starting work on recording Cloak of Embers. That'll be the 10th book in Cloak Mage, and hopefully we will have both of those audiobooks out before the end of the year, if all goes well. So that is where I'm at with my current writing and publishing projects. 00:02:33 Main Topic: Praetorian Guard of the Ancient Roman Empire Now let's move on to our main topic this week, which is the Praetorian Guard of the Ancient Roman Empire, and they were very bad at their jobs, but we'll get into that more very shortly. One of the fascinating (if occasionally depressing) aspects of history is how often institutions end up having the exact opposite outcome of what they were intended to do. The late science fiction writer Jerry Pournelle had something called Pournelle's Iron Law of Bureaucracy, which once the bureaucracy got large enough, it will inevitably start turning its main focus to perpetuating the bureaucracy rather than carrying out its actual mission. And we can see examples of that time and time again, and no doubt you yourself can think of many examples: schools that make their students dumber, military organizations that fail to defend, hospitals that make people sicker, bureaucracies that exacerbate the problems that they are created to solve, and so forth. This can also apply to social movements as well. My favorite example of this is Prohibition in America. The Temperance movement of the late 19th and early 20th century achieved its goal of banning alcohol sales in the United States during the Prohibition period, but the backlash and the consequences made it unpopular. And today, while alcohol is much more heavily restricted than it was at the end of the 19th century, the idea of banning alcohol in the United States is utterly implausible. The Praetorian Guard of Ancient Rome, the personal bodyguards of the Emperor, might be another example of such an institution that utterly failed at its primary goal. For over a thousand years, people have been asking why the Roman Empire fell, and I think that might actually be the wrong question. The better question is why did the Roman Empire last as long as it did, because it sure almost didn't. At the height of its power, the Empire controlled land on three different continents in an area larger than many modern states, and it had to maintain that control without anything resembling modern technology and organization. Think of the difficulties involved in governing a large multi-ethnic state in the 21st Century with modern technology and communications and imagine how much harder it was in the first century AD. Travel was difficult and dangerous even with the Roman road system. The account of St. Paul's shipwreck in the book of Acts must've been an all too common experience in the Roman Empire, given the number of Roman wrecks on the bottom of the Mediterranean Sea. Messages could take weeks to reach their recipients, and there was no division between civilian and military authority. That meant if the Emperors wanted to do anything, they had to use the army to do it because the army was the only pool of skilled men loyal to the state. Since the Empire never really solved the problem of succession and the transfer of power, it didn't take long before ambitious men figured out that the man with the largest army could declare himself Emperor and the Roman Empire actually broke apart into three competing mini empires and almost fell apart entirely in the middle of the 200s AD. So as we can see, there were a lot of reasons the Roman Empire fell apart and the Praetorian Guard, the bodyguard of the emperors, was one of them. The Praetorian Guard certainly wasn't the sole reason the Roman Empire collapsed, but the guard most definitely didn't help. In the last century of the Roman Republic, one of the growing problems was that the armies were less loyal to Rome and more loyal to their general, who made sure they got paid and received grants of land upon discharge. To show their prestige and to guard against the danger of assassination from rivals, generals began collecting personal bodyguards. Since the Roman generals commanded from a tent in a legionary camp called a "praetorium," the general's private guards became called "praetorians." Obviously, the general wanted his best troops as his bodyguards so becoming a praetorian was a privileged position with higher pay and perks. This practice continued as the Roman Republic split apart into civil wars between the ambitious generals of the First and Second Triumvirates. The civil wars of the Roman Republic ended with Octavian, later known as Caesar Augustus, as the last man standing with sole control of what we now think of as the Roman Empire. Augustus is remembered as the first Roman emperor, but the office of Emperor didn't really exist at the time, not the way we think of it now. Rather, Augustus was essentially a military dictator, but after he won, he went to great lengths to conceal his power under cloak of legality by having the Senate invest him with various official powers and offices. In modern terms, it'd be like if the United States was ruled by a military dictator who simultaneously held the offices of President, Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, Speaker of the House, Senate Majority Leader, the governorships of the five most populous states, all while claiming to be only the first citizen among equals. Essentially, Augustus invented the powers of the Roman emperor on the fly while being a military dictator and his successors followed suit. Julius Caesar famously pardoned his enemies and went around without a bodyguard to show his courage, which ended up getting him assassinated. Augustus, by contrast, was determined not to repeat that mistake. So after annihilating his enemies, he founded a personal bodyguard in what we know today as the Praetorian Guard. That's a modern term. The praetorians never called themselves the Praetorian Guard, and they always refer to themselves as the praetorian of whichever emperor they happen to be serving like the Praetorians of Augustus or the Praetorians of Claudius and so forth. Augustus seems to have seen some of the potential danger in the institution of the Praetorian Guard, and during his reign, they were scattered around Italy with ones guarding him rotated out every so often. The Praetorians in Italy, when not guarding the Emperor, tended to do odd jobs for the government that needed doing like policing, construction, surveying, settling boundary disputes, and so forth. However, Augustus's successor Tiberius concentrated the Guard in Rome, which made it even more dangerous. It also tied into another problem with the Roman Empire, one that it never quite managed to solve, which was the succession problem. Augustus was a military dictator who assembled a sort of ad hoc legality around his position with various offices and powers. But how would he pass that onto a successor or what if someone else decided they were the proper successor? Augustus had taken his office by force, so why shouldn't anyone else? The Praetorian Guard exacerbated this problem further. Was their loyalty to the office of the Emperor (which was tricky because that office didn't technically exist)? Was it to the man himself or to his heirs? Perhaps unsurprisingly, the Praetorian Guard eventually settled on the most practical answer to this question. Their loyalty belonged to whoever paid them the most money. There's a very high chance that Tiberius was murdered by the prefect of the Praetorian Guard, which means that the imperial bodyguard made it only two emperors [repeated for dramatic emphasis] before it started killing them. Tiberius's successor Caligula was famously insane and the Guard eventually got sick of him and participated in his murder. After Caligula's death, the guard declared Claudius as the new Emperor, who repaid them by giving them lavish donatives. That meant the Guard had gone from protecting the emperors to killing ones that didn't like, and then installing new ones. After the Senate turned against Nero and he committed suicide in 69 AD, the Roman Empire had its year of four emperors: Galba, Otho, Vitellius, and finally Vespasian, who won the civil war and became the new emperor. Each of the potential claimants had their own praetorians who fought against other praetorians. The original Praetorian Guard of Nero did not cover itself in glory, as their comfortable life in Rome did not make them effective as field soldiers and they lost against the toughened legionaries from the frontier armies who came to fight in the civil war. That said, during the reigns of the Five Good Emperors (Nerva, Trajan, Hadrian, Antoninus Pius, and Marcus Aurelius) from 96 to 180 AD, we don't hear much about the Praetorian Guard. The most likely explanation is that these emperors were strong and capable rulers, so the guard had no reason to turn against them, and therefore any potential conspiracies that would've involved the Guard just didn't get off the ground. However, part of the reason the 100s AD were the apex of the Roman Empire is that Nerva, Trajan, Hadrian, and Antoninus Pius did not have sons, so they adopted a capable leader as their son and heir, thereby creating continuity of rule. Marcus Aurelius unfortunately had a natural son named Commodus, and after he died, Commodus became Emperor. Commodus was a spectacularly incompetent narcissist, nowadays famously known as the villain from the movie Gladiator. If anything, Gladiator toned down Commodus' brutality, though to be fair to Commodus, he didn't murder his father like the fictional version did in the movie. Commodus was eventually assassinated, and the Praetorian Guard hit its lowest point soon after. Pertinax became Emperor after Commodus, and there was hope he would be a Nerva-type figure, a respected elderly Senator who would adopt a capable heir the way Nerva did with Trajan. However, Commodus had used the Guard as his privileged force of personal thugs, and Pertinax tried to impose discipline upon them. The Guard most definitely did not care for that, so they murdered Pertinax and then auctioned off the title of Emperor to whoever would pay them the most. Soon after Septimius Severus seized control of the Empire and he summarily fired all the Praetorian and put his own veteran legionaries in their place. So the Praetorian Guard, which had been intended to guard the emperors, ended up murdering the Emperor on a regular basis and sometimes choosing a successor and even auctioning off the title of Emperor to the highest bidder. Septimius Severus was a brutal ruler and held the Empire together long enough to die of natural causes. His sons Caracalla and Geta were his successors, and Caracalla murdered Geta before he was assassinated himself by yet another plot from disgruntled praetorians. After that, both the Empire and the Guard declined precipitously. This was the period later historians would call the Crisis of the Third Century, when the Roman Empire fractured into the three competing mini empires I mentioned earlier. A depressing pattern rapidly took hold. The Praetorian Guard or the army would kill an Emperor and proclaim a new one. The Emperor would last until he tried to do something the army didn't like, such as imposing discipline and then the pattern would repeat. The Praetorian Guard was never really reformed, but like so many failed institutions, it gradually became obsolete. Part of the reason was that the Empire was subject to frequent barbarian invasions throughout the 200s. The Emperor was required constantly on the frontiers to supervise the defense with the field armies. The emperors developed a different kind of bodyguard called the "scholae palatinae", a mounted group of soldiers that would accompany him in the field as he moved about the Empire. The constant defensive warfare also resulted in a subtle shift within the Empire. Rome was no longer the center of power within the Empire. The center of power was actually wherever the Emperor happened to be at the moment. The city of Rome itself had become in many ways an expensive vestigial relic of another age. Some of the emperors only visited Rome once. Some of the shorter-lived ones never made it there at all, and the Emperors certainly did not rule from Rome. Because of these changes, the idea of the Praetorian Guard, a permanent bodyguard force based in Rome, had become obsolete. The actual end of the Praetorian Guard came after the Battle of the Milvian Bridge in 312 AD, the battle where the Emperor Constantine famously had the vision that led him to convert to Christianity. The Praetorian Guard sided with Constantine's opponent Maxentius, and since Constantine had no use for the Praetorian Guard and indeed would move his capital to the new city of Constantinople, he simply had the Guard disbanded and continued to rely on mounted cavalry units for his personal bodyguard. So the Praetorian Guard, after three centuries of frequent treachery and corruption, had come to an end. Amusingly, while the Guard was gone, the title of "praetorian prefect" remained in use in the Empire for the rest of its history, which came to show just how powerful the commander of the Guard could become. In the end, the Praetorian Guard was yet another example of institution that became a hindrance to the very goals it was founded to advance. This seems to be a curse of any organization, and the only cure is constant vigilance and strong leadership, two qualities, alas, that are all too rare at any age of history. Yet you can definitely see why I say history is the best source of material for fantasy writers. You could get like 20 different novels out of the events I discussed above. So that is it for this week. Thanks for listening to The Pulp Writer Show. I hope you found the show useful. A reminder that you can listen to all the back episodes at https://thepulpwritershow.com. If you enjoyed the podcast, please leave your review on your podcasting platform of choice. Stay safe, stay healthy, and see you all next week.

The Controversial Books Missing from the BibleWorldview Legacy Episode #144Did early church leaders hide essential books from the Bible? Are we missing out on “lost gospels” or ancient wisdom that could shake the foundation of our faith? In today's episode, Joel Settecase tackles one of the most persistent myths that undermines biblical authority—and he does it with razor-sharp clarity and biblical depth.Joel walks through the true history of the Old and New Testament canon, explains why books like 1 and 2 Maccabees didn't make the cut, and exposes the real motivation behind the Council of Trent's decision to include the Apocrypha. Along the way, you'll see how Jesus himself affirmed the Old Testament canon—and why the Protestant Bible is exactly what God intended His people to have.In this episode, you'll learn:Why the idea of “missing books” is more fake conspiracy theory than factThe biblical and historical evidence for a closed Old Testament canonHow Jesus affirmed the exact books Protestants recognize todayWhy the Apocrypha was added by the Roman Catholic Church in the 1500sWhat Luke 24 and “Abel to Zechariah” reveal about Jesus' view of ScriptureThe three rigorous criteria for New Testament inclusionWhy books like the Gospel of Thomas were rejected—rightfullyWhy the canon wasn't imposed from the top down, but recognized bottom-up by the ChurchThe critical difference between inspiration and historical valueKey Takeaways:The Old Testament canon Jesus affirmed includes the Law, Prophets, and Writings—not the ApocryphaThe Council of Trent added books as part of a theological reaction to the Reformation, not on the basis of historical canonNew Testament books had to be apostolic, authentic, consistent, and widely recognizedHeretical books often failed the theology test—they contradicted already-accepted ScriptureThe idea that Emperor Constantine chose the canon is historically false and misleadingThe canonization process was guided by truth, not conspiracyRelevant Scripture References:Luke 24:44Matthew 4:4Romans 10:11Jude 14–15Isaiah 53Matthew 24:15Genesis 3:15Acts 17:10–152 Timothy 3:16–17Join the Hammer & Anvil Society:You're a Christian man. You want to build a legacy, disciple your family, and stand firm in the truth. The Hammer & Anvil Society is your discipleship brotherhood—equipping you through courses, community, and weekly cohort calls.

He came from a noble family, and was appointed military Governor of Alexandria and Egypt by the Emperor Constantine the Great. Some years later, the Emperor Julian the Apostate strove to restore pagan idolatry as the official religion of the Empire. He also entered into a war with Persia, and established Antioch as his headquarters for pursuing the war. In Alexandria, Artemius received an order to come to Antioch with the military forces under his command. Artemius reported to the apostate Emperor just in time to see him ordering the cruel execution of two pious Christians, Eugenius and Macarius. Fearlessly, St Artemius immediately denounced the Emperor, telling him to his face that his anti-Christian policy was of demonic origin. The enraged Emperor instantly had Artemius stripped of all official rank and thrown into prison. The following day, he had Artemius brought before him and promised him high Imperial office if he would only renounce Christ and worship the idols. When Artemius forcefully refused to do this, he was publicly tortured to death. A pious noblewoman secretly recovered the Saint's relics and took them to Constantinople, where they were venerated and wrought many miracles for several centuries.

He came from a noble family, and was appointed military Governor of Alexandria and Egypt by the Emperor Constantine the Great. Some years later, the Emperor Julian the Apostate strove to restore pagan idolatry as the official religion of the Empire. He also entered into a war with Persia, and established Antioch as his headquarters for pursuing the war. In Alexandria, Artemius received an order to come to Antioch with the military forces under his command. Artemius reported to the apostate Emperor just in time to see him ordering the cruel execution of two pious Christians, Eugenius and Macarius. Fearlessly, St Artemius immediately denounced the Emperor, telling him to his face that his anti-Christian policy was of demonic origin. The enraged Emperor instantly had Artemius stripped of all official rank and thrown into prison. The following day, he had Artemius brought before him and promised him high Imperial office if he would only renounce Christ and worship the idols. When Artemius forcefully refused to do this, he was publicly tortured to death. A pious noblewoman secretly recovered the Saint's relics and took them to Constantinople, where they were venerated and wrought many miracles for several centuries.

Send us a textIn the 4th century AD, two Christian friends - Basil and Gregory - travelled from Cappadocia to Athens to go study Greek literature with Libanius, the leading rhetorician of the time. While there, these two young and wealthy Cappadocians befriended a fellow student named Julian, the nephew of the Emperor Constantine. There in Athens, the three young Christians mastered Greek philosophy and rhetoric at Libanius' feet. Later on, Basil went on to become the bishop of Caesarea, one of the architects of orthodoxy's victory over the Arian heresy, and was later named a "Doctor of the Church." His friend Gregory of Nazianzus rose to become one of the foremost preachers and theologians in church history. And their friend Julian became Emperor - and having repudiated the Christian faith, attempted to turn the newly Christian Roman Empire pagan again. Clearly, as the example of Julian the Apostate shows, pagan mythology and literature pose a danger to Christian faith. But can pagan learning serve Christian faith as well? Jonathan and Ryan are joined, once again, by the Rev. Calvin Goligher to discuss St. Basil of Caesarea's "Address to Young Men on the Right Use of Greek Literature," in which he answers heartily in the affirmative, and explains how to use Greek poetry, philosophy, and history for the edification of young Christian students. St. Basil's Address to Young Men on the Right Use of Greek Literature: https://www.tertullian.org/fathers/basil_litterature01.htmFrederick Morgan Padelford's Introduction to St. Basil and the Address to Young Men: https://www.tertullian.org/fathers/basil_litterature00.htmRichard M. Gamble's The Great Tradition: https://amzn.to/3Q4lRnONH episode on Justin Martyr: https://newhumanists.buzzsprout.com/1791279/episodes/10722142-justin-martyr-s-first-apology-feat-calvin-goligher-episode-xxivNH episode on Athanasius: https://newhumanists.buzzsprout.com/1791279/episodes/9827740-athanasius-on-the-incarnation-feat-calvin-goligher-episode-xvRobert Louis Wilken's The Spirit of Early Christian Thought: https://bookshop.org/a/25626/9780300105988New Humanists is brought to you by the Ancient Language Institute: https://ancientlanguage.com/Links may have referral codes, which earn us a commission at no additional cost to you. We encourage you, when possible, to use Bookshop.org for your book purchases, an online bookstore which supports local bookstores.Music: Save Us Now by Shane Ivers - https://www.silvermansound.com

There is a lot of discussion and questions about “Christian Nationalism” these days. It is a not a new phenomenon. It happens whenever people mix faith and patriotism into a stew that becomes neither patriotic nor faithful. It probably first appeared when Emperor Constantine won the battle at the Milvian Bridge under a banner with a cross. From that point, using Christ as a tool for political power became part of history. Today, the American version seeks to victimize those we disfavor, call empathy and compassion, diversity, and equity evil. The Word of God, however, will not be chained to any nation or ideal. We are citizens of God's reign, not any country. The healing of one of the enemies of Israel, a citizen of another nation, makes the point.

Title: Good News Reviled Text: Acts 28:17-22 FCF: We often struggle making the gospel the only offender of the world. Prop: Because the gospel offends sinful men and our character can hinder the gospel call, we must be blameless in our character. Scripture Intro: [Slide 1] Turn in your bible to Acts chapter 28. In a moment we will read starting from verse 17 from the Legacy Standard Bible. You can follow along in the pew bible or in whatever version you prefer. By the hospitality and brotherly love provided to him by fellow followers of Christ, Paul has made it safely to Rome. He has been set up with a rented room and is under house arrest being guarded by a Roman soldier. Still, he is afforded a good deal of freedom, and today we will see that he really doesn't waste a lot of time before he sets out to work in the city of Rome. But where will Paul begin the ministry in Rome while he waits to see Caesar? Let's find out. Please stand with me to give honor to and to focus on the Word of God as it is read. Invocation: Oh Heavenly Father, we come to you today with hearts that desire that the whole world hears the good news of Your Son and His sacrifice for His people. We know that no man is without excuse having all the signs of nature around them. Yet we desire to share with them the hope of Christ crucified for sinners. We confess and know that you alone save the hearts of men. We cannot be persuasive enough to convince men to believe. You must give them a new heart to first. Still, we desire to be Your servants in delivering this call to the nations. At times we can live in ways that keep us from doing this. May we be shown by Your Spirit today, Lord, how we can live blamelessly so that we can be granted an audience with those who need to hear. We pray this in Jesus' name… Amen. Transition: [Slide 2] Richard Own Roberts: “The nature of the gospel is that it divides.” Charles Coleson: “The gospel is good news. But Jesus never said it was easy news.” Oswald Chambers: “There is nothing attractive about the gospel to the natural man; the only man who finds the gospel attractive is the man who is convicted of sin.” Since the gospel is this way… we must be sure that we don't provide even more reasons for natural man to turn aside from the gospel. May our offense be from the gospel alone and nothing else. Let me show you how this was Paul's concern… I.) Violating laws of government or using the legal system for vengeance harms the church's gospel witness, so we must be blameless in our character. a. [Slide 3] 17 - And it happened that after three days Paul called together those who were the leading men of the Jews, i. So, Paul spends a little time settling in, no doubt getting accustomed to his new living arrangement and getting some specifics of what he can and cannot do. ii. It seems as though he is sequestered to his home and if he is permitted to go out, it would only be for essentials. iii. All the interactions we see in the book of Acts are when people come to Paul. iv. Because of Paul's love for his fellow Jews, and as was his custom in every new city he arrived in, if there were Jews present, he took the gospel to the Jews first. v. Normally he would go to the synagogue, where he would find the leading Jews of the city. However, because he cannot leave his home, he found it necessary to call them to him. vi. It is necessary for us to do a bit of historical background to fill out some of the context for this last segment of the book of Acts. 1. First, in regard to the Jews in Rome. a. In AD 48, Emperor Claudius responded to growing tensions in Rome between Jews and Jewish Christians by expelling all the Jews from Rome. b. When Paul entered Corinth for the first time on his second missionary journey, he met Aquila and Pricilla there. They were said to have been Jewish Christians who were expelled from Rome due to Claudius' edict. c. Before the expulsion there were probably around 40-50 thousand Jews living in Rome. d. Emperor Claudius died in AD 54 but Nero did not reinstate this edict. e. So, for the last 6 years or so, Jews had been steadily making their way back. f. It is estimated that there were around 20,000 Jews living in Rome at this time. g. Because of the recent expulsion though, history seems to indicate that the returning Jews tried to maintain a low profile within the city of Rome. There were at least 5 synagogues but they did not seem to be highly organized and the social status of the Jews living in Rome seemed to be rather low class and probably largely illiterate. h. Nevertheless, The Jews' influence over the Romans was not insignificant. Indeed, many high-profile Romans had converted to Judaism, which would have been quite scandalous for pagans to go from polytheism to monotheism. i. It is believed that Nero's second wife, which he would have been married to at the time of Paul's arrival in Rome, was at very least a Jewish sympathizer if not Jewess herself. 2. We also know that a thriving Christian community exists within the city of Rome. a. We glean this not only from the church existing in Rome for many years but also because of Paul's letter to the Romans indicating a thriving church albeit somewhat theologically imprecise. b. Luke has already shown us the interaction Paul had with some Christians from Rome as he made his way to the city. c. But Luke chooses not to focus on Paul's interaction with the church once he arrives. Instead, he focuses on Paul's desire to go to the Jew first with the gospel message. d. Luke does this in order to show yet another major theme in the book of Acts. Christianity is not a new religion. And no one thought so. Not even the Jews in Rome. More on that in a bit. b. [Slide 4] and when they came together, he began saying to them, “Brothers, though I had done nothing against our people or the customs of our fathers, yet I was delivered as a prisoner from Jerusalem into the hands of the Romans. i. Paul, wisely, tries to get ahead of the issue for which he has been sent to Rome. ii. In a sense, Paul is trying to put a truthful spin on the events that have led him here because he knows that those who have opposed him have not been the kind to value or always tell the truth. iii. So, what does he say? iv. He says first, that he has been a good Jew. He has not done anything against the Jewish people nor has he done anything against the customs of their fathers. v. Is this true? 1. We know that Paul has overtly violated the somewhat cultural law not to eat with gentiles. We also guess that he has himself violated the dietary laws while with Gentiles. 2. He has even advocated in some of his letters that the eating of meat offered to idols is not necessarily or inherently sinful so long it does not cause others to violate their conscience and so long as it is not consumed at the worship feasts for these idols. 3. Again, this goes back to what God has said about the dietary laws in the first place in Acts chapter 10. It is not that these laws are no longer in force. It is that God has purified the unclean animals. Therefore, the list of animals which are unclean is populated by exactly zero animals. 4. We have recently discussed something similar in foundations. When something ritually unclean interacts with God's presence, the ritually unclean thing is made clean. This is another aspect of Christ fulfilling the law of Moses. Ceremonial aspects of the law are completed, fulfilled. The picture they illustrated now has come to full fruition. 5. God making the unclean animals clean, is a signal that God's Kingdom is invading and permeating the world – whether the world wants it to or not. 6. But despite Paul probably not following dietary laws, we have seen him encourage Timothy to be circumcised. He has made great effort to regularly be in Jerusalem for ritual feasts and celebrations. He has even endured purity rites after having spent large amounts of time in gentile lands with gentile people. And he did this specifically to assuage the fears of Jewish Christians that he was teaching that the Jews should stop following the ceremonial aspects of the law of Moses. He wasn't. 7. And that brings us to what most recently happened in Jerusalem. 8. Did Paul do anything against the law of Moses or against the culture of the Jewish Fathers while he was in Jerusalem this past time? 9. The answer to that question is a resounding… NO. 10. They accused him of bringing gentiles into the temple courts, which is not actually in the law of Moses but would have been a tradition dating back to the late second temple era. 11. And, of course, Paul hadn't brought a gentile into the temple courts. vi. This is what Paul is referencing. He obviously cannot mean that he has never done anything to upset the Jewish sensibilities or cultural mores. Because he has definitely done that. vii. But Paul, in the most recent events in Jerusalem, was innocent of even doing that. viii. In spite of his innocence, they still delivered him to the Romans. ix. It is unclear which Romans he is talking about here, but it matters little because at every stage the same thing happened… c. [Slide 5] 18 - And when they had examined me, they were willing to release me because there was no ground for putting me to death. i. Now when the Sanhedrin examined Paul – they wanted to find cause to put him to death. ii. In the midst of that trial, Paul pivoted the discussion to center on the resurrection of the dead. A matter that is both core to the gospel and highly disputed among the Sanhedrin between the Sadducees and the Pharisees. iii. But in every stage of Roman imprisonment, Luke dutifully records the testimony of each judge-like-figure to be a declaration of Paul's innocence. At least innocence of anything for which he would be executed. iv. This is what Paul recounts. v. No Roman official saw any evidence of a charge which would lead to his execution. vi. Of course, this begs the question… well then how did you get here? d. [Slide 6] 19 - But when the Jews objected, I was forced to appeal to Caesar, not that I had any accusation against my nation. i. This is a very quick summary of what took over 2 years to play out. ii. Festus saw no grounds to hold him on anything Roman, so he attempted to compromise with the Jews to curry their favor, and have the judgment of Paul take place in Jerusalem. iii. Paul had seen this play out before and did not trust Festus to be just in his dealings with him. iv. So, Paul was forced to appeal to Caesar. v. Paul knew it was because of the Jews' insistence that Festus desired to move the trail to Jerusalem. vi. And Paul knew the Jews wanted him dead any way they could because he actually discovered at least one of the two plots to kill him during this time. vii. But Paul assures these Roman Jews that he did not have an accusation against his nation. viii. If a Roman citizen is appealing to Caesar they can do so on a couple of grounds. ix. Either they feel as though the judge has acted unjustly or the ruling is unjust… or that those accusing are doing so unlawfully or with intent to not honor the legal system and harm the prisoner. x. Thus, Paul could bring a countersuit against the Jewish leaders for their sham of a trial. And he would be just to do so. xi. But Paul wants the Roman Jews to know that he did not appeal because he wanted to submit a countersuit. xii. He simply desired to go before Caesar because he did not feel that the justice he deserved would have been granted to him otherwise. e. [Slide 7] 20 - For this reason, therefore, I requested to see you and to speak with you, for I am wearing this chain for the sake of the hope of Israel.” i. Finally, Paul wants to make it very plain why he is here as a prisoner of Rome appealing to Caesar. ii. What exactly was the beef was between him and the Jews in Judea? iii. It is because of the hope of Israel. He was given over to the Romans because of a theological dispute. iv. Specifically, he took the side of the Pharisees, which insisted that there was a hope for Israel in that there would be a future resurrection of all those who were God's people. An eternal kingdom made up of all those who were true Israel. v. Couched in this, of course, is the teaching of Jesus of Nazareth being the Messiah who was the first born from the dead. vi. This seems to be one of Paul's primary strategies to lead into presenting the gospel to Jews. To speak of this theological issue where he takes an established and very popular position in the debate and then expands it to speak of Jesus. vii. We'll see that he will do just that next week when he meets with the Jews again. f. [Slide 8] Summary of the Point: Luke begins this final segment in the book of Acts centered around some of the key themes he has been developing since the beginning. Indeed, everything in this text this morning is centered on the expansion of the church. In this first point specifically we see Luke zero in on the reason that Paul is here in Rome under house arrest set to appear before Caesar. It is incredibly important for Paul to clarify to the Jews of Rome why he is really in chains. Indeed, in order for Paul to have an audience with them to preach the gospel, he must clear his name from any hint of wrongdoing from the authorities of the Jews and of the Romans. If Paul is to preach the gospel to them, he cannot be viewed as a criminal. And so, Paul sets out to clarify that he is neither in chains for violating the Mosaic law and the customs of the Jews, nor is he in chains because he had committed some crime worthy of death according to Rome, nor does he plan to seek vengeance upon the Jews by filing a countersuit against them. Instead, Paul insists that he is in chains for the sake of the hope of Isarel. He is in chains because of the gospel of Jesus Christ. This becomes our primary point of application today. We must be sure that our character is blameless and holy. Not as a replacement for preaching the gospel… but to keep ourselves from setting up unnecessary hindrances to people hearing the gospel. If we are criminals violating laws of men that do not directly contradict God's Word, or we use the legal system to seek vengeance on others, we should expect the gospel witness of the church to be hindered. So, we must live holy and upright lives, only suffering disdain for the sake of the gospel. Transition: [Slide 9(blank)] Being blameless affords us opportunities to give the call of the gospel to unbelievers. Does this mean that if we are blameless they will listen and receive the gospel? Will they even like us or see us as blameless? Let's look at the next two verses as the Roman Jews respond to Paul. II.) Stirring up disputes and social unrest while preaching the gospel cannot be helped, so we must be blameless in our character. a. [Slide 10] 21 - And they said to him, “We have neither received letters from Judea concerning you, nor have any of the brothers come here and reported or spoken anything bad about you. i. After Paul explains his side of the story hoping to control the opinion of the Roman Jews, somewhat comically they inform him that this is the first they are hearing about it. ii. In fact, they haven't received any letters from Judea that indicate anything about Paul good or bad. iii. And they certainly haven't seen any brothers from Judea reporting or speaking anything bad about Paul. iv. This is quite comical because it is so anticlimactic. v. Perhaps Paul wasn't laughing. It had been around three years of his life, spent in prisons and shipwrecked, only to find out that the Jews in Judea had not even followed up with the case. vi. Now why might this have been so? vii. The most likely reason is that the Judean Jews had little interest in actually standing before Caesar and attempting to prove that Paul is guilty of a crime worthy of death. 1. If they were having difficulty proving it to local officials, they would certainly have even more difficulty proving it to Nero. 2. Also, this would have required a trip from Judea to Rome in order to accuse the apostle. 3. They were no doubt satisfied that he was no longer in Judea and wouldn't be for the foreseeable future. viii. Another reason they don't pursue it is probably because Festus rules well in the region for the next two years before dying unexpectedly. 1. While Paul travels to and waits in Rome, they enjoyed relative peace and harmony with the local Roman governor. 2. Traveling to Rome and accusing Paul before Nero could have repercussions that may even include Festus being removed from office. 3. They don't want that. ix. This report is also Luke's way as a storyteller to foreshadow the release of Paul after he meets with Nero. 1. It is difficult to know if Luke writes up to the point he knows or if he writes with the shared knowledge that Paul is released and freed to continue his missionary journeys. 2. But since Luke ends his book saying that Paul spent 2 years in Rome preaching without hindrance – it seems like Luke knows the end of the time in Rome, meaning he knows that Paul was released. 3. This would have been a detail that Theophilus was already well aware of. Perhaps because it had happened very recently, and perhaps because Theophilus was part of Roman legal system which acquitted Paul. 4. So, Luke recording this communication between the Roman Jews and Paul is a subtle way to foreshadow that no Jew from Judea is going to show up for Paul's trial. 5. More than likely this means that Paul will stand before Caesar and plead his case, but the trial will probably be very short. 6. Around AD 62 Nero's tutors had died. He loathed dealing with these appeals in the first place and without his tutors insisting that he perform this duty, he was very slow to deal with the backlog of appeals. History records that he rushed through many of these trials. 7. Paul was probably one of them. x. But the Roman Jews, although not knowing anything bad about Paul, are interested in the hope of Israel he spoke of, but not for the reasons we might think. b. [Slide 11] 22 - But we desire to hear from you what you think; for concerning this sect, it is known to us that it is spoken against everywhere.” i. It is interesting that they understand what Paul says about the hope of Israel. ii. They know that he is a well-known teacher in this sect of Judaism known as “The Nazarene Sect” or “The Way” or “Christianity”. iii. They connect this hope of the resurrection with what the Nazarene sect taught. In many ways, to the Jews, the Nazarene sect would have seemed like an offshoot of the Pharisee party. iv. Learning this it isn't that hard to understand why there would be a Pharisee party within the church like we saw back in Acts 15. v. And once again, Luke reinforces the concept that Christianity is not a new religion. Even the Jews don't see it as a new religion. They see it as a sect of Judaism. Meaning that it is part of their own religion. Of course, the apostles would argue that it is TRUE Judaism and only those who receive Jesus as their Jewish Messiah remain TRUE Jews. But the point is well taken. vi. But why do they wish to know more about this sect? vii. They obviously have some idea of the resurrection being central to its teaching. But the main thing they've heard about it… is that it is causing problems everywhere. viii. And if they were in Rome before Claudius' edict, they would have witnesses this firsthand. ix. And so, we do find out that the Jews around the empire are talking bad about those who followed what Paul taught… not necessarily about him specifically. x. Having set aside the legal concern that he might be executed at this trial, now Paul will get a chance to preach the gospel to the Jews in Rome. xi. We'll see how that goes next week. c. [Slide 12] Summary of the Point: Luke conveys a similar point in verses 21 and 22 as he did in the previous section, only this time from the perspective of the Jews in Rome. They did not know any different of Paul. They had not received letters or any person saying he was a bad person. But they had heard rumblings from all over the empire of the problems that The Nazarene sect had been causing. Having read all of Acts up to this point, we know that they couldn't be farther from the truth. In fact, we know that the unbelieving Jews had actually been the cause of all the strife. Primarily because they would not believe the gospel of Jesus Christ. Because of this, they stirred up crowds, instigated riots, beat and dragged Christians before judges, and pursued Paul and his team from town to town persecuting them and attempting to prevent them from preaching the gospel. Even if we are blameless, the church will still inevitably cause strife and civil unrest. This is all the more reason for us to ensure that our character remains blameless and that only the gospel offends and not our actions too. Conclusion: So, what have we learned today CBC that corrects and informs our beliefs and shapes and guides our lifestyles. Basics of Faith and Practice: [Slide 13] Today we've seen two truths that flow out of the same thought. The reputation of the church is quite important. When individuals in the church seek out trouble, become lawbreakers themselves, unnecessarily push the boundaries of legality, and/or use the legal system to punish their enemies, this actually hinders the church's ability to share the gospel. And yet, the church's witness to the nations will always cause civil unrest and stir up strife. Why? Because what the church preaches is naturally offensive to the world. So why guard our reputation at all when the message we preach will cause unrest anyway? When it is only the gospel that is offensive it validates and draws attention to its truths and not to us as lawbreakers. So, we must be blameless people. But let me apply this a little more specifically today. 1.) [Slide 14] Mind Transformation: “What truth must we believe from this text?” or “What might we not naturally believe that we must believe because of what this text has said?” We must affirm that our character can hinder the general call of the gospel. a. Peter and Paul both express in their letters that if you suffer for doing wrong things, there is no reward. You have gotten what you deserve. b. But as Jesus says, if you suffer for my name when you are accused falsely, then you are blessed. c. There is a saying floating around evangelicalism today which says “Preach the gospel and if you must, use words.” d. This represents a tension we must maintain. e. In one sense, the gospel cannot be preached without the Word of God. So, we must use words… always. f. But the point of this saying is well taken and proven by this text. g. The gospel preached without a life lived in blameless character, can severely limit the general call of the gospel. h. The general call is the when the gospel is preached to everyone. This is different than God's effectual call which will be heard by those whom He is drawing to repentance and faith. i. The effectual call is God's job. The General call… is ours. j. And our civilly malevolent behavior can heavily restrict or even eliminate our ability to deliver the general call of the gospel. k. Just as Paul was concerned that the Roman Jews knew that he did nothing to earn the chains he wore, nor did he plan to seek legal vengeance on those who falsely accused him, so too we must concern ourselves with blameless and upright character which becomes the perfect complement to our gospel proclamations. l. At the council of Nicaea, in AD 325 (which incidentally is the most blamed council for all the bad things the Roman Catholic church did. I've heard people say that this is where they decided the books of the bible, this is where they edited the bible to say what they wanted. And many more. But none of that is actually true.) At the real council of Nicaea, and not the one from fantasy, 220 bishops gathered together at the request of Emperor Constantine to define the nature of God and eliminate confusion within the church. m. It is here that Alexander, the bishop of Alexandria brought one of his Elders before the council with whom he could not agree on a particular definition of the divinity of the Son of God. n. Arius argued that Jesus was not fully God and had a beginning, not being eternal. o. He argued so strongly that a bishop known as Nicholas of Myra slapped Arius across the face for his heresy. p. Although never having a history of violence and generally being an example of generosity and giving (yes this is the Nichoas from which the Santa Claus story evolved) Nicholas was immediately stripped of his Bishop status and imprisoned for his actions. He was eventually released and the council did end up condemning Arius' beliefs as heresy, while also clarifying the hypostatic union of Jesus in the writing of the Nicaean Creed q. Still the church universally disapproved of Nicholas' action. r. This serves as a good illustration for us to harmonize this tension. s. I also hate Arianism. And if you are a follower of Christ, you should too. Why? Because Arianism can't save anyone from the judgment of God. t. That's ok, Arianism being declared a heresy means that it has been snuffed out of existence, right? u. No! v. Arianism is still alive and well. w. Modern Mormons and Jehovah's Witnesses and many more cling to a form of Arianism today. x. But if I were to set out to stamp out Arianism using every means available to me… if I went around slapping Mormons and Jehovah's witnesses, not only would they not listen to my call for them to repent… but other unbelievers would not listen either because of reprehensible behavior. y. Though I preached the gospel to them… pure truth… my actions would cause others to dismiss all that I had to say as something not worth hearing. z. This illustrates the point quite well. aa. Our character can adversely affect whether or not someone is open to hearing the general call of the gospel. bb. This is why Paul went to great lengths to clear his name. cc. But we must not pendulum swing too far here. 2.) [Slide 15] Refutation: “What lies must we cast down” or “What do we naturally believe, or have been taught to believe, that this passage shows is false?” We must deny that the world will accept the gospel if we are loving, kind, and winsome in our proclamation. a. Although poor character can adversely affect whether or not someone hears our gospel proclamation, loving, kind, and winsome character does not guarantee that the world will accept the gospel message. b. All blameless character gives to us is the opportunity to proclaim the gospel. c. It merely gains us an audience. d. If we enter into the ministry of evangelism with the expectation that people will accept the gospel if we are loving and kind, we will be sorely discouraged very quickly into that endeavor. e. Why is that the case? Well, we will get to that in a moment. But before we do… what should we do since our blameless character gives us opportunities to proclaim the gospel? 3.) [Slide 16] Exhortation: “What actions should we take?” or “What is this passage specifically commanding us to do that we don't naturally do or aren't currently doing?” We must be blameless in character to ensure that the gospel is the only thing causing offense. a. Why do we do this? What is the motive of our having blameless character and being loving, meek, and winsome. b. Because this is what our Lord has commanded and demonstrated to us. c. We don't live with blameless character for the result of winning people to Christ. God alone saves. d. Our blameless character is in service to our Lord and merely to eliminate possible stumbling blocks to being heard. e. We will still be blamed for much and accused falsely. But when we live as blameless people, eventually the world will have to recognize that it is our message itself that is offensive, and not our methods. f. Friends, when the world hates us for our message – we are doing something right… not wrong. g. But if we offend them before we are even able to speak the message, this will not do. h. We must be above reproach and ensure that the only reason someone will not listen to what we have to say, is because of what we are saying. i. But what comfort can we find in this? 4.) [Slide 17] Comfort: “What comfort can we find here?” or “What peace does the Lord promise us in light of this passage of scripture?” Knowing that we will cause offense to sinners even with a meek and blameless presentation of the gospel, gives us more realistic expectations of how we will be received. a. Many people never or rarely share the gospel with others because they are afraid that they will be rejected. b. They are terrified that the person will oppose the gospel message and raise many objections that they are not equipped to answer. c. They are frozen by the very real possibility that they will be despised because they affirm the truth of the Word of God. d. How comforting to know… that you will be rejected, you will be objected to, and you will be despised. e. Wait a minute, that doesn't seem comforting. f. Oh but it is. g. Knowing that something may happen can freeze us completely. Knowing that something will happen removes the fear of the unknown. h. When we know that we will be rejected, despised, and objected to, merely because of the things we say – we can put aside the fear of what might be, and trust the Lord for what will be and obey Him anyway. i. It removes the doubt and uncertainty and allows us to depend on our Lord to sustain us. j. But why is our blameless character not enough to convince people to receive the gospel? 5.) [Slide 18] Evangelism: “What about this text points us to Jesus Christ, the gospel, and how we are restored?” The gospel is good news that no one wants until they know and believe the bad news. a. The gospel teaches all men that they are sinners by nature and subject to the judgment of a Holy God who is a Just Judge and will ensure that every single sin against Him is paid in full. b. This is the first word of the gospel. And generally speaking, men do not like anyone telling them that what they love and cherish is worthy of judgment and death. c. The Roman Jews had heard from various parts of the Roman Empire that the Nazarene sect had been causing problems. d. In reality, it was the rejection of the good news of their own Messiah that had stirred them up. e. Because the gospel confronts mankind with their wickedness and declares that the things they love are an abomination to God who is holy – many never make it beyond the bad news of the gospel. f. But even if they do somewhat believe that this is true, the good news is that Jesus has come as their substitute to free them from sin and to righteousness. g. That also is news that natural man has no interest to hear. h. If mankind loves their sin – they certainly don't want anyone freeing them from it to live differently. i. The gospel is good news to those who believe that they are condemned by a Holy God and desire mercy to be forgiven and grace to be made new. j. To everyone else… it is detestable. k. So, my friends, here is a question to consider – is the message that Jesus Christ was made sin so that you might become the righteousness of God – is that good news? l. If it is and for the first time you see it that way… I'd invite you to talk to an Elder and we can show you how you can become the righteousness of God. [Slide 19 (end)] Let me close with a prayer by the English Reformer Myles Coverdale who assisted William Tyndale and many others in translating the bible into English. God of mercy, help us to cling to you and follow your commands. Tame our bodies in honest labor, so we escape the pull of bad habits. Draw our hearts always upward, so we set aside all worldly things and focus only on you. Gracious Father, give us faithful fishers, true and careful in their calling. With the net of your holy word, may they draw us out of the raging sea, so that we with them, and they with us, may enjoy the everlasting banquet. We pray this in Jesus' name, Amen. Benediction: May your days be like the inscribed cooking pots in the Lord's House, setting them apart as HOLINESS TO THE LORD. As God Himself sanctifies you completely so that your spirit, soul and body be preserved without blame until the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. Until we meet again, go in peace.

Title: Good News Reviled Text: Acts 28:17-22 FCF: We often struggle making the gospel the only offender of the world. Prop: Because the gospel offends sinful men and our character can hinder the gospel call, we must be blameless in our character. Scripture Intro: [Slide 1] Turn in your bible to Acts chapter 28. In a moment we will read starting from verse 17 from the Legacy Standard Bible. You can follow along in the pew bible or in whatever version you prefer. By the hospitality and brotherly love provided to him by fellow followers of Christ, Paul has made it safely to Rome. He has been set up with a rented room and is under house arrest being guarded by a Roman soldier. Still, he is afforded a good deal of freedom, and today we will see that he really doesn't waste a lot of time before he sets out to work in the city of Rome. But where will Paul begin the ministry in Rome while he waits to see Caesar? Let's find out. Please stand with me to give honor to and to focus on the Word of God as it is read. Invocation: Oh Heavenly Father, we come to you today with hearts that desire that the whole world hears the good news of Your Son and His sacrifice for His people. We know that no man is without excuse having all the signs of nature around them. Yet we desire to share with them the hope of Christ crucified for sinners. We confess and know that you alone save the hearts of men. We cannot be persuasive enough to convince men to believe. You must give them a new heart to first. Still, we desire to be Your servants in delivering this call to the nations. At times we can live in ways that keep us from doing this. May we be shown by Your Spirit today, Lord, how we can live blamelessly so that we can be granted an audience with those who need to hear. We pray this in Jesus' name… Amen. Transition: [Slide 2] Richard Own Roberts: “The nature of the gospel is that it divides.” Charles Coleson: “The gospel is good news. But Jesus never said it was easy news.” Oswald Chambers: “There is nothing attractive about the gospel to the natural man; the only man who finds the gospel attractive is the man who is convicted of sin.” Since the gospel is this way… we must be sure that we don't provide even more reasons for natural man to turn aside from the gospel. May our offense be from the gospel alone and nothing else. Let me show you how this was Paul's concern… I.) Violating laws of government or using the legal system for vengeance harms the church's gospel witness, so we must be blameless in our character. a. [Slide 3] 17 - And it happened that after three days Paul called together those who were the leading men of the Jews, i. So, Paul spends a little time settling in, no doubt getting accustomed to his new living arrangement and getting some specifics of what he can and cannot do. ii. It seems as though he is sequestered to his home and if he is permitted to go out, it would only be for essentials. iii. All the interactions we see in the book of Acts are when people come to Paul. iv. Because of Paul's love for his fellow Jews, and as was his custom in every new city he arrived in, if there were Jews present, he took the gospel to the Jews first. v. Normally he would go to the synagogue, where he would find the leading Jews of the city. However, because he cannot leave his home, he found it necessary to call them to him. vi. It is necessary for us to do a bit of historical background to fill out some of the context for this last segment of the book of Acts. 1. First, in regard to the Jews in Rome. a. In AD 48, Emperor Claudius responded to growing tensions in Rome between Jews and Jewish Christians by expelling all the Jews from Rome. b. When Paul entered Corinth for the first time on his second missionary journey, he met Aquila and Pricilla there. They were said to have been Jewish Christians who were expelled from Rome due to Claudius' edict. c. Before the expulsion there were probably around 40-50 thousand Jews living in Rome. d. Emperor Claudius died in AD 54 but Nero did not reinstate this edict. e. So, for the last 6 years or so, Jews had been steadily making their way back. f. It is estimated that there were around 20,000 Jews living in Rome at this time. g. Because of the recent expulsion though, history seems to indicate that the returning Jews tried to maintain a low profile within the city of Rome. There were at least 5 synagogues but they did not seem to be highly organized and the social status of the Jews living in Rome seemed to be rather low class and probably largely illiterate. h. Nevertheless, The Jews' influence over the Romans was not insignificant. Indeed, many high-profile Romans had converted to Judaism, which would have been quite scandalous for pagans to go from polytheism to monotheism. i. It is believed that Nero's second wife, which he would have been married to at the time of Paul's arrival in Rome, was at very least a Jewish sympathizer if not Jewess herself. 2. We also know that a thriving Christian community exists within the city of Rome. a. We glean this not only from the church existing in Rome for many years but also because of Paul's letter to the Romans indicating a thriving church albeit somewhat theologically imprecise. b. Luke has already shown us the interaction Paul had with some Christians from Rome as he made his way to the city. c. But Luke chooses not to focus on Paul's interaction with the church once he arrives. Instead, he focuses on Paul's desire to go to the Jew first with the gospel message. d. Luke does this in order to show yet another major theme in the book of Acts. Christianity is not a new religion. And no one thought so. Not even the Jews in Rome. More on that in a bit. b. [Slide 4] and when they came together, he began saying to them, “Brothers, though I had done nothing against our people or the customs of our fathers, yet I was delivered as a prisoner from Jerusalem into the hands of the Romans. i. Paul, wisely, tries to get ahead of the issue for which he has been sent to Rome. ii. In a sense, Paul is trying to put a truthful spin on the events that have led him here because he knows that those who have opposed him have not been the kind to value or always tell the truth. iii. So, what does he say? iv. He says first, that he has been a good Jew. He has not done anything against the Jewish people nor has he done anything against the customs of their fathers. v. Is this true? 1. We know that Paul has overtly violated the somewhat cultural law not to eat with gentiles. We also guess that he has himself violated the dietary laws while with Gentiles. 2. He has even advocated in some of his letters that the eating of meat offered to idols is not necessarily or inherently sinful so long it does not cause others to violate their conscience and so long as it is not consumed at the worship feasts for these idols. 3. Again, this goes back to what God has said about the dietary laws in the first place in Acts chapter 10. It is not that these laws are no longer in force. It is that God has purified the unclean animals. Therefore, the list of animals which are unclean is populated by exactly zero animals. 4. We have recently discussed something similar in foundations. When something ritually unclean interacts with God's presence, the ritually unclean thing is made clean. This is another aspect of Christ fulfilling the law of Moses. Ceremonial aspects of the law are completed, fulfilled. The picture they illustrated now has come to full fruition. 5. God making the unclean animals clean, is a signal that God's Kingdom is invading and permeating the world – whether the world wants it to or not. 6. But despite Paul probably not following dietary laws, we have seen him encourage Timothy to be circumcised. He has made great effort to regularly be in Jerusalem for ritual feasts and celebrations. He has even endured purity rites after having spent large amounts of time in gentile lands with gentile people. And he did this specifically to assuage the fears of Jewish Christians that he was teaching that the Jews should stop following the ceremonial aspects of the law of Moses. He wasn't. 7. And that brings us to what most recently happened in Jerusalem. 8. Did Paul do anything against the law of Moses or against the culture of the Jewish Fathers while he was in Jerusalem this past time? 9. The answer to that question is a resounding… NO. 10. They accused him of bringing gentiles into the temple courts, which is not actually in the law of Moses but would have been a tradition dating back to the late second temple era. 11. And, of course, Paul hadn't brought a gentile into the temple courts. vi. This is what Paul is referencing. He obviously cannot mean that he has never done anything to upset the Jewish sensibilities or cultural mores. Because he has definitely done that. vii. But Paul, in the most recent events in Jerusalem, was innocent of even doing that. viii. In spite of his innocence, they still delivered him to the Romans. ix. It is unclear which Romans he is talking about here, but it matters little because at every stage the same thing happened… c. [Slide 5] 18 - And when they had examined me, they were willing to release me because there was no ground for putting me to death. i. Now when the Sanhedrin examined Paul – they wanted to find cause to put him to death. ii. In the midst of that trial, Paul pivoted the discussion to center on the resurrection of the dead. A matter that is both core to the gospel and highly disputed among the Sanhedrin between the Sadducees and the Pharisees. iii. But in every stage of Roman imprisonment, Luke dutifully records the testimony of each judge-like-figure to be a declaration of Paul's innocence. At least innocence of anything for which he would be executed. iv. This is what Paul recounts. v. No Roman official saw any evidence of a charge which would lead to his execution. vi. Of course, this begs the question… well then how did you get here? d. [Slide 6] 19 - But when the Jews objected, I was forced to appeal to Caesar, not that I had any accusation against my nation. i. This is a very quick summary of what took over 2 years to play out. ii. Festus saw no grounds to hold him on anything Roman, so he attempted to compromise with the Jews to curry their favor, and have the judgment of Paul take place in Jerusalem. iii. Paul had seen this play out before and did not trust Festus to be just in his dealings with him. iv. So, Paul was forced to appeal to Caesar. v. Paul knew it was because of the Jews' insistence that Festus desired to move the trail to Jerusalem. vi. And Paul knew the Jews wanted him dead any way they could because he actually discovered at least one of the two plots to kill him during this time. vii. But Paul assures these Roman Jews that he did not have an accusation against his nation. viii. If a Roman citizen is appealing to Caesar they can do so on a couple of grounds. ix. Either they feel as though the judge has acted unjustly or the ruling is unjust… or that those accusing are doing so unlawfully or with intent to not honor the legal system and harm the prisoner. x. Thus, Paul could bring a countersuit against the Jewish leaders for their sham of a trial. And he would be just to do so. xi. But Paul wants the Roman Jews to know that he did not appeal because he wanted to submit a countersuit. xii. He simply desired to go before Caesar because he did not feel that the justice he deserved would have been granted to him otherwise. e. [Slide 7] 20 - For this reason, therefore, I requested to see you and to speak with you, for I am wearing this chain for the sake of the hope of Israel.” i. Finally, Paul wants to make it very plain why he is here as a prisoner of Rome appealing to Caesar. ii. What exactly was the beef was between him and the Jews in Judea? iii. It is because of the hope of Israel. He was given over to the Romans because of a theological dispute. iv. Specifically, he took the side of the Pharisees, which insisted that there was a hope for Israel in that there would be a future resurrection of all those who were God's people. An eternal kingdom made up of all those who were true Israel. v. Couched in this, of course, is the teaching of Jesus of Nazareth being the Messiah who was the first born from the dead. vi. This seems to be one of Paul's primary strategies to lead into presenting the gospel to Jews. To speak of this theological issue where he takes an established and very popular position in the debate and then expands it to speak of Jesus. vii. We'll see that he will do just that next week when he meets with the Jews again. f. [Slide 8] Summary of the Point: Luke begins this final segment in the book of Acts centered around some of the key themes he has been developing since the beginning. Indeed, everything in this text this morning is centered on the expansion of the church. In this first point specifically we see Luke zero in on the reason that Paul is here in Rome under house arrest set to appear before Caesar. It is incredibly important for Paul to clarify to the Jews of Rome why he is really in chains. Indeed, in order for Paul to have an audience with them to preach the gospel, he must clear his name from any hint of wrongdoing from the authorities of the Jews and of the Romans. If Paul is to preach the gospel to them, he cannot be viewed as a criminal. And so, Paul sets out to clarify that he is neither in chains for violating the Mosaic law and the customs of the Jews, nor is he in chains because he had committed some crime worthy of death according to Rome, nor does he plan to seek vengeance upon the Jews by filing a countersuit against them. Instead, Paul insists that he is in chains for the sake of the hope of Isarel. He is in chains because of the gospel of Jesus Christ. This becomes our primary point of application today. We must be sure that our character is blameless and holy. Not as a replacement for preaching the gospel… but to keep ourselves from setting up unnecessary hindrances to people hearing the gospel. If we are criminals violating laws of men that do not directly contradict God's Word, or we use the legal system to seek vengeance on others, we should expect the gospel witness of the church to be hindered. So, we must live holy and upright lives, only suffering disdain for the sake of the gospel. Transition: [Slide 9(blank)] Being blameless affords us opportunities to give the call of the gospel to unbelievers. Does this mean that if we are blameless they will listen and receive the gospel? Will they even like us or see us as blameless? Let's look at the next two verses as the Roman Jews respond to Paul. II.) Stirring up disputes and social unrest while preaching the gospel cannot be helped, so we must be blameless in our character. a. [Slide 10] 21 - And they said to him, “We have neither received letters from Judea concerning you, nor have any of the brothers come here and reported or spoken anything bad about you. i. After Paul explains his side of the story hoping to control the opinion of the Roman Jews, somewhat comically they inform him that this is the first they are hearing about it. ii. In fact, they haven't received any letters from Judea that indicate anything about Paul good or bad. iii. And they certainly haven't seen any brothers from Judea reporting or speaking anything bad about Paul. iv. This is quite comical because it is so anticlimactic. v. Perhaps Paul wasn't laughing. It had been around three years of his life, spent in prisons and shipwrecked, only to find out that the Jews in Judea had not even followed up with the case. vi. Now why might this have been so? vii. The most likely reason is that the Judean Jews had little interest in actually standing before Caesar and attempting to prove that Paul is guilty of a crime worthy of death. 1. If they were having difficulty proving it to local officials, they would certainly have even more difficulty proving it to Nero. 2. Also, this would have required a trip from Judea to Rome in order to accuse the apostle. 3. They were no doubt satisfied that he was no longer in Judea and wouldn't be for the foreseeable future. viii. Another reason they don't pursue it is probably because Festus rules well in the region for the next two years before dying unexpectedly. 1. While Paul travels to and waits in Rome, they enjoyed relative peace and harmony with the local Roman governor. 2. Traveling to Rome and accusing Paul before Nero could have repercussions that may even include Festus being removed from office. 3. They don't want that. ix. This report is also Luke's way as a storyteller to foreshadow the release of Paul after he meets with Nero. 1. It is difficult to know if Luke writes up to the point he knows or if he writes with the shared knowledge that Paul is released and freed to continue his missionary journeys. 2. But since Luke ends his book saying that Paul spent 2 years in Rome preaching without hindrance – it seems like Luke knows the end of the time in Rome, meaning he knows that Paul was released. 3. This would have been a detail that Theophilus was already well aware of. Perhaps because it had happened very recently, and perhaps because Theophilus was part of Roman legal system which acquitted Paul. 4. So, Luke recording this communication between the Roman Jews and Paul is a subtle way to foreshadow that no Jew from Judea is going to show up for Paul's trial. 5. More than likely this means that Paul will stand before Caesar and plead his case, but the trial will probably be very short. 6. Around AD 62 Nero's tutors had died. He loathed dealing with these appeals in the first place and without his tutors insisting that he perform this duty, he was very slow to deal with the backlog of appeals. History records that he rushed through many of these trials. 7. Paul was probably one of them. x. But the Roman Jews, although not knowing anything bad about Paul, are interested in the hope of Israel he spoke of, but not for the reasons we might think. b. [Slide 11] 22 - But we desire to hear from you what you think; for concerning this sect, it is known to us that it is spoken against everywhere.” i. It is interesting that they understand what Paul says about the hope of Israel. ii. They know that he is a well-known teacher in this sect of Judaism known as “The Nazarene Sect” or “The Way” or “Christianity”. iii. They connect this hope of the resurrection with what the Nazarene sect taught. In many ways, to the Jews, the Nazarene sect would have seemed like an offshoot of the Pharisee party. iv. Learning this it isn't that hard to understand why there would be a Pharisee party within the church like we saw back in Acts 15. v. And once again, Luke reinforces the concept that Christianity is not a new religion. Even the Jews don't see it as a new religion. They see it as a sect of Judaism. Meaning that it is part of their own religion. Of course, the apostles would argue that it is TRUE Judaism and only those who receive Jesus as their Jewish Messiah remain TRUE Jews. But the point is well taken. vi. But why do they wish to know more about this sect? vii. They obviously have some idea of the resurrection being central to its teaching. But the main thing they've heard about it… is that it is causing problems everywhere. viii. And if they were in Rome before Claudius' edict, they would have witnesses this firsthand. ix. And so, we do find out that the Jews around the empire are talking bad about those who followed what Paul taught… not necessarily about him specifically. x. Having set aside the legal concern that he might be executed at this trial, now Paul will get a chance to preach the gospel to the Jews in Rome. xi. We'll see how that goes next week. c. [Slide 12] Summary of the Point: Luke conveys a similar point in verses 21 and 22 as he did in the previous section, only this time from the perspective of the Jews in Rome. They did not know any different of Paul. They had not received letters or any person saying he was a bad person. But they had heard rumblings from all over the empire of the problems that The Nazarene sect had been causing. Having read all of Acts up to this point, we know that they couldn't be farther from the truth. In fact, we know that the unbelieving Jews had actually been the cause of all the strife. Primarily because they would not believe the gospel of Jesus Christ. Because of this, they stirred up crowds, instigated riots, beat and dragged Christians before judges, and pursued Paul and his team from town to town persecuting them and attempting to prevent them from preaching the gospel. Even if we are blameless, the church will still inevitably cause strife and civil unrest. This is all the more reason for us to ensure that our character remains blameless and that only the gospel offends and not our actions too. Conclusion: So, what have we learned today CBC that corrects and informs our beliefs and shapes and guides our lifestyles. Basics of Faith and Practice: [Slide 13] Today we've seen two truths that flow out of the same thought. The reputation of the church is quite important. When individuals in the church seek out trouble, become lawbreakers themselves, unnecessarily push the boundaries of legality, and/or use the legal system to punish their enemies, this actually hinders the church's ability to share the gospel. And yet, the church's witness to the nations will always cause civil unrest and stir up strife. Why? Because what the church preaches is naturally offensive to the world. So why guard our reputation at all when the message we preach will cause unrest anyway? When it is only the gospel that is offensive it validates and draws attention to its truths and not to us as lawbreakers. So, we must be blameless people. But let me apply this a little more specifically today. 1.) [Slide 14] Mind Transformation: “What truth must we believe from this text?” or “What might we not naturally believe that we must believe because of what this text has said?” We must affirm that our character can hinder the general call of the gospel. a. Peter and Paul both express in their letters that if you suffer for doing wrong things, there is no reward. You have gotten what you deserve. b. But as Jesus says, if you suffer for my name when you are accused falsely, then you are blessed. c. There is a saying floating around evangelicalism today which says “Preach the gospel and if you must, use words.” d. This represents a tension we must maintain. e. In one sense, the gospel cannot be preached without the Word of God. So, we must use words… always. f. But the point of this saying is well taken and proven by this text. g. The gospel preached without a life lived in blameless character, can severely limit the general call of the gospel. h. The general call is the when the gospel is preached to everyone. This is different than God's effectual call which will be heard by those whom He is drawing to repentance and faith. i. The effectual call is God's job. The General call… is ours. j. And our civilly malevolent behavior can heavily restrict or even eliminate our ability to deliver the general call of the gospel. k. Just as Paul was concerned that the Roman Jews knew that he did nothing to earn the chains he wore, nor did he plan to seek legal vengeance on those who falsely accused him, so too we must concern ourselves with blameless and upright character which becomes the perfect complement to our gospel proclamations. l. At the council of Nicaea, in AD 325 (which incidentally is the most blamed council for all the bad things the Roman Catholic church did. I've heard people say that this is where they decided the books of the bible, this is where they edited the bible to say what they wanted. And many more. But none of that is actually true.) At the real council of Nicaea, and not the one from fantasy, 220 bishops gathered together at the request of Emperor Constantine to define the nature of God and eliminate confusion within the church. m. It is here that Alexander, the bishop of Alexandria brought one of his Elders before the council with whom he could not agree on a particular definition of the divinity of the Son of God. n. Arius argued that Jesus was not fully God and had a beginning, not being eternal. o. He argued so strongly that a bishop known as Nicholas of Myra slapped Arius across the face for his heresy. p. Although never having a history of violence and generally being an example of generosity and giving (yes this is the Nichoas from which the Santa Claus story evolved) Nicholas was immediately stripped of his Bishop status and imprisoned for his actions. He was eventually released and the council did end up condemning Arius' beliefs as heresy, while also clarifying the hypostatic union of Jesus in the writing of the Nicaean Creed q. Still the church universally disapproved of Nicholas' action. r. This serves as a good illustration for us to harmonize this tension. s. I also hate Arianism. And if you are a follower of Christ, you should too. Why? Because Arianism can't save anyone from the judgment of God. t. That's ok, Arianism being declared a heresy means that it has been snuffed out of existence, right? u. No! v. Arianism is still alive and well. w. Modern Mormons and Jehovah's Witnesses and many more cling to a form of Arianism today. x. But if I were to set out to stamp out Arianism using every means available to me… if I went around slapping Mormons and Jehovah's witnesses, not only would they not listen to my call for them to repent… but other unbelievers would not listen either because of reprehensible behavior. y. Though I preached the gospel to them… pure truth… my actions would cause others to dismiss all that I had to say as something not worth hearing. z. This illustrates the point quite well. aa. Our character can adversely affect whether or not someone is open to hearing the general call of the gospel. bb. This is why Paul went to great lengths to clear his name. cc. But we must not pendulum swing too far here. 2.) [Slide 15] Refutation: “What lies must we cast down” or “What do we naturally believe, or have been taught to believe, that this passage shows is false?” We must deny that the world will accept the gospel if we are loving, kind, and winsome in our proclamation. a. Although poor character can adversely affect whether or not someone hears our gospel proclamation, loving, kind, and winsome character does not guarantee that the world will accept the gospel message. b. All blameless character gives to us is the opportunity to proclaim the gospel. c. It merely gains us an audience. d. If we enter into the ministry of evangelism with the expectation that people will accept the gospel if we are loving and kind, we will be sorely discouraged very quickly into that endeavor. e. Why is that the case? Well, we will get to that in a moment. But before we do… what should we do since our blameless character gives us opportunities to proclaim the gospel? 3.) [Slide 16] Exhortation: “What actions should we take?” or “What is this passage specifically commanding us to do that we don't naturally do or aren't currently doing?” We must be blameless in character to ensure that the gospel is the only thing causing offense. a. Why do we do this? What is the motive of our having blameless character and being loving, meek, and winsome. b. Because this is what our Lord has commanded and demonstrated to us. c. We don't live with blameless character for the result of winning people to Christ. God alone saves. d. Our blameless character is in service to our Lord and merely to eliminate possible stumbling blocks to being heard. e. We will still be blamed for much and accused falsely. But when we live as blameless people, eventually the world will have to recognize that it is our message itself that is offensive, and not our methods. f. Friends, when the world hates us for our message – we are doing something right… not wrong. g. But if we offend them before we are even able to speak the message, this will not do. h. We must be above reproach and ensure that the only reason someone will not listen to what we have to say, is because of what we are saying. i. But what comfort can we find in this? 4.) [Slide 17] Comfort: “What comfort can we find here?” or “What peace does the Lord promise us in light of this passage of scripture?” Knowing that we will cause offense to sinners even with a meek and blameless presentation of the gospel, gives us more realistic expectations of how we will be received. a. Many people never or rarely share the gospel with others because they are afraid that they will be rejected. b. They are terrified that the person will oppose the gospel message and raise many objections that they are not equipped to answer. c. They are frozen by the very real possibility that they will be despised because they affirm the truth of the Word of God. d. How comforting to know… that you will be rejected, you will be objected to, and you will be despised. e. Wait a minute, that doesn't seem comforting. f. Oh but it is. g. Knowing that something may happen can freeze us completely. Knowing that something will happen removes the fear of the unknown. h. When we know that we will be rejected, despised, and objected to, merely because of the things we say – we can put aside the fear of what might be, and trust the Lord for what will be and obey Him anyway. i. It removes the doubt and uncertainty and allows us to depend on our Lord to sustain us. j. But why is our blameless character not enough to convince people to receive the gospel? 5.) [Slide 18] Evangelism: “What about this text points us to Jesus Christ, the gospel, and how we are restored?” The gospel is good news that no one wants until they know and believe the bad news. a. The gospel teaches all men that they are sinners by nature and subject to the judgment of a Holy God who is a Just Judge and will ensure that every single sin against Him is paid in full. b. This is the first word of the gospel. And generally speaking, men do not like anyone telling them that what they love and cherish is worthy of judgment and death. c. The Roman Jews had heard from various parts of the Roman Empire that the Nazarene sect had been causing problems. d. In reality, it was the rejection of the good news of their own Messiah that had stirred them up. e. Because the gospel confronts mankind with their wickedness and declares that the things they love are an abomination to God who is holy – many never make it beyond the bad news of the gospel. f. But even if they do somewhat believe that this is true, the good news is that Jesus has come as their substitute to free them from sin and to righteousness. g. That also is news that natural man has no interest to hear. h. If mankind loves their sin – they certainly don't want anyone freeing them from it to live differently. i. The gospel is good news to those who believe that they are condemned by a Holy God and desire mercy to be forgiven and grace to be made new. j. To everyone else… it is detestable. k. So, my friends, here is a question to consider – is the message that Jesus Christ was made sin so that you might become the righteousness of God – is that good news? l. If it is and for the first time you see it that way… I'd invite you to talk to an Elder and we can show you how you can become the righteousness of God. [Slide 19 (end)] Let me close with a prayer by the English Reformer Myles Coverdale who assisted William Tyndale and many others in translating the bible into English. God of mercy, help us to cling to you and follow your commands. Tame our bodies in honest labor, so we escape the pull of bad habits. Draw our hearts always upward, so we set aside all worldly things and focus only on you. Gracious Father, give us faithful fishers, true and careful in their calling. With the net of your holy word, may they draw us out of the raging sea, so that we with them, and they with us, may enjoy the everlasting banquet. We pray this in Jesus' name, Amen. Benediction: May your days be like the inscribed cooking pots in the Lord's House, setting them apart as HOLINESS TO THE LORD. As God Himself sanctifies you completely so that your spirit, soul and body be preserved without blame until the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. Until we meet again, go in peace.

The son of peasants, he was known from his childhood for his piety and asceticism. Once, by his prayers, a spring of water sprang up near his village, where it was needed for the town's survival. When he came of age, Polychronius went to work in some vineyards near Constantinople. Even though he labored all day, he would eat only every two or three days. The master of the vineyard, seeing his strict and prayerful way of life, gave him a large sum of money and said 'Man of God, go home and pray for me.' With the money, Polychronius built a church, settled near it, and a few years later was ordained to be a priest in the church he had built. Polychronius appeared at the First Ecumenical Council in 325 as a fervent defender of Orthodoxy. Because of this, some Arian heretics determined to take revenge. One day, after the death of the Emperor Constantine, the Arians attacked Polychronius at the altar as he was celebrating the Divine Liturgy, thus mingling his blood with the very blood of the Savior.

The son of peasants, he was known from his childhood for his piety and asceticism. Once, by his prayers, a spring of water sprang up near his village, where it was needed for the town's survival. When he came of age, Polychronius went to work in some vineyards near Constantinople. Even though he labored all day, he would eat only every two or three days. The master of the vineyard, seeing his strict and prayerful way of life, gave him a large sum of money and said 'Man of God, go home and pray for me.' With the money, Polychronius built a church, settled near it, and a few years later was ordained to be a priest in the church he had built. Polychronius appeared at the First Ecumenical Council in 325 as a fervent defender of Orthodoxy. Because of this, some Arian heretics determined to take revenge. One day, after the death of the Emperor Constantine, the Arians attacked Polychronius at the altar as he was celebrating the Divine Liturgy, thus mingling his blood with the very blood of the Savior.

Dave Brisbin 9.28.25 If you want to protect and consolidate any institution, church, or state, the most effective one-two punch is to stigmatize doubt and proclaim dogma—belief accepted just because authority says so…which stigmatizes common sense. Then with enough power, you outlaw doubt and common sense altogether. Just about every religion and every political institution has done it. If we're paying attention, it's happening all around us. Orwell enshrined it in his novel 1984, though he was just mirroring totalitarian societies eighty years ago. For 300 years after the crucifixion, everyone following Jesus was trying to interpret what he and his teachings meant theologically and personally. No one was in control, so no official dogma, but competing doctrines were everywhere, causing so much division that Emperor Constantine called the first church council in 325 CE. Christian orthodoxy was born, and with Roman power, the church enforced it. Apostle Thomas was marginalized as Doubting Thomas for being honest and courageous enough to demand his own personal experience, that he couldn't base his faith on second-hand reports. Doubt and common sense are our only footholds against a slide into superstition. Scripture is careful to include the doubt that every hero of faith—from Abram to Moses to Apostles—used to springboard to the action of authentic faith. There is no faith without doubt, just as there is no courage without fear. Jesus had his moments of doubt and used the common sense of love-in-action to guide his people past prevailing dogma and practice to their own personal experience of God. Some say human societies reset every 500 years. Five hundredish years ago, we in the West experienced Renaissance, Reformation, Enlightenment, a time of great doubt and questioning. We are going through just such a time now with science, technology, and politics pulling every existential thread. Jesus also lived in such a time, modeled and gave us permission to question, to use doubt and common sense to build a first-hand faith never dependent on ignorance or capitulation…as essential to us as it is threatening to those in power.

Dave Brisbin 9.28.25 If you want to protect and consolidate any institution, church, or state, the most effective one-two punch is to stigmatize doubt and proclaim dogma—belief accepted just because authority says so…which stigmatizes common sense. Then with enough power, you outlaw doubt and common sense altogether. Just about every religion and every political institution has done it. If we're paying attention, it's happening all around us. Orwell enshrined it in his novel 1984, though he was just mirroring totalitarian societies eighty years ago. For 300 years after the crucifixion, everyone following Jesus was trying to interpret what he and his teachings meant theologically and personally. No one was in control, so no official dogma, but competing doctrines were everywhere, causing so much division that Emperor Constantine called the first church council in 325 CE. Christian orthodoxy was born, and with Roman power, the church enforced it. Apostle Thomas was marginalized as Doubting Thomas for being honest and courageous enough to demand his own personal experience, that he couldn't base his faith on second-hand reports. Doubt and common sense are our only footholds against a slide into superstition. Scripture is careful to include the doubt that every hero of faith—from Abram to Moses to Apostles—used to springboard to the action of authentic faith. There is no faith without doubt, just as there is no courage without fear. Jesus had his moments of doubt and used the common sense of love-in-action to guide his people past prevailing dogma and practice to their own personal experience of God. Some say human societies reset every 500 years. Five hundredish years ago, we in the West experienced Renaissance, Reformation, Enlightenment, a time of great doubt and questioning. We are going through just such a time now with science, technology, and politics pulling every existential thread. Jesus also lived in such a time, modeled and gave us permission to question, to use doubt and common sense to build a first-hand faith never dependent on ignorance or capitulation…as essential to us as it is threatening to those in power.

The podcast kicks off with Tyler stealing one of Mark Hart's old segments as we play "Songs From The Hart." After that, a listener calls in to ask Lino if he plays any "Songs For Claire". Then, it's time for a deep dive on St Helena, mother of the Emperor Constantine. And the podcast wraps up with a segment on Papal - and everyone else's - forgiveness!

Seventeen centuries ago, in the bustling town of Nicaea, over 300 bishops from across the Roman Empire gathered, summoned by Emperor Constantine to resolve a crisis shaking the very foundations of Christianity. At stake was nothing less than the identity of Jesus Christ: was He truly God, co-eternal and of the same substance as the Father, or merely a created being—a divine yet lesser creature? Today, the fruit of that monumental gathering—the Nicene Creed—remains the definitive measure of Christian identity.  The Rev. John David Duke, pastor of Salem Lutheran Church in Buffalo, NY and adjunct professor of Old Testament Theology at Concordia Lutheran Theological Seminary in St. Catherines, Ontario, joins the Rev. Dr. Phil Booe to discuss the Nicene Creed.  This episode originally aired on March 7, 2025. Thy Strong Word, hosted by Rev. Dr. Phil Booe, pastor of St. John Lutheran Church of Luverne, MN, reveals the light of our salvation in Christ through study of God's Word, breaking our darkness with His redeeming light. Each weekday, two pastors fix our eyes on Jesus by considering Holy Scripture, verse by verse, in order to be strengthened in the Word and be equipped to faithfully serve in our daily vocations. Submit comments or questions to: thystrongword@kfuo.org.

Friends of the Rosary,We celebrate today the feast of Our Lady of Częstochowa, also known as the Black Madonna.The icon enshrined in Jasna Góra (Bright Hill) Monastery in Częstochowa, Poland, was painted by Luke the Evangelist on a cypress wood panel from a table used by the Holy Family in Nazareth.This Byzantine icon was discovered by St. Helen, the mother of Emperor Constantine and enshrined in the imperial city of Constantinople, where it remained for the next 500 years. The image was then brought to Poland in the 14th century.The image of Our Lady of Częstochowa is associated with several miraculous events.After the liberation of Poland from Nazi occupation, 1.5 million people gathered at Jasna Góra in 1945 to rededicate the nation to the Immaculate Heart of Mary.Our Lady's intercession is credited with the liberation of Poland from Communist rule.Pope John Paul II visited the image of Our Lady of Częstochowa four times during his pontificate.The holy painting enshrined at Częstochowa has been a lighthouse of hope during centuries of hardship and defeat. Today, the Shrine of Our Lady of Częstochowa attracts millions of people who love and honor Our Lady's intercession.It is known as the “Black Madonna” because of the soot residue that discolors the painting, a result of centuries of votive lights and candles burning in front of it.Come, Holy Spirit, come!To Jesus through Mary!Here I am, Lord; I come to do your will.Please give us the grace to respond with joy!+ Mikel Amigot w/ María Blanca | RosaryNetwork.com, New York• ⁠August 26, 2025, Today's Rosary on YouTube | Daily broadcast at 7:30 pm ET

Monday of the 20th Week in Ordinary Time Saint of the Day: St. Helena; mother of Emperor Constantine the Great; between 326 and 328 A.D., Helena visited the Holy Places in the Middle East; she had many churches constructed, and ordered a pagan temple built over the site of the Crucifixion to be destroyed; in the ruins, she found three crosses; tradition holds that Helena brought a woman who was near death, and had her touch the three crosses, and she fully recovered when touching the third one; Helena declared it to be the "True Cross"; she died around 330 A.D. Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 8/18/25 Gospel: Matthew 19:16-22

ABOUT THE EPISODEIn this episode of The Christian Wellbeing Show, Michelle and co-host, Stuart, delve into the profound question: 'What is Church?' Find out how:The culture of church services has been normalisedHow the church was institutionalised with structure, hierarchy and Greek influenceHow globalised Christian culture affects the Church.Bringing decades of ministry experience across various cultures and denominations, discussing the evolution of church practices, the influence of Western traditions, and the cultural differences observed in church gatherings worldwide, they explore the historical context from the early house churches described in the New Testament to the institutionalization of Christianity under Emperor Constantine.The discussion also touches on the modern structure of church services, the participatory role of congregants, and the impact of traditional models on church growth and relevance in today's society. The conversation aims to inspire a rethinking of how we gather as believers and the potential for a more authentic and spirit-led approach to being the 'Ekklesia' that Jesus envisioned.Join us in this informative episode for answers to questions like:Are church services disempowering and does it matter?What is the ekklesia?Why don't we allow the Holy Spirit to move?Is the Church meeting as we know it really ‘Christianity' and is it scriptural?ABOUT THE HOSTMichelle has been a believer for over 37 years, involved in full-time Christian ministry for 35 years in six countries on three continents, and is a master of transition and cross-cultural expert. Originally from the UK, Rev. Dr. Michelle has a doctorate degree in ministry (D.Min) with specialisms in Cross Cultural Mission and Natural Health & Nutrition and is ordained by Church For The Nations, Phoenix, USA. With huge experience of personal trauma, she is certified in grief, crisis and trauma counselling and Animal-Assisted-Therapy & Activities (AAT/AAA), is a trauma awareness trainer, and a C-PTSD survivor. She is author of the book, ‘Surviving Trauma, Crisis & Grief', printed in English and Mandarin Chinese and endorsed by US traumatologist and author, the late Dr H Norman Wright, formerly one of America's most prominent Christian counsellors. Michelle is a ministry co-founder, speaker, truth-teller, voice for freedom, advocate for the family, and has a passion for natural, healthy living and seeing people's lives improved. She homeschooled her three children, has ten grandchildren, is an artist, dog lover and keen gardener with a love for self-sufficiency.Disclaimer: I am not a medical doctor and it is recommended that you speak to your GP, doctor, or health professional of your choice regarding any medical concerns you may have.ABOUT THE CO-HOSTStuart is a fifth-generation believer and has been teaching the Word of God for over 40 years. Since quitting his career as a corporate administrator with a top 100 UK plc, he has been involved in full-time, cross-cultural ministry in six countries on three continents. He is the author of several books and is a trained life coach (kingdompurposecoaching.com), a natural ability consultant, and ordained through Church for the Nations, Phoenix. Stuart has a bachelor's degree in business and a doctorate degree in Christian Ministry, with a specialisation in Cross-cultural and Kingdom Mission.LINKShttps://linktr.ee/ChristianWellbeingShow Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

"Born a pagan in Persia in the time of the Emperor Constantine, he came to know the Christian faith as a young man, forsook his paganism and received baptism. He was so enchanted with the true Faith that he left all worldly things and became a monk in a monastery near the town of Nisibis. He lived among the brethren for some time, then withdrew into silence, going to Archimandrite Urbel, of whom it is said that, for sixty years, he never ate anything cooked. Urbel made him a deacon, but, when he wanted to make him a priest, Dometius fled to a distant mountain and settled in a cave there. He attained such perfection through fasting, prayer, vigils and meditation that he was able to heal the sick. When Julian the Apostate came to that place, he heard of Dometius and sent men to wall him up alive in the came, with two of his disciples. Thus died this saint of God, in 363, and went to the Kingdom of God." (Prologue). The Great Horologion says that Dometius and his disciples were stoned to death.

"Born a pagan in Persia in the time of the Emperor Constantine, he came to know the Christian faith as a young man, forsook his paganism and received baptism. He was so enchanted with the true Faith that he left all worldly things and became a monk in a monastery near the town of Nisibis. He lived among the brethren for some time, then withdrew into silence, going to Archimandrite Urbel, of whom it is said that, for sixty years, he never ate anything cooked. Urbel made him a deacon, but, when he wanted to make him a priest, Dometius fled to a distant mountain and settled in a cave there. He attained such perfection through fasting, prayer, vigils and meditation that he was able to heal the sick. When Julian the Apostate came to that place, he heard of Dometius and sent men to wall him up alive in the came, with two of his disciples. Thus died this saint of God, in 363, and went to the Kingdom of God." (Prologue). The Great Horologion says that Dometius and his disciples were stoned to death.

NOTE: SHOW LINKS FOR ALL THE MENTIONED PODCASTERS WILL BE ADDED SOON (AND WILL ALSO BE IN THE NOTES FOR NEXT EPISODE TO ENSURE THEY GET SEEN), FOR NOW GETTING THIS OUT WHILE I CAN! TRANSCRIPT: Good Evening Everyone, Welcome to Popeular History. My name is Gregg, and this is another admin update I'll try to keep from being too boring, in part by offering some observations and speculations about the new Papacy interspersed throughout. First, some personal updates. I was very tired by the end of last week, thank you for asking. I got some rest and then made sure Vice-Pope Mrs. Popeular History's primary Mother's Day present was rest. I am immeasurably grateful for her support, but the reality is even if she weren't so supportive of this passion project of mine and the fairly unhinged extremes I took it to in the last few weeks, I would still be immeasurably grateful to her for a million other things. She's the best partner I could have ever hoped to have for so many reasons, and all of you are welcome to be jealous.   I'd also like to thank my children for being malleable enough that I can pass on my love of the faith in general and also my nerdiness to them. Patrick, Catherine, Joseph, William, Gabriel, I love you all and thank you for sharing me with the internet a bit more lately. I try to shield my children from my more concentrated geekery so they can have somewhat normal childhoods, much like I try to spare my Vice Pope so she can have a somewhat normal marriage, but I will admit I felt a special sense of pride when I heard footsteps after I had invited any of my children interested in appearing on one of my livestreams to come on down to the studio. Those footsteps were from Catherine, who was by that point a good hour and a half into a livestream of the Pope's funeral that had began at 4am our time. To be clear, the kids aren't usually up at that time–I mean, neither am I–but wanting to be on the livestream she had asked to be awakened when it began, so I woke her and set her up with a watching station before kicking things off. Days later, she still excitedly references things from it. Just one of many special times from the last couple weeks. My thanks go not only to my immediate household, but to my family beyond as well, in particular my father, who came over at another particularly uncivil hour and summoned black smoke basically as soon as he arrived so I could go rest, as well as my in-laws, who bore with me through a packed weekend of a wedding and a papal funeral. And again, Vice Pope-Mrs Popeular history through it all.   Thanks are due as well to the lovely and supportive folks at work. I wouldn't want to name anyone who would rather I not name them, so I will be general when I say the atmosphere there has been lovely, and in particular I appreciate those who knew I was their best local source for answers to questions about Popes and Cardinals and conclaves and such. I lead a charmed life these days, and work, from my team to my coworkers to those above me and those supporting me, is full of amazing people I could not appreciate more.   Before I thank even more people, including you the listeners, let's talk about the New Pope, Leo XIV, specifically, his status as an American. And please, I beg you, don't be one of the contrarians who have been trying to make “United Statesian” a thing, it's fine to call Leo XIV the First American Pope. Of course you're welcome to use the opportunity to draw attention to the fact that Pope Francis is also from “the Americas”, but “American” is the demonym for a person from the United States and there is nothing wrong with using that word in that sense, so stop trying to make fetch happen.   Anyways, Pope Leo was born on September 14, 1955, in Chicago, Illinois. The date is memorable for Catholics as the Triumph of the Cross, one of the more venerable feasts of the Church, commemorating Emperor Constantine's mother Saint Helena's apparently successful expedition to the Holy Land in search of the Cross Christ was crucified on, AKA the True Cross. Of course, many of my listeners are more captivated by the Chicago aspect, so let's hone in on that. First, to get this out of the way, yes, he was raised in Dolton, a community just *outside* Chicago, but contrarians should brace for more disappointment as it remains technically correct to describe Robert Francis Prevost as being “from Chicago”, having been born at Mercy Hospital in the Bronzeville neighborhood on the south side.   In a way, it would be somewhat surprising if Pope Leo *weren't* from the midwest, considering 80% of the 10 American Cardinals who participated in the conclave are midwesterners by birth. But also that number should actually closer to 90%, considering that's including the Irish-born Kevin Cardinal Farrell under the American tally, and by that logic the future Leo XIV should probably count as Peruvian. But I'm not gonna begrudge anyone who wants to claim the Pope as one of their own. Even without that wrinkle, I think we can agree Ireland can count as the midwest, especially given the whole Notre Dame thing.   If it were tallied as its own nationality, the Midwestern United States would be the second most represented county in the conclave, still actually in the same place that the United States currently occupies: comfortably behind Italy, and a bit ahead of Brazil.   Nor of course is Chicago unfamiliar to Cardinals in general, having had their senior cleric sporting a red hat–or getting one at the first opportunity–for  over a hundred years running, putting them in extremely rarified air, actually I think they're the only US see that can claim the red hat century club when it's set on hard mode like that, as New York's Cardinal Dolan wasn't elevated at the first opportunity, presumably because Cardinal Egan was still kicking around and Conclave-eligible for a while, and Archbishop Henning of Boston just got passed over last December despite Cardinal O'Malley having freshly aged out.   And my midwest Catholic trivia dump can't be complete without noting that spookily, Mar Awa III, the current Catholicos-Patriarch of the Assyrian Church of the East, which shares the spotlight on my upcoming 0.22 supplemental, was also born in Chicago, which may further help the ecumenical relations I discuss in that supplemental episode. Here's hoping!   One more topic relating to Pope Leo's roots I want to touch on today: His Louisiana creole and black caribbean heritage. Both of His Holiness' grandparents on his mother's side were described as black or mulatto in census documents of their day, with his mother's father, Joseph Martinez, being listed as born in Santo Domingo, now the capital of the Dominican Republic, though it was then part of Haiti, the only country to have been born as the result of a successful slave rebellion, making black heritage from that region particularly poignant.   I'll note that His Holiness' melanin levels are such that he can fairly be described as white passing, and I'd consider it unlikely that the matter was discussed during the recent conclave, though I expect then-Cardinal Prevost was aware of this bit of family history. That said, it's certainly *possible* that it was a surprise even to him. One way or another, the basic fact is that these genealogical records exist. What to make of them, I leave to those more competent than I. I will commit to circling back to the topic in time, though. For now, it's time to thank, like, a lot of podcasters.   First and foremost, you probably wouldn't be listening to this if it weren't for Bry and Fry of Pontifacts. Their support has been critical in a number of ways and I could not be more appreciative of the way they've shared their platform with me, and so much more, right down to Bry making sure I checked my email when she saw that NPR had reached out for an interview. I tragically did not have Bry's attentive support on the inbox situation when PBS invited me on solo, so that one will always be a bit of a what-if, a hint of how much harder things are without the active support of so many. So again, thank you all, especially people I'm sure I'm forgetting since I'm extremely forgetful.   I think the safest thing to do is to thank the rest of the podcasters who have collaborated with me in order of appearance this year, starting back in February with the Intelligent Speech crew, in particular my fellows on the religion panel discussion, namely Trevor Cully of the History of Persia Podcast as well as the cheekier America's Secret Wars podcast, Aurora of the Swords, Sorcery, and Socialism podcast, and Bailey of Totalus Jeffianus. What a panel we had. And oh, by the way, apparently I've got the green light to share both that and my talk on the Original Grey Eminence, François Leclerc du Tremblay on this feed, so watch out for that in due course. Oh, and uh, shoutout to David Montgomery of The Siecle for his help with French pronunciation this year, not to mention various other assists through the years. All errors are my own, and David is a good guy to know.   Thank you to Jerry of The Presidencies podcast for having me on for one of his intro quotes, his process is impeccably professional just as one would expect after having listened to his show, and it was a great honor to take part.   Thank you as well to Thomas Rillstone of the History of Aotearoa New Zealand podcast for picking a surprisingly fascinating year to solicit info about, even if your release timing was ultimately made awkward by the death of the Holy Father. Oh, I suppose I can release that for you guys as well, though really, go check out his lovely show. Aotearoa is spelled: A-O-T-E-A-R-O-A   Moving on to my guests from the recent sede vacante, the first you all heard was Umberto from the So You Think You Can Rule Persia podcast, who, in addition to offering a fascinating overview of the history of transitions among the Islamic Caliphate also it turns out had the extremely clutch ability to offer live translations of Italian, which put our humble livestream ahead of EWTN, no offense to that major network.   The following day this feed was graced by the previously mentioned Aurora, now on as half of Tsar Power, along with Roberto, who is also from The History of Saqartvelo Georgia and Quest For Power. I'll let you sort all that out from the links in the show notes, but it's worth noting that you can expect more collaboration with Roberto on this feed, starting in the not too distant future with a conversation we unwittingly recorded just hours before Pope Francis' passing, talking optimistically about the future prospects of his papacy. Fortunately there's still cause for such optimism: Habemus Papam, after all.   Right before the conclave began, I put out a Cardinal Numbers First Judgment segment with John from Prim e Time, though admittedly that episode was originally recorded over a year ago. We did have a fresher appearance from John on the Youtube side of things, as he joined us to meet the new Pope after the white smoke, having cunningly signed up for the correct smokewatch to do so, much like Umberto our live translator. Ethan from Play History on Youtube was also kind enough to join us, helping hold down the fort along with Fry while I juggled toddlers and the white smoke first billowed out. Memorable times, all.   A special thank you to all those who shared the episode I had already prepared on Cardinal Prevost with the wider world, leading to thousands of exposures and hundreds of new listeners. Which, welcome if you're one of the new listeners. Thank you for tuning in, and I promise I'll update my Episode 0 soon to help you find your way.   Ok, it's time for another bout of new Pope stuff before I fill you all in on what to expect from me moving forward. I think it's appropriate that we take a look at what Pope Leo himself has outlined as important topics and themes here at the start of his papacy.   First, peace, which was literally the first word of Leo's papacy. An emphasis on peace is no surprise, for one thing, as the newly-elected Pope Leo himself pointed out, his greeting of peace was in the tradition of the resurrected Christ Himself, and thereby an appropriate greeting for the Easter season, which Pope Francis had opened right before his death and through which Pope Leo will continue to guide the Church until Pentecost on June 8th.   The topic of peace is even less surprising in light of the rare public message from the College of Cardinals that was released just before the Conclave, pleading for peace amid escalating war. In light of that, it would have been surprising if he *hadn't* come out advocating for peace. As is, it's definitely a core message, and needless to say a timely one too, with Pope Leo already echoing the late Pope Francis' observation that World War III is already being fought piecemeal.    The appeal for peace does seem to be getting a bit of traction, with India and Pakistan agreeing to a ceasefire, and the Trump administration proposing the Vatican as a mediator in the current conflict between Russia and Ukraine. If you don't look in the box marked Gaza or consider the actual likelihood of a breakthrough in Ukraine, you might be tempted to feel hopeful: admittedly as you can probably tell I'm more on the skeptical end myself, though I'd be happy to be wrong.   Another topic Pope Leo emphasized in his first speech–and repeatedly since–is togetherness, which could also be filed under dialog or even unity: the interplay between commonality and difference is critical here, and the most consistent analogy is one very suitable to his role as Pope, that of a bridge-builder, a pontifex in Latin, a traditional title of Popes for centuries, though probably not one that really traces back to the ancient Roman priestly title of Pontifex Maximus directly, as it seems to have been primarily added to the Pope's titles during the renaissance, when the classical world was very fashionable. Now, to really tie the old and the new together, I can tell you that a title once held by Julius Caesar is Pope Leo's handle on the social media platform formerly known as Twitter: @Pontifex.   When it comes to the Papacy, concepts like building bridges and promoting togetherness play out on multiple levels. First, as pastor of the giant flock known as Catholicism, we can talk about healing divisions within the church. Then, we can talk about healing divisions among all of Christianity, since the Pope is the head of the largest Christian group–and frankly it's always worth noting that most Christians are Catholics. But really, getting arrogant about it isn't the way to bring people on board, and from what I can tell so far Leo seems to have taken that lesson from Francis to heart–not that humility is a novel lesson in the history of the Papacy that Francis just invented, but still, give the guy his due..   Lastly, though certainly not leastly, what about healing divisions all over the world, not just among all Christians or even among all religions, but among all people? We're talking about the Vicar of Christ here, the idea of “not my circus, not my monkies” does not apply, and the more divisions across humanity are healed, the more likely we are to see enduring peace. So, Pope Leo has his work cut out for him, indeed I daresay we all do, as I am going to charitably assume you all want to make the world a better place.   Another priority of the new Pontiff is one that came to light even before his first speech: Vatican-watchers know that modern Popes don't just pick names at random, for example Pope Francis was strongly broadcasting that he was going to do something different by being the first  in the modern era to choose a truly new Papal name. As for Pope Leo, my first impression was quickly confirmed, as Pope Leo XIII looms large in modern Catholic history and his encyclical Rerum Novarum was a watershed moment in the development of modern Catholic Social Teaching, which is a foundational enough topic that I capitalized all those words and you will absolutely catch folks calling Catholic Social Teaching “CST” for short. Before Pope Francis, when you were talking about social justice in a Catholic context–which, by the way, is the context where the idea first gained traction, being popularized among the Jesuits in the early 19th century–anyways before Pope Francis, when you were talking about social justice in a Catholic context, you were talking about Pope Leo and Rerum Novarum, published in 1891 as a critique of modern economic systems from Capitalism to Communism and all over, emphasizing the fundamental importance of worker's rights given, well, the fundamental importance of workers themselves, as human beings with divine dignity. The Church has been revisiting Rerum Novarum on a regular basis ever since, and Pope Leo has explicitly centered it for those wondering what to expect from his papacy. To borrow the language of a generation slightly ahead of me, it's based, so get hype.   Of course lots of people are wondering what Pope Leo will get up to beyond these key starts of peace, unity, and social justice in the mold of so many of his predecessors. We can be here all day and I still won't be able to comment on every individual topic, nor will h e. We'll see more of Pope Leo in the years to come. Of course we can look to his past comments on anything you like, but the basic reality is Robert Francis Prevost is dead, and  Pope Leo XIV is a different man. At least, he may be, anyhow. History has shown election to the Papacy can change folks, but it's also shown that that's not always the case. Sorry to disappoint those looking for surefire answers, we'll find out together in the coming years and quite possibly decades, as, at 69, Pope Leo will likely be with us for a generation.   BUT, and this is a big but, I do think from what he's indicated so far and from the apparent expectations of the Cardinals who elected him, not to mention historical patterns, I do think it's very likely that Pope Leo will, on the whole, prove to be something of a centrist. That's not to say that he'll be middle-of-the-road on all issues–I really do expect him to lean into the Leonine legacy of Rerum Novarum-style social and economic justice with a major encyclical on the topic within the next few years–but on average I do not expect him to be as progressive as Pope Francis or as conservative as Pope Benedict. Again, how exactly that all will shake out remains to be seen, and I am very bad at making predictions anyways. After all, when I got asked directly about the possibility of an American Pope, I gave a simple “no” and moved on. In my defense, apparently the future Pope Leo did the same, allegedly telling his brother “they're not going to pick an American Pope” on the eve of the conclave that did just that.   Now I want to take a moment to thank some non-podcasters who have been very supportive of my work the last few years, specifically the priests at my home parish of Saint Francis de Sales. Shoutout Fr. Mike, Fr. PC, and Fr. Sizemore, who have all supported me in various ways both in relation to the podcast and off-mic. In particular I want to thank Fr. PC for helping review my upcoming worldbuilding episodes on mass and the Eucharist to make sure I didn't go too far off the rails, and Fr. Sizemore for his consistent support and encouragement of my work, as well as his willingness to promote it. Longtime listeners know that I am willing to set aside the Pope-colored glasses to offer necessary critiques of the Church at times–indeed, necessary critiques are actually themselves part of Pope-colored glasses anyways. It's been very cool to have that support even when offering that criticism at times, and I am, of course, grateful.   To give a little more personal insight, I think it's worth noting that I'm bringing Fr Sizemore and Fr PC up in part because they're on my mind and in my prayers a little extra these days since they are going to another parish as part of the normal juggling that occurs with basically any diocese. Back in the day such moves were less common, and could indeed be signs of darker things, but more recent practice has keeping priests from staying at a particular parish for too extended a period as a guard against exactly such dark things as may occur when a pastor is seen as the absolute bedrock of a faith community and is effectively given all sorts of extra deference and leeway and such to an inappropriate degree. In the end, Christ is the foundation, it's not about any particular pastor. Nevertheless, I will miss Fr Sizemore deeply, as excited as I am to see what he does at his new parish, and as excited as I am to meet our new pastor, Father Tom Gardner, and the other priest and a half that are coming to Saint Francis as part of the general shuffle. Interestingly, this will have our household lined up with a relatively young priest, a relatively young bishop, and a relatively young Pope, so these positions are likely going to be set in my life for a while yet.   And now that we've talked a bit about the future of my home parish, let's talk about the future of Popeular History.   First, as you've already seen if you're caught up on the feed, I have some content from Conclave Time still being edited and prepared for release on this feed. In the last week or so you've seen my chat with Benjamin Jacobs of Wittenberg to Westphalia and Why Tho?, who had me on as his guest of his 100th episode for the former. He's more like me than most, so if you enjoy this, go check him out. And if you don't enjoy this, well, I'm confused as to the sequence of events that has you somehow still listening, but even then, you should *also* still go  check him out. Just in case. You never know.   Also already released is a chat with Meredith of The Alexander Standard, another Rexypod in the mold of Cardinal Numbers and of course Pontifacts, reviewing, rating, and ranking all the successors of Alexander the Great from Perdiccas to Cleopatra VII. Meredith bravely volunteered to take the first spot on what was a near nightly guest list during the recent sede vacante, and we had a great chat that you should go check out if you haven't already.   Still to come most likely this month is a very extended conversation I had with Steve Guerra of the History of the Papacy Podcast, a collaboration that was pretty long overdue. I first reached out to Steve over five years ago when Popeular History was just starting out, but I was too timid to propose a collaboration at the time. I was actually still too timid to suggest such a thing when Pope Francis' fading health got us talking again earlier this year, but fortunately for all of us Steve had no such scruples and when he suggested we get together over a couple of mics, well, so far we've got hours of good stuff that will be ready for your ears very shortly, I just wanted to get all this admin stuff and early Leo discussion out first so I did. But you can expect hours of Steve and I on this feed soon, and if you just can't wait–don't! Bec ause it's already out on his feed at the History of the Papacy Podcast. Part III talking Leo specifically is already in the works, with hopefully more to come from Steve and I collaborating in the years to come.   After that, you'll hear a chat I had with Quinn from Nobelesse Oblige, one half of another rexypod that ranks all the nobel laureates from 1901 until he and cohost Maggie run out of people. Their show was on hiatus, but is back now, so rejoice! All the best shows go on hiatus, like, a lot, amirite? Look, subscribe and you'll know when any shows with that particular habit get back. Anyways, that's gonna be another conclave second helping episode.   The third on the conclave second helping trilogy, likely appearing early next month at this rate with apologies to my patient guest, will be a great chat I had right before the doors were sealed with none other than Garry Stevens of the History in the Bible podcast, in which I fielded his conclave questions and talked about the recent movie as well. Thank you as always, Garry, especially for your patience as I edited my way through our chat!   After that puts a cap on my conclave coverage, it'll be high time to release the previously mentioned chat I had with Roberto of Tsar Power and more, right before Pope Francis passed.   And there you go, that's the plan for the next month or so. After all that, it'll be 5th anniversary time, and I think it'll be fun to do a bit of Q&A for that. The anniversary will officially on June 29th, so let's go ahead and say send in almost any question you like to popeularhistory@gmail.com by June 20th and I'll answer it for you on the show. The only limit I'm placing is that the question should be relatively family-friendly so I don't get flagged as explicit content by the powers that be.    After that, well, we'll see. Popeular History and Cardinal Numbers will be carrying on, I'm looking forward to finishing my longrunning Catholic worldbuilding series, as well as covering all the living Cardinals I haven't gotten to yet. And those items just represent finishing up the current stages. Plus, tere's gonna be more Pontifacts collaboration, including the much hyped Habemus Pointsam project, ranking all the Papal transitions with Bry! But do  keep in mind I had *just* put out a note indicating that I was going to stay on hiatus for a while longer right before all this happened, and the factors that lead me to that are still present. I've got a strong head of steam for when I'm officially back up to full production, but until then, you won't hear from me quite as regularly as I'd like. Actually, let's be honest, you're never going to hear from me as regularly as I'd like unless there's a wealthy patron who wants to hand over a living wage for myself and my family as compensation for me doing this full-time. And nah, I'm not counting on that. I do have a patreon though, so if you want to help offset my costs and fuel Taco Bell expeditions or moving to Rome, you know, little things like that, you can. Mary specifically said I can get Taco Bell every time I get a new patron, so thank you very much in advance. Also, a big thank you to Joe, my current patron, who hosts Prime Factors with his son Abram, and yes that's another Rexypod, in fact, yes, that's another Rexypod ranking the British Prime Ministers! Prime Time is the other one in case you've already forgotten, and now you can easily find both of them on one another's feeds as they recently did a collaborative special you should absolutely check out! I especially owe Joe as I forgot to keep mentioning him when speeding through my recent sede vacante coverage, a situation which will be remedied hopefully in small part by this note, and then eventually with judicious editing. Thanks again for your support, Joe!   If you'd like to support my work and are financially able to do so, go to Patreon.com/popeular. I'm going to do as much as I can even without many patrons, but more patron support  would go a long way to making things easier, I have to admit. So if you want to join Joe on the wall of ongoing thanks, there are still spots left! And if you can't support financially, no sweat, do what you gotta do, but please consider spreading the word about Popeular History and keeping me and my family in prayer while you're at it. Words of encouragement or any other words you'd like to send can be sent to popeularhistory@gmail.com or you can also find me on social media in a few spots, primarily on Bluesky these days at Popeular as I'm focusing more on direct content creation rather than trying to keep up with socials and the website and such. Oh, speaking of the website, Google Domains went caput so the website's kind of frozen, not that I was updating it much anyways apart from the automatic RSS feeds, which for what it's worth are still chugging along. But the rest you can ignore, in particular the big daily show announcement that's still up there, because that was fun while it lasted but that is definitely on the list of things that are not happening unless I get thousands of patreon dollars a month to make this a full-time job, which, again, I am realistic enough to not expect. It just turns out I can't take that notification down without tanking the whole site at the moment, or without, you know, a fair amount of extra work, and since the RSS feeds are still handy and my time is still fairly crunched, I'm reluctant to do that. So, uh, here we are. Awkward. Ignore the big daily show announcement. Thank you.   Now, I'm going to make a couple specific predictions about the future of Leo's papacy that I'd be happy to be wrong about. But before I do *that*, I want to note that after today, apart from the contemporary cardinals episodes, I plan to get back to history, leaving current events to other commentators generally, with the exception of a plan to have some commentary on contemporary news, Catholic and otherwise, available as bonus content for my Patreon subscribers. That would allow my regular listeners to have access to all the historical goodies I find without barrier, while still offering something interesting and informative, you know, hopefully, for my backers. If you hate the idea, let me know, and of course if you love the idea, sure, let me know that too. I'm thinking maybe some kind of monthly roundup, something like that.   Anyways, on to those predictions. First, while I genuinely believe we would have seen Sister Rafaella Petrini elevated to the College of Cardinals had Pope Francis lived to create another batch of Cardinals, I do not see that happening under Pope Leo, though he did reconfirm her in her role as President of the Governorate of Vatican City State as part of his general “as you were” instructions right after his election, reconfirming all of Pope Francis' appointments in one of the more unambiguous signs of continuity you can have. It's of course likely that there will be shuffling in time, but I think Petrini is safe in her role, I just don't expect her to be the first Cardinelle at the next opportunity, as Leo appears interested in a degree of centrist rapprochement.   Similarly, while I had fairly big hopes for the observances of the 1700th anniversary of Nicea that were due this month, namely a reunified dating of Easter, obviously those observances aren't happening right now. And, while it look like there are now plans for later this year, around the Feast of Saint Andrew–November 30th–I think that moment has passed, and I expect it's not something we'll see in year one of a Papacy. Again, I'd be happy to be wrong, but I don't think that's a “coming super  soon” type situation at this point. And that's it for today, thanks for sitting through a record-breaking amount of admin. Thanks, Joe!

Saint Constantine was born in 272, the son of Constantius Chlorus, ruler of the western part of the Roman Empire, and St Helen. When his father died in 306 he was proclaimed successor to the throne. The empire was ruled at that time by several Caesars, each with his own territory. When Constantine learned that the Caesars Maxentius and Maximinus had joined against him, he marched on Italy. It was there that, on the eve of a decisive battle outside Rome, he saw in the sky a radiant Cross with the words "In this sign conquer." He ordered that a battle-standard be made bearing the image of a cross and inscribed with the Name of Jesus Christ. The following day he and his forces attacked and won a spectacular victory. He entered Rome in triumph and in 312 was proclaimed "Emperor of the West" by the Senate. (His brother-in-law Licinius ruled in the East.) Soon thereafter he issued his "Edict of Milan," whereby Christianity was officially tolerated for the first time, and persecution of Christians ceased. (Many believe, mistakenly, that the Edict made Christianity the only legal religion; in fact, it proclaimed freedom of religion throughout the Empire).   Licinius, though he pretended to accept the Edict, soon began persecuting Christians in his domain. In response, Constantine fought and defeated him in 324, becoming sole Emperor of the entire Roman Empire. In 324 he laid the foundations of a new capital in the town of Byzantium; in 330 he inaugurated the new capital city, naming it "New Rome" and "Constantinople." In 325 he called the First Ecumenical Council at Nicea, attending its sessions himself. Shortly before his repose in 337, he received Holy Baptism; he died on Holy Pentecost, at the age of sixty-five, and was interred in the Church of the Holy Apostles in Constantinople.   St Constantine's holy mother Helen, in her role as "Augusta" of the Empire, founded countless churches. She traveled to Jerusalem and found the True Cross on which the Lord was crucified. In the Holy Land she established churches at the sites of Christ's Nativity and burial, which still stand today in much-modified form. She died at about eighty years of age.

Saint Constantine was born in 272, the son of Constantius Chlorus, ruler of the western part of the Roman Empire, and St Helen. When his father died in 306 he was proclaimed successor to the throne. The empire was ruled at that time by several Caesars, each with his own territory. When Constantine learned that the Caesars Maxentius and Maximinus had joined against him, he marched on Italy. It was there that, on the eve of a decisive battle outside Rome, he saw in the sky a radiant Cross with the words "In this sign conquer." He ordered that a battle-standard be made bearing the image of a cross and inscribed with the Name of Jesus Christ. The following day he and his forces attacked and won a spectacular victory. He entered Rome in triumph and in 312 was proclaimed "Emperor of the West" by the Senate. (His brother-in-law Licinius ruled in the East.) Soon thereafter he issued his "Edict of Milan," whereby Christianity was officially tolerated for the first time, and persecution of Christians ceased. (Many believe, mistakenly, that the Edict made Christianity the only legal religion; in fact, it proclaimed freedom of religion throughout the Empire).   Licinius, though he pretended to accept the Edict, soon began persecuting Christians in his domain. In response, Constantine fought and defeated him in 324, becoming sole Emperor of the entire Roman Empire. In 324 he laid the foundations of a new capital in the town of Byzantium; in 330 he inaugurated the new capital city, naming it "New Rome" and "Constantinople." In 325 he called the First Ecumenical Council at Nicea, attending its sessions himself. Shortly before his repose in 337, he received Holy Baptism; he died on Holy Pentecost, at the age of sixty-five, and was interred in the Church of the Holy Apostles in Constantinople.   St Constantine's holy mother Helen, in her role as "Augusta" of the Empire, founded countless churches. She traveled to Jerusalem and found the True Cross on which the Lord was crucified. In the Holy Land she established churches at the sites of Christ's Nativity and burial, which still stand today in much-modified form. She died at about eighty years of age.

In May 325, the Emperor Constantine convened a meeting of Christian leaders in the town of Nicaea, in modern Turkey. At that meeting, church leaders crafted a statement known as the “Nicaean Creed” that is still recited by many Christians today. In this podcast episode, Dr. David K. Bernard explains what happened at the Council of Nicaea and why it still matters 1,700 years later.See Dr. Bernard's book The Trinitarian Controversy in the Fourth Century for further reading. Dr. Bernard's full catalog of published works is available at PentecostalPublishing.com. Enter promo code DKB10 at checkout to save 10 percent on your order.If you enjoy this podcast, leave a five-star rating and a review on iTunes or your preferred podcast platform. We also appreciate it when you share Apostolic Life in the 21st Century with family and friends.

Full Text of ReadingsMemorial of Saint Athanasius, Bishop and Doctor of the Church Lectionary: 271The Saint of the day is Saint AthanasiusSaint Athanasius' Story Athanasius led a tumultuous but dedicated life of service to the Church. He was the great champion of the faith against the widespread heresy of Arianism, the teaching by Arius that Jesus was not truly divine. The vigor of his writings earned him the title of doctor of the Church. Born of a Christian family in Alexandria, Egypt, and given a classical education, Athanasius became secretary to Alexander, the bishop of Alexandria, entered the priesthood and was eventually named bishop himself. His predecessor, Alexander, had been an outspoken critic of a new movement growing in the East—Arianism. When Athanasius assumed his role as bishop of Alexandria, he continued the fight against Arianism. At first, it seemed that the battle would be easily won and that Arianism would be condemned. Such, however, did not prove to be the case. The Council of Tyre was called and for several reasons that are still unclear, the Emperor Constantine exiled Athanasius to northern Gaul. This was to be the first in a series of travels and exiles reminiscent of the life of Saint Paul. After Constantine died, his son restored Athanasius as bishop. This lasted only a year, however, for he was deposed once again by a coalition of Arian bishops. Athanasius took his case to Rome, and Pope Julius I called a synod to review the case and other related matters. Five times Athanasius was exiled for his defense of the doctrine of Christ's divinity. During one period of his life, he enjoyed 10 years of relative peace—reading, writing, and promoting the Christian life along the lines of the monastic ideal to which he was greatly devoted. His dogmatic and historical writings are almost all polemic, directed against every aspect of Arianism. Among his ascetical writings, his Life of St. Anthony achieved astonishing popularity and contributed greatly to the establishment of monastic life throughout the Western Christian world. Reflection Athanasius suffered many trials while he was bishop of Alexandria. He was given the grace to remain strong against what probably seemed at times to be insurmountable opposition. Athanasius lived his office as bishop completely. He defended the true faith for his flock, regardless of the cost to himself. In today's world we are experiencing this same call to remain true to our faith, no matter what. Saint of the Day, Copyright Franciscan Media

These nine holy Martyrs were from various places, but when they refused to offer sacrifice to idols or to deny Christ, all were beheaded together in Cyzicus, a city in Asia Minor on the coast of the Sea of Marmara. Their names were Theognis, Rufus, Antipater, Theostoichus, Artemas, Magnus, Theodotus, Thaumasilas and Philemon. During the reign of the Emperor Constantine a church was built in Cyzicus in their honor, and their incorrupt relics were deposited there.

These nine holy Martyrs were from various places, but when they refused to offer sacrifice to idols or to deny Christ, all were beheaded together in Cyzicus, a city in Asia Minor on the coast of the Sea of Marmara. Their names were Theognis, Rufus, Antipater, Theostoichus, Artemas, Magnus, Theodotus, Thaumasilas and Philemon. During the reign of the Emperor Constantine a church was built in Cyzicus in their honor, and their incorrupt relics were deposited there.

I give a brief quotation from Emperor Constantine's letter to the churches after the council of Nicaea, contrasting it with Holy Scripture, and then move into understanding more about the timeline of Yeshua's death and resurrection.

Licinius was co-emperor with Constantine the Great. At his accession, he had agreed to tolerate Christianity in his territories, but soon turned to persecuting the Christians, and to a variety of carnal sins. He conceived a passion for Glaphyra, a Christian virgin handmaid of the Empress Constantia. When Glaphyra told Constantia of this, the Empress sent her away to Amasia in the East for her protection. There she was received and protected by Bishop Basil of that city. Licinius learned where Glaphyra was hiding and ordered that both she and the bishop be brought to him as prisoners. The soldiers who came for her found that she had already died, so they returned with only Bishop Basil, who was subjected to cruel tortures, then beheaded. His body was cast into the sea, but, with the help of an angel of God, his people found his body, retrieved it from the sea, and returned it to Amasia.   The Prologue adds, "The Emperor Constantine raised an army against Licinius, overcame him, arrested him and sent him into exile in Gaul, where he ended his God-hating days."

Licinius was co-emperor with Constantine the Great. At his accession, he had agreed to tolerate Christianity in his territories, but soon turned to persecuting the Christians, and to a variety of carnal sins. He conceived a passion for Glaphyra, a Christian virgin handmaid of the Empress Constantia. When Glaphyra told Constantia of this, the Empress sent her away to Amasia in the East for her protection. There she was received and protected by Bishop Basil of that city. Licinius learned where Glaphyra was hiding and ordered that both she and the bishop be brought to him as prisoners. The soldiers who came for her found that she had already died, so they returned with only Bishop Basil, who was subjected to cruel tortures, then beheaded. His body was cast into the sea, but, with the help of an angel of God, his people found his body, retrieved it from the sea, and returned it to Amasia.   The Prologue adds, "The Emperor Constantine raised an army against Licinius, overcame him, arrested him and sent him into exile in Gaul, where he ended his God-hating days."

False Prophet Revealed (audio) David Eells – 4/13/25 Who is the False Prophet and how may we identify him? Experience and the Word have taught me concerning prophecy that if the majority of God's people believe something, it must be wrong. God hides His truths in dreams or visions that are parables so that the false prophets and carnal Christians cannot see them. Let's read Mat 13:10-13 And the disciples came, and said unto him, Why speakest thou unto them in parables? 11 And he answered and said unto them, Unto you it is given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given. 12 For whosoever hath, to him shall be given, and he shall have abundance: but whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken away even that which he hath. 13 Therefore speak I to them in parables; because seeing they see not, and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand. But privately He explains them to His disciples Mar 4:33-34 And with many such parables spake he the word unto them, as they were able to hear it; 34 and without a parable spake he not unto them: but privately to his own disciples he expounded all things. He hides things from the wise and understanding (of this apostate religious system) and reveals them to babes. Luk 10:21 In that same hour he rejoiced in the Holy Spirit, and said, I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that thou didst hide these things from the wise and understanding, and didst reveal them unto babes: yea, Father; for so it was well-pleasing in thy sight. Notice that “disciples”, meaning, learners and followers, get to partake of the hidden manna. Rev 2:17 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith to the churches. To him that overcometh, to him will I give of the hidden manna, and I will give him a white stone, and upon the stone a new name written, which no one knoweth but he that receiveth it. And Pro 25:2 It is the glory of God to conceal a thing; But the glory of kings is to search out a matter. John's Revelation was given to him as a parable of Jesus. If it were literal, the false prophets would know what is going to happen and that is contrary to Jesus' own words. When the disciples were young and under the law they did not recognize the false prophets. As a matter of fact, they respected them! And so it is today! I want to show you who have eyes and ears, who the false prophet is and what his work is. The False Prophet is a corporate body of religious leaders that, to the trained eye resemble those of Jesus' day. In all of Jesus, Peter, and John's writings outside of the Book of Revelation, the warning is that false prophets (plural) would come. In Revelation, false prophet (singular) is used, but in an allegory. Since Jesus said in the end time that Mat 24:14 And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in the whole world for a testimony unto all the nations; …  We read that many false prophets shall arise; verse 11 And many false prophets shall arise, and shall lead many astray. And verse 24 For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall show great signs and wonders; so as to lead astray, if possible, even the elect. Then the false prophet in Revelation is a symbol of a corporate body like the rest of the characters in Revelation are; the beast, the woman, the harlot, the bride, etc. It's the only way that Jesus and John can both be right. You might say, “David, aren't you sharing the secrets with the false prophets?” Have no fear; they are too proud to admit they have passed on the lie of the traditions of men and repent. Moses prophesied the coming of the true prophet and the false prophet. Deu 18:15-22 Jehovah thy God will raise up unto thee a prophet from the midst of thee, of thy brethren, like unto me; unto him ye shall hearken; 16 according to all that thou desiredst of Jehovah thy God in Horeb in the day of the assembly, saying, Let me not hear again the voice of Jehovah my God, neither let me see this great fire any more, that I die not. 17 And Jehovah said unto me, They have well said that which they have spoken. 18 I will raise them up a prophet from among their brethren, like unto thee; and I will put my words in his mouth, and he shall speak unto them all that I shall command him. 19 And it shall come to pass, that whosoever will not hearken unto my words which he shall speak in my name, I will require it of him. 20 But the prophet, that shall speak a word presumptuously in my name, which I have not commanded him to speak, or that shall speak in the name of other gods, that same prophet shall die. 21 And if thou say in thy heart, How shall we know the word which Jehovah hath not spoken? 22 when a prophet speaketh in the name of Jehovah, if the thing follow not, nor come to pass, that is the thing which Jehovah hath not spoken: the prophet hath spoken it presumptuously, thou shalt not be afraid of him. The true Prophet of course, is the Son of God Jesus Christ. He is the Spirit that is in His true corporate body. (1Co 15:45 So also it is written, The first man Adam became a living soul. The last Adam became a life-giving spirit.) He is the head of His body the Church which is female (Eph 5:23 For the husband is the head of the wife, as Christ also is the head of the church, being himself the saviour of the body.). Jesus' headship is manifest physically through the 5-fold ministry (Eph 4:11 And he gave some to be apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers;). The senses of the head correspond to the ministers. For example: the prophets are the eyes (Isa 29:10 For Jehovah hath poured out upon you the spirit of deep sleep, and hath closed your eyes, the prophets; and your heads, the seers, hath he covered.) – Evangelists are the mouth (the ministry to those outside of the body), Teachers are the ears (1Ki 3:9 Give thy servant therefore an understanding heart to judge thy people, that I may discern between good and evil; for who is able to judge this thy great people? 12 behold, I have done according to thy word: lo, I have given thee a wise and an understanding heart;) “Understanding” here is the Hebrew word for “hearing”. Soloman heard answers from the Lord.  (1Ki 10:3 And Solomon told her all her questions: there was not anything hid from the king which he told her not.). It takes the 5-fold ministry to raise up others into the head (Eph 4:15 but speaking truth in love, may grow up in all things into him, who is the head, even Christ;). We can see a false headship in these days because of the Nicolaitan error which Jesus hates according to (Rev 2:6 But this thou hast, that thou hatest the works of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate., and verse 15 So hast thou also some that hold the teaching of the Nicolaitans in like manner.) That false headship is that the pastor usurps the authority of the rest of the 5-fold ministry to be the head of the church. The Spirit of Christ is manifest through the 5-fold ministry to lead His body, the church. So also the spirit of antichrist is identified in (1Jn 4:3 and every spirit that confesseth not Jesus is not of God: and this is the spirit of the antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it cometh; and now it is in the world already.). This spirit is manifested through men as a false prophet to lead his body the harlot. The false prophet also has a female body, the corporate harlot, who receives not the seed of the true husband. These do not confess Jesus, the Word, which was given in the beginning. Confess here is a word meaning “to speak the same as”. The false prophet body cannot say what Jesus said. Christ sows His seed, which is the true Word, as we read in His parable in Mat 13:18-23 Hear then ye the parable of the sower. 19 When any one heareth the word of the kingdom, and understandeth it not, then cometh the evil one, and snatcheth away that which hath been sown in his heart. This is he that was sown by the way side. 20 And he that was sown upon the rocky places, this is he that heareth the word, and straightway with joy receiveth it; 21 yet hath he not root in himself, but endureth for a while; and when tribulation or persecution ariseth because of the word, straightway he stumbleth. 22 And he that was sown among the thorns, this is he that heareth the word; and the care of the world, and the deceitfulness of riches, choke the word, and he becometh unfruitful. 23 And he that was sown upon the good ground, this is he that heareth the word, and understandeth it; who verily beareth fruit, and bringeth forth, some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.) The true Prophet, Jesus, always sows the Word. The false prophet cannot confess Him. In Rev 13:11 And I saw another beast coming up out of the earth; and he had two horns like unto a lamb, and he spake as a dragon. Here we see a false lamb who speaks for the dragon. We see the head of the false prophet with two horns like unto a lamb, and he spake as the dragon beast. Also in verse 5 and there was given to him a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies (meaning, to speak against); and there was given to him authority to continue forty and two months. In verse 15, we see the body (harlot) of the false prophet. Rev 13:15 NENT And it was given to her to give a spirit to the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak and cause that as many as should not worship the image of the beast should be killed. Bible Numerics shows a perfect pattern for “her” in the ancient manuscripts and in the most accurate New Testament, the Numeric English New Testament by Ivan Panin. There is no pattern in “he” or “it”. Numerics show beyond a shadow of a doubt which manuscript is right and where. As the harlot of Judaism caused Jesus to be crucified, so will the harlot of Christianity cause His body to be crucified. Let me show this another way. In 1Ki 18, Ahab represents the beast with ten horns, for he ruled over the apostate ten tribes, who worshiped the image of the beast (the golden calf). Ahab's wife, Jezebel, killed the saints and prophets. Compare this for relationship in Rev 17:1-3 …saying, Come hither, I will show thee the judgment of the great harlot that sitteth upon many waters; 2 with whom the kings of the earth committed fornication, and they that dwell in the earth were made drunken with the wine of her fornication. 3 And he carried me away in the Spirit into a wilderness: and I saw a woman sitting upon a scarlet-colored beast, full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns. There she is ruling by the ten horned beast again.) Jezebel is a clear type of the harlot in (Rev 2:20 But I have this against thee, that thou sufferest the woman Jezebel, who calleth herself a prophetess; and she teacheth and seduceth my servants to commit fornication, and to eat things sacrificed to idols.) She, like the harlot, was guilty of the blood of the prophets and of the saints. (1Ki 18:4 for it was so, when Jezebel cut off the prophets of Jehovah, that Obadiah took a hundred prophets, and hid them by fifty in a cave, and fed them with bread and water.) (2K 9:7)(Rev 18:24) In Rev 17:16 when the Beast is through using the harlot, he devours her. Rev 17:16 And the ten horns which thou sawest, and the beast, these shall hate the harlot, and shall make her desolate and naked, and shall eat her flesh, and shall burn her utterly with fire. And so it is with Jezebel in (1Ki 21:23 And of Jezebel also spake Jehovah, saying, The dogs shall eat Jezebel by the rampart of Jezreel.). The true ministers of God are fed at the Churches table (1 Cor 9:13,14) and the false prophets (corporately the false prophet) are fed from Jezebel's table (1Ki 18:19 Now therefore send, and gather to me all Israel unto mount Carmel, and the prophets of Baal four hundred and fifty, and the prophets of the Asherah four hundred, that eat at Jezebel's table.). The false prophets of Baal and the false prophets of the Asherah represent the two horns of the false prophet in Rev 13:11 And I saw another beast coming up out of the earth; and he had two horns like unto a lamb, and he spake as a dragon. Find out who the two horns of Baal and Asherah represent in modern times, and you will know who the corporate false prophet is. These two go back to the tower of Babel and were originally Nimrod in (Gen 10:8-10) and his wife Semiramis, the false virgin Asherah. When Nimrod died and Semiramis became pregnant claiming that Nimrod had become the Sun God, Baal, who then by virgin birth was reborn as her son, Tammuz, the false son of God. Then of course, the Babylonian worshiped the false Father, Son and Virgin about 2,300 years before the true Virgin birth. Semiramis probably knew of the prophecy in Gen 3:15 concerning the virgin birth. This false scenario is still worshipped in Catholic and Eastern Orthodox Churches. At the dispersion at Babel this legend went throughout the World and these three were given different names in different cultures, many of which are in the Bible. The golden calf in Egypt was a symbol of the Father (Baal) in the Son. Pharaoh's title meant Great Temple of the Sun God. Sun images all over the world and in Catholic and Eastern Orthodox Churches symbolize the false Son. The Israelites, with their golden calf thought they were worshiping “YHWH” or “Elohim”, the true God, but it was Baal. One horn, the 450 prophets of Baal represent those who teach another Jesus. This is the apostate protestant ministers. The other horn is the 400 prophets of the Asherah or those who worship the virgin. This is the Catholic, Greek Orthodox, Russian Orthodox, Eastern Orthodox, and many others that are into Mariolatry. Mary is my sister and I love her but she is not the mother of God according to (Rom 1:3) concerning his Son, who was born of the seed of David according to the flesh, (In Genesis Jesus was called the “seed of the woman”, who was Mary, the seed of David.) 4  who was declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead; even Jesus Christ our Lord. Here we see Mary is the mother of Jesus' flesh, which is “Son of Man”. His spiritual man was “Son of God” (Verse 4) and born of God. John 3:6 says, “that which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit”. The false prophet has always been the head of the harlot, and she sitteth (present tense) on 5 world empires that are fallen but still present in Rev 17:10. These were never Christian: Egypt, Assyria, Babylon, Media Persia, and Greece. The corporate leadership of all false Christian religions is the false prophet. Emperor Constantine was head of the early Roman Empire or beast as Daniel 7:7 describes it. Rome was the great beast devouring all the beasts before it (Dan.7:23). Much like the world is today, his kingdom was divided because of much religious faction. Because of Babel there were, to the untrained eye, similarities between the pagan religions and Christianity. In order to unite his empire, Constantine decided to capitalize on these similarities and merge paganism with Christianity. Through the temptations of bribery and power, the backslidden leadership of Christianity gave in. Constantine gathered together at his round table religious leaders of every sect and gave them a position of authority. This corporate false prophet was to advise him and exercise authority over his religious empire. He presided over their councils and put down individual theological differences for the sake of unity. “That which hath been is that which shall be” (Ecc 1:9). Our modern-day revival of the Roman beast, the United Nations, has within its body the whole earth (Dan 7:23) and is doing exactly what Constantine did to unite the earth. The “World Conference on Religion and Peace” was a gathering together under the U.N. of all sects of religious leaders from all over the world to bring unity to religion and hopefully the world. This corporate false prophet with the authority of the U.N. has created a corporate one world religion called the United Religions (the U.R.). Once, when I was teaching on the false prophet several years ago, a brother came into the meeting who had just received a confirming dream. Let me share that with you. Mark W. Dream  (David's notes) I went to church and to the altar to get delivered from smoking. There were many people up front. I knew that the pastor was walking toward me to get away from someone who smelled like smoke, and I thought, “I hope he doesn't come down here because I smell like smoke too”. Just then, my sister came to me very happy and said, “Oh, it's OK now, look over there.” I looked over and saw this man light up a cigarette. There were some booths and a sign that read “smoking section”. People said, “You don't have to quit because now we can smoke in church”. I said, “No, I want to quit smoking.” (Spiritually, smoking is to partake of an unclean spirit because “breath” and “spirit” come from the same word in the Old Testament and in the New Testament. Smoke is an unclean breath. “Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great, and is become a habitation of demons, and a prison [booths] of every unclean spirit...” Rev.18:2) Then the scene changed, and I saw on TV that everyone was rejoicing because a great agreement had been made to have “one church”. I saw that the agreement was two stacks of paper (two horns of the false prophet), but nothing was written on them. (This is a sign that everyone will drop their doctrinal demands, which in the case of Christians is truth, in order to have unity - Jude 3,4). Then I went to this extremely big church. I couldn't even see the other end of it (This is the U.N. corporate apostate church). I happened to open the wrong door, and I saw inside a giant ministers' conference. (The corporate False Prophet) They were being shown a film on how to scan barcodes on the foreheads of their congregation with a beam of light without them knowing it. (The spiritual mark of the beast given by the false prophet abusing the light of the word.) More interpretation: This is the corporate two horned false prophet who makes merchandise of the people of God (2 Pet 2:1-3) and the Word of God (2 Cor 2:17 in Greek) and marks those belonging to the Beast in their foreheads (or minds Rom 8:5-6, Rev 13:16). Remember in Jesus' day, the “respectable” religious folks who walked after the mind of the flesh cast their vote against him. They were followers of a “respectable” group of ministers who gave them that mind using the light of the word. Remember that 10 out of the 12 tribes and their ministers worshiped the beast (golden calf) and had his mark in their foreheads (mind) and hand (works). The false prophets are the ones who war against this Word the most. It's an honor to have these against me as they were against my Lord Jesus. They protect their prestige, authority, position, and bank account. Draw close to God and His Word so you may be able to recognize them. Daniel 3:4,5 says, “Then the herald cried...peoples, nations, languages... fall down and worship the golden image (of the beast).” This word, “herald” is the only Greek word in the text at a time before Greek became a world language. It is the same word used in the New Testament for preacher. The command to worship the image (Rev 13:14,15) will come from the pulpits in the form of a deception so strong that, “if possible, even the elect would be deceived” (Mat 24:24). If the truth weren't hidden in the parable of Revelation, there would be no strong delusion. In Daniel 3:7, all worshipped the image, even the Israelites except Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. These three wouldn't bow because they wouldn't eat of the beast's food (word) and wine (nature) and be defiled (Dan 1:5-16). If you receive the word and nature of a Babylonish false prophet, you too will be defiled and bow down (Mat 15:6-20). In Constantine's court, there sat the senate of secular rulers over the countries under his control. These foreshadowed the ten horns in Daniel's vision of the end time Roman Empire (Dan 7:7). The ten horns that thou sawest are ten kings (end time secular rulers), who have received no kingdoms as yet, but they receive authority as kings, with the beast for one hour (Rev 17:12). The horn represents power for it is the weapon of the beast. A king without his kingdom has no power. These kings gave their kingdoms to the beast in (Rev 17:17). From among these kingdoms in Constantine's day arose the religious rulers. They were different, for they were a corporate body of religious leaders from among all the kingdoms. This is exactly what Dan 7:8,24) says. The little horn came “up among” the ten and was “different from the former” because he was a corporate religious body among leaders of corporate secular bodies. Now, the little horn is the false prophet of Rev 13 is easy to see because it had eyes (Dan 7:20), which makes it a prophet (Isa 29:10). He had “a mouth that spake great things” (Dan 7:20) and made war on the saints (verse 21). This identifies the false prophet who was given to the beast in Rev 13:5-7 for the false prophet is the beast's mouth to religious people. In Jesus and Constantine's time, the corporate false prophet kept the people in line for the beast (Rome) because of the threat of loss of position (John 11:47,48). It was this corporate false prophet who was guilty of the blood of Jesus, the Apostles and prophets (Mat 23:29-36). Pilot, representing the Roman beast, did not want to kill Jesus. This is the way it will be in our day. The false prophet Sanhedrin was afraid the Romans would come and take away their position if they didn't put down the Jesus rebellion. Another type of the little horn was Antiochus Epiphanes in 175-164 B.C.. He came up among the horns of the division of Alexander the Great's kingdom and was king of Syria, which means “lifted up”. I emphasize that this king of the “lifted up” was a type because many believe that the history of his acts in Daniel are literally speaking of the end-time antichrist. Daniel prophesies what is clearly now history in chapters 8:9-14, 23-26 and 11:21-39 regarding Antiochus, but he is also a type and shadow of what is to come. His compelling interest was to subject God's people to himself, much like the false prophets of today. He “magnified himself” (Dan 8:25) above all the gods of the Harlot and “the one desired of women” (Dan 11:37) - Jesus was desired of seven women who are the church in Rev 1:11. Isa 4:1  And seven women (the Church) shall take hold of one man (Jesus) in that day, saying, We will eat our own bread, and wear our own apparel: only let us be called by thy name (In their rebellion against the Word, they still wanted to be called Christians.); take thou away our reproach. The false prophet, Antiochus deposed the Jewish high priest Onias 3 and usurped his place. Many today usurp the position of Jesus as head. If you permit a person to exalt themselves or their teaching above Jesus and the Scriptures, they become to you a false prophet. He will even use the Word to paint an image in your mind of a false Jesus (2 Cor 3:18), which is none other than the image of the beast (spoken of later). Antiochus, in his position as “lord of God's heritage” then sacrificed a son on the altar and sprinkled the Holy Place with the swine's broth. He cast down many of God's people and caused them to lose their position in the heavenlies like the end time saints (Dan 8:10, Epe 2:6, Rev 6:13). He took away the continual burnt offering (Dan 8:11, 11:31) in the end time will be in the middle of the tribulation or seventieth week of Daniel when the mark is given. (Dan 9:27). We are the sanctuary or temple of God (1 Cor 3:17). Our old life is the continual burnt offering (Rom 12:1) as we take up our cross and follow Jesus and lose our old life (Mat 16:24,25). It is a burnt offering because in the midst of the fiery trial (1 Pet 4:12, Mat 3:11,12) when we obey God, the flesh burns up (2 Cor 4:16,17). If we walk after the mind of the flesh and take the mark, the burnt offering ceases (Dan 8:12). We are to be as gold and silver refined in the fire by burning up the impurities of flesh - Mal 3:2,3. Many will follow the example of Antiochus and sacrifice the Son. Heb 10:29 of how much sorer punishment, think ye, shall he be judged worthy, who hath trodden under foot the Son of God.  They follow the false prophets and are defiled, turning back to their sins (2 Pet 2:1-3, 18-22). These are they who give up their life of sacrificing their flesh in the fiery trial in the middle of the tribulation and take the mark of the beast (Rev 13:5-7, 16-18 and Dan 9:27), having been deceived by the false prophets. If you allow the false prophets to identify the mark of the beast and the image, you will not be able to see it when it comes. The Pharisees and Sadducees could not identify the true Image of God, Jesus Christ. What makes you think that they could today? It is not the visible Image and Mark of the beast that you should fear, but the invisible. This is how it can be a deception. Any physical mark can only be put on one who has the spiritual mark already. It will identify these people as members of the body of the beast. Antiochus also set up a statue of Jupiter in the Holy of Holies. He, like the little horn of Ahab's day, Jesus' day, Constantine's day, and the U.R. of our day, gives to the people a false Image of God. Even among Christians, you will notice there are different ideas about who Jesus is, what His nature is, what His teaching is, and what His attitude is toward us. Much of this leads people to worship another Jesus, which is an abomination. Become familiar with the Jesus of the Bible, the true Image of God (Heb 1:3, Jn 1:1). The tip of the little horn starts in the leadership of the U.R., but like Mark W.'s dream, it shows that it goes all the way down to the man in the pulpit. All of them together are the false prophet, the head of the harlot. “Be not many of you teachers, my brother, knowing that we shall receive the heavier judgment” (James 3:1). Now, I'd like to share a few more revelations with you that reveal the end-time false prophet.   War, False Prophet, Harlot, Mark, War Below are two dreams on these subjects East and West War in the Middle East Bill Steenland - 11/14/2014 (David's notes in red) I dreamed there was a lion and a white tiger fighting one another very fiercely with a lot of back and forth, while rolling around on the ground. (I think the white tiger represents Russia, Iran, India, and China [Eastern nations] going to war with the “lion” [Britain, America, Australia, Canada, Europe and NATO].) (The lion with eagle's wings in Daniel is Britain and her lion cubs with the US and its air power. Siberia is part of Russia. The white Siberian tiger represents Russia.) (I was watching Putin in this video, and the Lord said to me, “The white tiger!” Why hadn't I seen it before? We are really seeing the fulfillment of this dream now. This topic is huge in the book Hidden Manna for the End Times, now that I think about it. We are really seeing the posturing and coming war that is shown in that dream now, with all the lines being drawn in the sand over Europe and Asia. (Ultimately this war that the Deep State has tied to start many times, to distract from their evil, will come to pass but I for one have fought for peace.) As the lion and the tiger fought, the scenery and the settings were changing. It was as if they were rolling back and forth in the Middle East from the mountains to the desert to more mountains, back to a dry parched setting like a desert and then a combination of the two. It was as if they were rolling around, fighting each other across the whole Middle East. This is the strange part: There was a black car following them everywhere they went. (This is the Satanic Deep State powers that be, the banksters, with money invested on both sides of the war, as always.) All I knew was that they were in the Middle East and that it was a huge power struggle for territory. At the end of the dream, I saw a black man in full-blown black Masonic attire with a black plate that had a golden pyramid on it. (D.S. Masonic powers that be.) The eye was not floating over the pyramid. It was one that has always represented Lucifer (The antichrist spirit who will once again rise up in Revelation 13 and control the Beast and finally bring their war between East and West to make money off of both.). (Masonic agenda is unfolding; their god Lucifer is the “all-seeing eye” over the Beast one world government.) The black plate was hanging on his chest (the breath/spirit/demons of the Beast). He was standing in the middle of these two fighting animals as they fought, but he was much bigger than the cats. He was kicking his toes into the ground on each side, as if one foot or toes was the lion and the other foot was the tiger. He would kick his toes into the ground one at a time toward the other foot. (End-time fulfillment of the 10 kingdoms from Daniel 2, known as Nebuchadnezzar's image or dream.) (The two feet of the image of the Beast in Daniel's revelation are the end-time Eastern Roman Empire, which Russia is the head of, and Western Roman Empire, which the US is the head of. The clay is nations that were not a part of the original Roman Empire seed, typed by the iron. This Roman Empire is the sixth head that was smitten unto death which is revived. Satan and his earthly representatives, the Deep State powers that be, are kicking their pawns back and forth in the Middle East. The pawns of the U.S. and Russia have also always had their pawn nations that they prefer to fight through, supplying weapons, logistics, trainers, etc., so that they are not personally drawn into a nuclear world war. [Although nukes may be used in this war, it is not the full-scale nuclear war that will come at the end of the tribulation, as seen in Bill's other dream below.] They have engaged in this covert warfare for many years, and it will continue because it makes money for the powers that be and decreases populations, plus it keeps the nations under control. I would say the big black man is the world Antichrist Beast ruled by Satan.) Dan.2:40 And the fourth kingdom shall be strong as iron, forasmuch as iron breaketh in pieces and subdueth all things; and as iron that crusheth all these, shall it break in pieces and crush. 41 And whereas thou sawest the feet and toes, part of potters' clay, and part of iron, it shall be a divided kingdom; but there shall be in it of the strength of the iron, forasmuch as thou sawest the iron mixed with miry clay. 42 And as the toes of the feet were part of iron, and part of clay, so the kingdom shall be partly strong, and partly broken. 43 And whereas thou sawest the iron mixed with miry clay, they shall mingle themselves with the seed of men; but they shall not cleave one to another, even as iron doth not mingle with clay. (Islam is invading the nations by the DS to bring division.) 44 And in the days of those kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom which shall never be destroyed, nor shall the sovereignty thereof be left to another people; but it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand for ever. (This begins with the Man-child reformers.) 45 Forasmuch as thou sawest that a stone was cut out of the mountain without hands, and that it brake in pieces the iron, the brass, the clay, the silver, and the gold; the great God hath made known to the king what shall come to pass hereafter: and the dream is certain, and the interpretation thereof sure. In the dream, I knew the black man over the big cats was Tiger Woods, the pro-golfer. (Tiger has a family heritage from many nations and represents the world beast like the Dan 2 vision of the world beast.) He is like the melting pot of nations and religions melted into one. Tiger Woods spent most of his life standing on grass, playing golf. (This war of back and forth is like a golf game to them. Life is cheap.) Here are a few details from Wikipedia about his multinational family tree: Woods was born in Cypress, California, to Earl (1932-2006) and Kultida (Tida) Woods (born 1944). He is the only child of their marriage; however, he does have two half-brothers, Earl Jr. (born 1955) and Kevin (born 1957), and a half-sister, Royce (born 1958), from the 18-year marriage of Earl Woods and his first wife, Barbara Woods Gray[14]. Earl, a retired lieutenant colonel and Vietnam War veteran, was of mostly African American, as well as Caucasian, and possible Native American and Chinese, ancestry[15]. Kultida (née Punsawad), originally from Thailand (where Earl had met her on a tour of duty in 1968), is of mixed Thai, Chinese, and Dutch ancestry[16]. He refers to his ethnic make-up as “Cablinasian” (a syllabic abbreviation he coined from Caucasian, Black, American Indian, and Asian).[17]. Woods' first name, Eldrick, was coined by his mother because it began with “E” (for Earl) and ended with “K” (for Kultida). His middle name Tont is a traditional Thai name. He was nicknamed Tiger in honor of his father's friend, Col. Vuong Dang Phong, who had also been known as Tiger.[18]. The name Eldrick is an English baby name. In English, the meaning of the name Eldrick is “old/wise ruler”.   False Prophet, Harlot, Mark, Nuclear War Bill Steenland - 06/22/2015 (David's notes in red) The dream started off where I was in a big city, like New York or Philly. I had a large white tablet in my hands. There were two guys who were working on it, but we were talking about the mark of the Beast. The guy was talking about the basics of where it goes and so on. The second man was sitting on the step. He had a really faraway look on his face, like he had spent a long time looking at the physical properties of the mark. He sat down on the step and just kept saying, “It's so much more than a mark”, over and over. Then he said, “Calling it just a 'mark' doesn't do it justice. It's much more than that”. (I found out later in that dream the mark will have currency on it as an incentive to take it after a total global economic meltdown.) I looked back at the tablet. I knew that in the dream, when I looked down at the tablet, I could see anything I wanted to or any place I wanted to and that I could be there by looking at this tablet. (It means the Word of God written upon the tablet of our hearts, which gives spiritual insight and discernment. 2Co.3:2 Ye are our epistle, written in our hearts, known and read of all men; 3 being made manifest that ye are an epistle of Christ, ministered by us, written not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God; not in tables of stone, but in tables that are hearts of flesh. Maybe that is why when I looked at the tablet later in the dream, I could see future events and see into the spiritual realm. 1Co.2:10 But unto us God revealed them through the Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God.) I was watching a video of a beach as I walked around with the tablet. Then I found myself there on the beach at a resort. I was walking around this beach next to the resort. (Fellowshipping with Abraham's seed, the children of faith. God told Abraham that his children would be as the sands of the sea. Heb.11:11 By faith even Sarah herself received power to conceive seed when she was past age, since she counted him faithful who had promised: 12 wherefore also there sprang of one, and him as good as dead, so many as the stars of heaven in multitude, and as the sand, which is by the sea-shore, innumerable. Rom.4:11 and he received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of the faith which he had while he was in uncircumcision; that he might be the father of all them that believe, though they be in uncircumcision, that righteousness might be reckoned unto them.) (The promised seed, the Man-child Isaac, would bring forth the great multitude of fruit, just like in these end times.) While I was walking around, I saw an old friend whom I knew was caught up in confusion, walking around, too. In the dream, I knew that I had a room at this beach resort. I went to my room and relaxed on my bed (representing resting in the promises of God). I pulled out the tablet and I saw a picture of Benny Hinn. He was wearing a red shirt. (Red represents sin, as in the “man of sin”: 1 John 3:4,10.) (Isa.1:18 Come now, and let us reason together, saith Jehovah: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.) He looked very effeminate; there was make-up on his face (I.e. what you see is not what you get) and he had his arms out, as if to present something. I noticed there was a witchcraft book in front of him. (1Sa.15:23 For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as idolatry and teraphim. Because thou hast rejected the word of Jehovah, he hath also rejected thee from being king.) 1Co.10:20 But I say, that the things which the Gentiles sacrifice, they sacrifice to demons, and not to God: and I would not that ye should have communion with demons. 21 Ye cannot drink the cup of the Lord, and the cup of demons: ye cannot partake of the table of the Lord, and of the table of demons. There was a table with a whole bunch of objects in front of him that were being used in witchcraft to send curses. (Those infected with Kundalini and who practice false signs and lying wonders are sent out to deceive God's people. God is the one allowing it. 2Th.2:7 For the mystery of lawlessness doth already work: only there is one that restraineth now, until he be taken out of the way. 8 And then shall be revealed the lawless one, whom the Lord Jesus shall slay with the breath of his mouth, and bring to nought by the manifestation of his coming; 9 even he, whose coming is according to the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders, 10 and with all deceit of unrighteousness for them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. Jesus warned of false leaders. Mat.24:24 For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall show great signs and wonders; so as to lead astray, if possible, even the elect. The word for “false Christ” is pseudochristos or false anointings. (When God does signs because of the faith of His people but the signs do not confirm the life and word of the minister, they are false signs and lying wonders: Mar.16:20 And they went forth, and preached everywhere, the Lord working with them, and confirming the word by the signs that followed. Amen. Deu.13:1 If there arise in the midst of thee a prophet, or a dreamer of dreams, and he give thee a sign or a wonder, 2 and the sign or the wonder come to pass, whereof he spake unto thee, saying, Let us go after other gods (another Elohim or Jesus'), which thou hast not known, and let us serve them; 3 thou shalt not hearken unto the words of that prophet, or unto that dreamer of dreams: for Jehovah your God proveth you, to know whether ye love Jehovah your God with all your heart and with all your soul.) They have another Jesus because they received another Word and another spirit. This scripture explains why he was performing witchcraft in the dream: Gal.1:7 which is not another gospel only there are some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ. 8 But though we, or an angel from heaven, should preach unto you any gospel other than that which we preached unto you, let him be anathema. 9 As we have said before, so say I now again, if any man preacheth unto you any gospel other than that which ye received, let him be anathema (accursed). When people receive another Word, they can receive this working of error mentioned in 2 Thessalonians 3:9-11. Kundalini is a huge working of error that the Harlot Church is going under. Like in the dream, they say they serve God but are in rebellion and witchcraft. When people pray and fellowship with people who are serving these Kundalini spirits, they open themselves up to this working of error because, frankly, they are praying with a witch, and they get slimed with this curse from Galatians that they are under. Here is a call of God to leave these false teachers and churches: Isa.2:5 O house of Jacob, come ye, and let us walk in the light of Jehovah. 6 For thou hast forsaken thy people the house of Jacob, because they are filled with customs from the east, and are soothsayers like the Philistines (Kundalini has been named the false prophetic movement for good reason), and they strike hands with the children of foreigners. (They have joined the Eastern religions through Kundalini spirits.) 7 And their land is full of silver and gold (Benny Hinn is reportedly worth $60 million. (Somebody is not eating while these kind surfeit and care not for the needs of others. Ecc.5:11 When goods increase, they are increased that eat them; and what advantage is there to the owner thereof, save the beholding of them with his eyes? Isa.56:11 Yea, the dogs are greedy, they can never have enough; and these are shepherds that cannot understand: they have all turned to their own way, each one to his gain, from every quarter.), neither is there any end of their treasures (prosperity message); their land also is full of horses, neither is there any end of their chariots. (His Rolls-Royce and private jets.) 8 Their land also is full of idols; they worship the work of their own hands. (This type builds a false temple made with man's hands, which God says He does not inhabit. Act.17:24 The God that made the world and all things therein, he, being Lord of heaven and earth, dwelleth not in temples made with hands.) Isa.10:1 Woe unto them that decree unrighteous decrees, and to the writers that write perverseness; 2 to turn aside the needy from justice, and to rob the poor of my people of their right that widows may be their spoil (Their ministries are funded by the poor and the fatherless whom they rob. Benny has promised to these poor people that if they give him $1000, God will multiply it. (When God is teaching His children to give, He may honor their faith but not a greedy leader.), and that they may make the fatherless their prey! (Those who have no true spiritual fathers but are hirelings.) 3 And what will ye do in the day of visitation, and in the desolation which shall come from far? to whom will ye flee for help? and where will ye leave your glory? (What will they do when the Lord comes manifested in the Man-child ministry to bring justice?) Back to Bill's dream: There was a book on the table in front of him. As I looked at the book, I heard a news broadcast in the background. The female broadcaster said these words: “Benny Hinn has a new social media program to join,” like Alex Jones has, and another name that was mentioned but was blanked out. (I believe it was a reference to Facebook. I believe these social media programs are the hive mentality of corporate bodies of people who are under the deception of certain spirits. For instance, Facebook is vanity and self-promotion. Benny is obviously Kundalini and the Harlot Church. As I looked at the book, I heard the famous singer Katy Perry singing these lyrics: “I hear that the mark of the Beast is coming and I want one”. (Katy is a perfect symbol of the Harlot Church who will take the mark of the Beast. She is also being used as a type of the Harlot spirit that cause the falling away and, finally, the mark of the Beast.) 1Ti.4:1 But the Spirit saith expressly, that in later times some shall fall away from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits and doctrines of demons. (The Feast of Unleavened Bread in Exodus 12 was for seven days, representing the tribulation. Anyone who ate leaven during that time was cut off from the people of God, so we must come out from them now. This will be a great falling away of the people who are cut off.) Next, there were two aliens in my room. They were demons. I knew in the dream that the Harlot Church who rides the Beast was rolling out another deception: aliens. I immediately turned the tablet off, and the demons left. Then I had an open vision while there on my bed. I was looking at a world destroyed by a nuclear war with Russia and a total global economic collapse. (The war between East and West is bound to end this way.) Joe.2:30 And I will show wonders in the heavens and in the earth: blood, and fire, and pillars of smoke. The pillars of smoke mentioned in Joel could be the mushroom cloud pillars of nuclear war. That word “pillar” can also be translated as “column” that could stretch from the earth to the heavens, literally. I was looking at a soldier and a young boy of about 14 years old. The sun was not giving its light, like the scriptures mention. I saw the boy with the mark of the Beast in his hand; it was glowing in the dark while in his hand. It was slightly curved in shape, like a banana. (Representing the fruit of the wicked? A crescent shape?) It was glowing green and yellow. The boy was thinking the following words in his head, and I heard them very clearly. As he looked up at a totally destroyed world, he thought, “We don't ever have to worry; we are safe. The government knows where we are at all times and will be here shortly to help us”. (Notice he had the mark before the nuclear war came and he was programmed to trust in Antichrist.) Rev.13:16 And he causeth all, the small and the great, and the rich and the poor, and the free and the bond, that there be given them a mark on their right hand, or upon their forehead; 17 and that no man should be able to buy or to sell, save he that hath the mark (In the dream, I knew that this mark had electronic currency on it.), even the name of the beast or the number of his name. 18 Here is wisdom. He that hath understanding, let him count the number of the beast; for it is the number of a man: and his number is Six hundred and sixty and six. (We who refuse the mark will be in the wilderness with God our supplier.) Dan.9:27 And he shall make a firm covenant with many for one week: and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease; and upon the wing (or pinnacle) of abominations shall come one (abomination = the mark) that maketh (them) desolate; and even unto the full end, and that determined, shall wrath be poured out upon the desolate. (In the midst of the week, many so-called Christians will take the mark as sons of perdition in the temple of God's people. This mark is an abomination that makes them desolate, which means devoid of God.) As I watched the boy, I knew that people would take the mark for many reasons, but one reason is that there will be currency given to the recipient so he can survive. I came out of the vision and said to myself, “I need to find my old friend”. I knew in this dream that there were a lot of people who needed to hear this warning: Rev.18:4 And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come forth, my people, out of her, that ye have no fellowship with her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues: 5 for her sins have reached even unto heaven, and God hath remembered her iniquities. And 2Co.6:15 And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what portion hath a believer with an unbeliever? 16 And what agreement hath a temple of God with idols? for we are a temple of the living God; even as God said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. 17 Wherefore Come ye out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, And touch no unclean thing; And I will receive you, 18 And will be to you a Father, And ye shall be to me sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.   False Prophets Revealed Rex Veron - 11/29/2004 (David's notes in red) I believe this is an end-time dream. (This dream is as seen from God's perspective of the false prophets who have put on their deceptive show to deceive the people as to their true nature and false teaching.) I saw a mouse standing in front of a medium-sized congregation, preaching and teaching. It stood up on its hind legs and was the size of a small terrier dog; it had the face of a man. The face was nondescript and no one I knew. (The false prophets standing in the pulpits of God's people are indeed very small in spiritual stature and the vilest of beasts attempting to depict themselves as men of God. As in a plague, they are the carriers of spiritual disease that have brought spiritual and physical death to multitudes.) It had a red broad brimmed hat with little gold tassels hanging from the brim. (They attempt to glorify their own thinking, but underneath is still hidden the brain of a spiritual mouse. The red color here is an attempt to appear to have blood-washed thinking but instead, it is sinful thinking. Isa.1:18 Come now, and let us reason together, saith Jehovah: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.) It wore a red vest with some tassels hanging from the edge. (They attempt to glorify their own heart, which is not covered by the blood but the sin of the fallen nature. Underneath their show is the heart of a spiritually small beast.) It wore red pants with tassels hanging from the bottom of the pant legs. He had jester-type shoes with a little gold bell on each end of the toe curl. (They love to bring attention to their walk by ringing their own bell when they put on a show to be seen of men. However, before God and those with understanding, they are seen as jesters who walk crooked as the curled toes depict.) It had a stubby tail like a bulldog with a gold cover on it that was flattened out and looked like a spoon upside down. (As unclean dogs, they are dung eaters and that which should be left behind, as Paul pointed out, and flushed is glorified by these apostates and fed to the people as doctrine.) The people kept saying, “We can't stand this any longer, he needs to be made to be quiet, get rid of him”. (When the people begin to awaken, they become dissatisfied with the religious show and want more of God and His Word to sustain them.) I went to the front, picked him up and took off his hat, his vest, his pants, and I started to put him down. (It is here that the true ministers are able to uncover the false thinking, heart and walk of these apostate leaders.) Then I heard a voice saying, “You must take his shoes off and the golden tail, as well. You cannot turn him loose with those on”. (It is necessary to also reveal the apostates' evil walk and despicably unclean doctrine that the righteous will forsake.) I then took his shoes and golden tail off and set him on the floor, and he vanished. (When the truth is revealed, they become nothing in the eyes of God's people, as their yoke is broken off of them.) Turning back to the people, they were quiet and at peace; nothing was said. While still dreaming, I thought the entire scene strange and was wondering about it when I heard, “Get up and write the dream down”. I awoke, wrote it down and meditated about it and then I went back to bed.   False Prophet & Son of Perdition G.C. - 12/2007 (David's notes in red) In this dream, I was watching a scene go down. There was a line of people shuffling forward toward a podium. There were two men at this podium: a father and a son. (In real life, I know them.) The father was dressed in full Masonic priest regalia and was wearing what seemed to be a pope-like hat. The son was on his left hand, and he was dressed like a normal person. Many who only see the letter of the parable in dreams would think this father to be the pope, but this is not how parables work. Like the pope is the “holy father” over the Catholic, meaning “universal” Church, so this father represents a corporate False Prophet over a world body of apostate religions. Many of these very visible leaders are also Masons. Judas, who was called the Son of Perdition, sold the body of Christ to the Sanhedrin, which was this corporate False Prophet in their day. Likewise a corporate Son of Perdition hidden in the body of Christ today will betray them. This way, both people in this parable represent a corporate body today. I watched in horror as the father was giving the mark of the beast to the people in line. (Rev.13:16) And he (the False Prophet) causeth all, the small and the great, and the rich and the poor, and the free and the bond, that there be given them a mark on their right hand, or upon their forehead.) As soon as the people received the mark they instantly transformed into a wild pig and leaped straight into a furnace off to the side of the podium. (2 Pet. 2:12) But these, as creatures without reason, born mere animals to be taken and destroyed. (Php.3:18) For many walk, of whom I told you often, and now tell you even weeping, [that they are] the enemies of the cross of Christ: 19 whose end is perdition, whose god is the belly (like wild pigs), and [whose] glory is in their shame, who mind earthly things (mark in the forehead). I considered what was taking place and tried to warn the people about the furnace (of the great and terrible day of the Lord and Hell itself), but they seemed not to take heed to what I was saying. They were willfully taking this mark as if under strong delusion. It was horrible. Note: Although in real life I worked for this father, he had NEVER called me before. All the business matters were usually handled through his son. After I woke from the dream, the father called me on the phone! He asked me to come to his office to have a meeting with him and his son. So that was a sure confirmation from the Lord. They are merely figures the Lord used to show me something in the dream. They own their own company and are in the business of buying and selling (Just like the “merchants of Babylon” who “make merchandise of you”). The father's name is ROLAND, meaning “renown throughout the land”. This reminds me of the men of renown or giants of old. We have giants today, too: the megachurch pastors of the apostate church. The son in real life is a lukewarm Christian who is given to drunkenness (which is spiritually like the Son of Perdition).   Discernment Delivers from False Prophets Jay N. - 06/09/2008 (David's notes in red) I dreamed I was in a class with several other students. We were in this big room which looked rather like a gymnasium, and I remember thinking and missing my friends from other classes, whom I remembered were now long gone away. David Eells was our teacher, and I was standing next to him. (A type of the David man-child reformers.) David was telling me that the previous night, there was a party at his next door neighbor's house and he didn't get much sleep. (God's people giving into lasciviousness have truly caused me some loss of sleep.) He was casually dressed, like a sports teacher or a trainer. (We have to train the people of God to get in shape for the contest to come.) Standing next to him, I could see his profile, and I noticed he was wearing a patch or a piece of wool over his nose, like he had a nose job, or even more, it looked to me like something he was wearing to filter the air he was breathing. (This nose filter represents the ability to discern good from evil. The nose gives discernment to the mind that is neither seen nor heard. Wool over the nose represents having the true clothing or actions of sheep, which filter out the false spirits, which is the meaning of “breath” in Hebrew.) The next thing I remember was a tall man entering the room, accompanied by a woman. (The tall man is seen in many dreams as the corporate false prophet and his companion is the harlot church.) They were dressed in suits and looked to me like teachers. The man came and was standing next to me, and I knew they were there to acquire some students for themselves. (They will seek through lasciviousness, meaning a license to excess, to draw aside disciples of Christ.) I tried to ignore him since I could tell what his intentions were, and then he pointed his finger at me. I looked around for David but couldn't see him. (We will face temptation alone.) I turned to the man and looked at his face for the first time. He was so tall, almost all the way up to the ceiling; I remember feeling the pain in my neck as I was struggling to look at his face. (His great size represents a corporate body of people.) He was nicely groomed, with curly hair and he had bright grey, watery eyes. (They tend to see things in grey, not black or white, as in wrong or right.) Being determined, I told him that I was not going with him because David was my teacher. As I was saying these words I was getting weak. I remember being hardly able to say that last word, “teacher”, but I succeeded. He looked shocked and very offended because obviously he had the authority to choose from the class as he liked, and he looked at the woman (harlot?) with disbelief. He looked back to me, trying to put some kind of smile on his angry face, and then I woke up. (The Sanskrit meaning for “Jay” is “victory”. Although tempted, Jay obviously represents those who gain the victory over the false prophet and harlot because of their training in discernment. We are told that the Word exercises our senses to discern good from evil: Heb.5:12 For when by reason of the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need again that some one teach you the rudiments of the first principles of the oracles of God; and are become such as have need of milk, and not of solid food. 13 For every one that partaketh of milk is without experience of the word of righteousness; for he is a babe. 14 But solid food is for fullgrown men, [even] those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern good and evil.

What Christianity has become by virtue of the histories written by it is another tale of those in power—those in power wielding Christianity this way or that, whereas the way Christianity started was a different story that needs to be retold in every age, because it's about nameless people and disenfranchised people whose world has been invaded by Christ. We don't hear from those disenfranchised people in history. We only hear about the big people. We only hear from the famous historians, the famous theologians, this king or that king, or Emperor Constantine taking Gnosticism out of the Gospel for the sake of power.

What does it mean to pledge allegiance to Jesus over earthly governments? Craig is joined by Jason Porterfield, author of Fight Like Jesus: How Jesus Waged Peace Throughout Holy Week, to explore the complex relationship between Christianity and the state. They address four topics often considered "too political" but essential for Christians seeking to faithfully follow Jesus's teachings, encouraging believers to examine where their true allegiance lies.  Point by point, Craig and Jason discuss: Jesus spoke of the kingdom of God. The Gospels speak of giving one's pistis (allegiance) to Jesus. The New Testament writers declared Jesus, not Caesar, to be Lord. The early church refused to display any national flag. Through personal stories, biblical insights, and looking to early Christian perspectives on political involvement, the pair trace how government influence has shaped the church and consider what that means for believers today. Key Topics that come up in the conversation:

Gary Petty and I talk about his recently published book Christendom. Available on  Amazon Here is a description of the book. For hundreds of years after the death of Jesus, the people who professed to be His followers faced persecution from the Roman Empire. Then a miracle seemed to happen to this fragmented and diverse religious movement. Emperor Constantine declared that he was a Christian, and then through the following decades attempted to create a unified Christianity. This effort to build a unified Christian church continued during Late Antiquity and the Early Middle Ages. This effort was a complex chronicle of theological debates, schisms, political intrigue, and violence, at times. The people and events intertwine with the collapse of the Roman Empire and the impact of Germanic culture on the church as well as with plagues, wars, Crusades, and repeated attempts to recreate a united Europe. The story includes Goths, Anglo-Saxons, Franks, Italians, Spanish, Vikings, Celts, Arabs, Jews, Mongols, and others whose identities have all but disappeared. Countless individuals played their parts in the events—Augustine and his mother Monica, who hailed from North Africa; Justinian and his wife Theodora from Byzantium; Charlemagne; Mohammed; and dozens of popes, peasants, aristocrats, priests, and warriors. All of them shaped the formation of Christendom—the Kingdom of God on earth—a kingdom that changed original Christianity until it would have been in many ways unrecognizable to Jesus' earliest followers. Christendom: The Kingdom that Changed Christianity is a companion book to Plato's Shadow: The Hellenizing of Christianity.   ___________   Gary Petty is an author and pastor known for his works on the historical and philosophical influences on Christianity, as well as guidance on managing personal conflicts. His notable publications include:​Better World Books+4Google Books+4ThriftBooks+4 Plato's Shadow: The Hellenizing of Christianity This book examines how Greek philosophy, particularly that of Plato, influenced early Christian teachings, leading to deviations from the original messages of Jesus and His apostles. ​Barnes & Noble The Mercy Effect: A Spiritual Guide for Managing Conflict In this work, Petty explores the spiritual roots of conflict and offers practical steps for resolving disagreements in various aspects of life, emphasizing the importance of mercy and forgiveness. ​Better World Books Christendom: The Kingdom That Changed Christianity Serving as a companion to 'Plato's Shadow,' this book delves into the transformation of Christianity during the formation of Christendom, highlighting how political and cultural shifts reshaped the faith. ​ThriftBooks+5Google Books+5Bookshop+5 These works reflect Petty's focus on understanding the historical contexts that have shaped modern Christianity and providing insights into personal spiritual growth.

In AD 324 the controversy over Arianism was dividing Emperor Constantine's recently-unified Roman Empire. Constantine had converted a mere decade ago and achieved spectacular success on the battlefield over his rival Licinius , but was dismayed to return and find that the religion and church he had come to love to was torn apart with squabbling, division, and dissensions. So what happened? Did the church realize their need for clarity on the divinity of the Son and come together at Nicea because they knew they had to hammer out these doctrines? Did Alexander and Arius sit down willingly for the good of the church? Nope. Instead of the church leading the way, Emperor Constantine issued an imperial summons to the warring bishops of the East and West, demanding they convene at Nicea. The result of that month long council was the Nicene creed, a creed that has stood the test of time and is the foundational confession of practically all Christian traditions 1700 years later. This happened again under Emperor Theodosius I & II at Constantinople and Ephesus, under Marcian at Chalcedon, under Justinian again at Constantinople, and on and on. This pattern plays out again and again and again. The church wars, divides, errs, and even apostatizes, and the means of correction that God uses is often the State. This causes us Americans to bristle and protest but it is undeniable that the bulk of church reform has been initiated, carried out, and completed at the hand of the sovereign. Perhaps for all of our spirituality and airtight systematic theology we have forgotten the ordinary, practical means that God uses to save, purify, and protect his church. This episode is brought to you by our premier sponsors, Armored Republic and Reece Fund, as well as our Patreon members and donors. You can join our Patreon at patreon.com/rightresponseministries or you can donate at rightresponseministries.com/donate.Today we are going to defend the forgotten and controversial historical pattern that God uses the State to correct his often erring bride. Tune in now.*MINISTRY SPONSORS:*ENTER TO WIN 2 FREE TICKETS TO OUR APRIL 2025 CONFERENCE BY Signing Up For Private Family Bankings Email List1. Email Banking@privatefamilybanking.com2. Use Subject Line: April Ticket Giveaway3. Provide Your Full Name & Contact Phone Number4. Private Family Banking will be in touch for the winner of the tickets.*Private Family Banking*How to Connect with Private Family Banking:1. FREE 20-MINUTE COURSE HERE: ⁠https://www.canva.com/design/DAF2TQVcA10/WrG1FmoJYp9o9oUcAwKUdA/view⁠2. Send an email inquiry to ⁠chuck@privatefamilybanking.com⁠3. Receive a FREE e-book entitled "How to Build Multi-Generational Wealth Outside of Wall Street and Avoid the Coming Banking Meltdown", by going to ⁠https://www.protectyourmoneynow.net⁠4. Set up a FREE Private Family Banking Discovery call using this ⁠link: https://calendly.com/familybankingnow/30min⁠5. For a Multi-Generational Wealth Planning Guide Book for only $4.99, use this link for my affiliate relationship with "Seven Generations Legacy": ⁠https://themoneyadvantage.idevaffiliate.com/13.html⁠*Reece Fund: Christian Capital - Boldly Deployed⁠https://www.reecefund.com/*Dominion: Wealth Strategists* is a full-service financial planning and wealth management firm dedicated to putting more money in the hands of the church. With an education focused approach, they will help you take dominion over your finances.https://reformed.money/

Seventeen centuries ago, in the bustling town of Nicaea, over 300 bishops from across the Roman Empire gathered, summoned by Emperor Constantine to resolve a crisis shaking the very foundations of Christianity. At stake was nothing less than the identity of Jesus Christ: was He truly God, co-eternal and of the same substance as the Father, or merely a created being—a divine yet lesser creature? Today, the fruit of that monumental gathering—the Nicene Creed—remains the definitive measure of Christian identity.  The Rev. John David Duke, pastor of Salem Lutheran Church in Buffalo, NY and adjunct professor of Old Testament Theology at Concordia Lutheran Theological Seminary in St. Catherines, Ontario, joins the Rev. Dr. Phil Booe to discuss the Nicene Creed.  Thy Strong Word, hosted by Rev. Dr. Phil Booe, pastor of St. John Lutheran Church of Luverne, MN, reveals the light of our salvation in Christ through study of God's Word, breaking our darkness with His redeeming light. Each weekday, two pastors fix our eyes on Jesus by considering Holy Scripture, verse by verse, in order to be strengthened in the Word and be equipped to faithfully serve in our daily vocations. Submit comments or questions to: thystrongword@kfuo.org.

Known for his wisdom and virtue, he was chosen as Bishop of Cyrenia on the island of Cyprus. When a persecution broke out against the Christians under the Emperor Licinius, Theodotus was arrested and subjected to many tortures. His torturer Sabinus urged him repeatedly to renounce Christ and worship the idols, but Theodotus replied, 'If you knew the goodness of my God, who, it is my hope, will by these brief tortures make me worthy of eternal life, you would wish to suffer for Him as I do.' The pagans then drove nails into his body, for which he thanked God. Believing that his death was approaching, he calmly gave counsel and instruction to the Christians around him. By God's providence, an order came from the new Emperor Constantine to free all Christians who were being held for the sake of Christ. Thus Theodotus was freed and, though greatly weakened by his torments, served his flock faithfully for two more years before reposing in peace.

Known for his wisdom and virtue, he was chosen as Bishop of Cyrenia on the island of Cyprus. When a persecution broke out against the Christians under the Emperor Licinius, Theodotus was arrested and subjected to many tortures. His torturer Sabinus urged him repeatedly to renounce Christ and worship the idols, but Theodotus replied, 'If you knew the goodness of my God, who, it is my hope, will by these brief tortures make me worthy of eternal life, you would wish to suffer for Him as I do.' The pagans then drove nails into his body, for which he thanked God. Believing that his death was approaching, he calmly gave counsel and instruction to the Christians around him. By God's providence, an order came from the new Emperor Constantine to free all Christians who were being held for the sake of Christ. Thus Theodotus was freed and, though greatly weakened by his torments, served his flock faithfully for two more years before reposing in peace.

He was a nobleman born in Constantinople, and distinguished himself in a secular career, rising in the year 780 to the rank of protasecretis, Principal Secretary of State to the Emperor Constantine VI and his mother the Empress Irene, who was serving as regent.   His life took a sudden turn when, in 784, Patriarch Paul IV resigned, recommending Tarasios as the only man capable of restoring the Patriarchate, ravaged by the iconoclast heresy, to true Faith and full communion with the other Patriarchates. Tarasios, though unwilling, was virtually forced to accept the Patriarchate by the rulers and the Senate: he agreed at last on condition that an Ecumenical Council be summoned immediately to put an end to the iconoclast heresy. In a few days he was raised from a layman through all the degrees of the clergy and on December 25 784, was consecrated Archbishop of Constantinople.   At Saint Tarasios' insistence, the Imperial rulers summoned a Church Council, whch met at Constantinople in 786. Before its sessions had even begun, iconoclasts burst into the church and drove out the Fathers, who were forced to reconvene in Nicaea, where the first session opened. Patriarch Tarasios presided, and the Council concluded with a condemnation of the iconoclast heresy and the restoration of veneration of the holy images.   As Archbishop, the Saint was a model of humility, compassion, and firmness in the Faith. He refused to have any servants and dressed simply, a living rebuke to the luxury that had corrupted the clergy at that time. His works of charity were so great that he became known to the people as 'the new Joseph': he founded hospices and shelters, distributed the Church's wealth freely to the poor, and often invited the poor to his own table to share his simple fare. He insisted on exercising all gentleness and mercy in restoring repentant heretics to the Church, a policy that met with opposition from the more severe leaders of the Studion monastery. At the same time he was unbending in the defense of the Faith: when the Emperor Constantine came of age he repudiated his wife Mary in order to marry Theodota, one of her servants. The Patriarch refused to bless the adulterous union and threatened the Emperor with excommunication if he persisted in sin. The Emperor had Tarasios imprisoned, forced his licit wife to enter a monastery, and found a priest, Joseph, to bless his second marriage. The following year Constantine was blinded and dethroned, and Tarasios regained his freedom.   The holy Patriarch continued to serve his Church faithfully, occupying the episcopal throne for a total of twenty-six years. In his last years, despite a long and painful illness, he continued to serve the Divine Liturgy daily, supporting himself with his staff. In the year 806, serving at the altar, he began to chant from Psalm 85, Bow down thine ear, O Lord, and hear me, and gave up his soul to God.   "In 820, the Emperor Leo the Armenian, who for seven years had supported the iconoclasts and had fiercely persecuted the Orthodox, had a disturbing dream. He saw a stern-looking Saint Tarasius ordering a man by the name of Michael to run Leo himself through with a sword. Six days later, Leo was in fact assasinated by Michael the Stammerer, who seized power... In physical appearance, Saint Tarasius is said to have closely resembled Saint Gregory the Theologian." (Synaxarion)

He was a nobleman born in Constantinople, and distinguished himself in a secular career, rising in the year 780 to the rank of protasecretis, Principal Secretary of State to the Emperor Constantine VI and his mother the Empress Irene, who was serving as regent.   His life took a sudden turn when, in 784, Patriarch Paul IV resigned, recommending Tarasios as the only man capable of restoring the Patriarchate, ravaged by the iconoclast heresy, to true Faith and full communion with the other Patriarchates. Tarasios, though unwilling, was virtually forced to accept the Patriarchate by the rulers and the Senate: he agreed at last on condition that an Ecumenical Council be summoned immediately to put an end to the iconoclast heresy. In a few days he was raised from a layman through all the degrees of the clergy and on December 25 784, was consecrated Archbishop of Constantinople.   At Saint Tarasios' insistence, the Imperial rulers summoned a Church Council, whch met at Constantinople in 786. Before its sessions had even begun, iconoclasts burst into the church and drove out the Fathers, who were forced to reconvene in Nicaea, where the first session opened. Patriarch Tarasios presided, and the Council concluded with a condemnation of the iconoclast heresy and the restoration of veneration of the holy images.   As Archbishop, the Saint was a model of humility, compassion, and firmness in the Faith. He refused to have any servants and dressed simply, a living rebuke to the luxury that had corrupted the clergy at that time. His works of charity were so great that he became known to the people as 'the new Joseph': he founded hospices and shelters, distributed the Church's wealth freely to the poor, and often invited the poor to his own table to share his simple fare. He insisted on exercising all gentleness and mercy in restoring repentant heretics to the Church, a policy that met with opposition from the more severe leaders of the Studion monastery. At the same time he was unbending in the defense of the Faith: when the Emperor Constantine came of age he repudiated his wife Mary in order to marry Theodota, one of her servants. The Patriarch refused to bless the adulterous union and threatened the Emperor with excommunication if he persisted in sin. The Emperor had Tarasios imprisoned, forced his licit wife to enter a monastery, and found a priest, Joseph, to bless his second marriage. The following year Constantine was blinded and dethroned, and Tarasios regained his freedom.   The holy Patriarch continued to serve his Church faithfully, occupying the episcopal throne for a total of twenty-six years. In his last years, despite a long and painful illness, he continued to serve the Divine Liturgy daily, supporting himself with his staff. In the year 806, serving at the altar, he began to chant from Psalm 85, Bow down thine ear, O Lord, and hear me, and gave up his soul to God.   "In 820, the Emperor Leo the Armenian, who for seven years had supported the iconoclasts and had fiercely persecuted the Orthodox, had a disturbing dream. He saw a stern-looking Saint Tarasius ordering a man by the name of Michael to run Leo himself through with a sword. Six days later, Leo was in fact assasinated by Michael the Stammerer, who seized power... In physical appearance, Saint Tarasius is said to have closely resembled Saint Gregory the Theologian." (Synaxarion)

Full Text of ReadingsFeast of the Chair of Saint Peter, Apostle Lectionary: 535The Saint of the day is Chair of Saint PeterThe Story of the Chair of Saint Peter This feast commemorates Christ's choosing Peter to sit in his place as the servant-authority of the whole Church. After the “lost weekend” of pain, doubt, and self-torment, Peter hears the Good News. Angels at the tomb say to Magdalene, “The Lord has risen! Go, tell his disciples and Peter.” John relates that when he and Peter ran to the tomb, the younger outraced the older, then waited for him. Peter entered, saw the wrappings on the ground, the headpiece rolled up in a place by itself. John saw and believed. But he adds a reminder: “…[T]hey did not yet understand the scripture that he had to rise from the dead” (John 20:9). They went home. There the slowly exploding, impossible idea became reality. Jesus appeared to them as they waited fearfully behind locked doors. “Peace be with you,” he said (John 20:21b), and they rejoiced. The Pentecost event completed Peter's experience of the risen Christ. “…[T]hey were all filled with the holy Spirit” (Acts 2:4a) and began to express themselves in foreign tongues and make bold proclamation as the Spirit prompted them. Only then can Peter fulfill the task Jesus had given him: “… [O]nce you have turned back, you must strengthen your brothers” (Luke 22:32). He at once becomes the spokesman for the Twelve about their experience of the Holy Spirit—before the civil authorities who wished to quash their preaching, before the Council of Jerusalem, for the community in the problem of Ananias and Sapphira. He is the first to preach the Good News to the Gentiles. The healing power of Jesus in him is well attested: the raising of Tabitha from the dead, the cure of the crippled beggar. People carry the sick into the streets so that when Peter passed his shadow might fall on them. Even a saint experiences difficulty in Christian living. When Peter stopped eating with Gentile converts because he did not want to wound the sensibilities of Jewish Christians, Paul says, “…I opposed him to his face because he clearly was wrong…. [T]hey were not on the right road in line with the truth of the gospel…” (Galatians 2:11b, 14a). At the end of John's Gospel, Jesus says to Peter, “Amen, amen, I say to you, when you were younger, you used to dress yourself and go where you wanted; but when you grow old, you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will dress you and lead you where you do not want to go” (John 21:18). What Jesus said indicated the sort of death by which Peter was to glorify God. On Vatican Hill, in Rome, during the reign of Nero, Peter did glorify his Lord with a martyr's death, probably in the company of many Christians. Second-century Christians built a small memorial over his burial spot. In the fourth century, the Emperor Constantine built a basilica, which was replaced in the 16th century. Reflection Like the committee chair, this chair refers to the occupant, not the furniture. Its first occupant stumbled a bit, denying Jesus three times and hesitating to welcome gentiles into the new Church. Some of its later occupants have also stumbled a bit, sometimes even failed scandalously. As individuals, we may sometimes think a particular pope has let us down. Still, the office endures as a sign of the long tradition we cherish and as a focus for the universal Church. Learn more about the chair of St. Peter! Saint of the Day, Copyright Franciscan Media

The doctrine of the Trinity is one of the foundational beliefs of Christianity, affirming that God exists as three persons—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit—yet is one in essence. However, misconceptions abound regarding its origins, particularly concerning the role of the Council of Nicaea (A.D. 325), Emperor Constantine, and the Arian controversy. Some claim the Trinity was invented at Nicaea or imposed by Constantine, but history tells a different story.Watch the conversation between Mike Winger and Wes Huff.--The Unveiling Mormonism podcast pulls back the curtain on Mormon history, culture and doctrine. Join us for new episodes every Monday. Find resources to talk about these episodes at pursueGOD.org/mormonism.Help others go "full circle" as a follower of Jesus through our 12-week Pursuit series.Click here to learn more about how to use these resources at home, with a small group, or in a one-on-one discipleship relationship.Got questions or want to leave a note? Email us at podcast@pursueGOD.org.Donate Now --The doctrine of the Trinity is one of the foundational beliefs of Christianity, affirming that God exists as three persons—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit—yet is one in essence. However, misconceptions abound regarding its origins, particularly concerning the role of the Council of Nicaea (A.D. 325), Emperor Constantine, and the Arian controversy. Some claim the Trinity was invented at Nicaea or imposed by Constantine, but history tells a different story.1. Was the Trinity Invented at Nicaea?A common myth is that the doctrine of the Trinity was created at the Council of Nicaea. In reality, the core concept of God's triune nature existed long before the fourth century. The early church fathers, including Tertullian (A.D. 160–225) and Origen (A.D. 185–253), wrote extensively about the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit as distinct persons sharing one divine essence. The Council of Nicaea did not introduce the idea but clarified it in response to the Arian controversy.2. The Arian Controversy: Was Jesus a Created Being?Arius, a presbyter from Alexandria, taught that Jesus was not eternally God but a created being who was exalted above all creation. This view directly contradicted Scripture, which presents Jesus as fully divine (John 1:1, Colossians 2:9, Hebrews 1:3). Arianism gained traction, prompting a theological crisis that led Emperor Constantine to convene the Council of Nicaea. The council decisively rejected Arianism, affirming that Christ is "of the same essence" (homoousios) as the Father. This was not a new doctrine but a reaffirmation of what the church had always believed.3. Did Constantine Impose the Trinity?Another misconception is that Emperor Constantine imposed the doctrine of the Trinity for political reasons. While Constantine did call the council to promote unity in the empire, he did not dictate its theological outcome. He initially leaned toward Arian sympathies but ultimately accepted the Nicene Creed, which was formulated by church leaders based on Scripture, not imperial decree. The council's decision reflected the consensus of bishops from across the Christian world, not a political mandate.4. The Trinity: A Biblical Doctrine, Not a Man-Made OneDespite arguments that the Trinity is a later theological development, the doctrine is firmly rooted in Scripture. Passages such as Matthew 28:19 (“baptizing them in the name of...

Was King Arthur a real historical figure or merely a mythical hero?Tristan Hughes and Dr. Miles Russell delve into the myth and mystery of King Arthur, exploring the historical figures who may have inspired this legendary character, including Magnus Maximus, Emperor Constantine and Julius Caesar's great rival Cassivellaunus. They reveal the fascinating connections and rich oral traditions that shaped Arthurian legend and ravel the myths, surrounding one of Britain's most legendary figures.Presented by Tristan Hughes. Audio editor is Aidan Lonergan, the producer is Joseph Knight. The senior producer is Anne-Marie Luff.The Ancients is a History Hit podcast.Sign up to History Hit for hundreds of hours of original documentaries, with a new release every week and ad-free podcasts. Sign up at https://www.historyhit.com/subscribe. You can take part in our listener survey here:https://uk.surveymonkey.com/r/6FFT7MKTheme music from Motion Array, all other music from Epidemic Sound

How did Constantine the Great conquer his rivals and shape the Roman Empire?Tristan Hughes discusses the dramatic rise of Roman Emperor Constantine I with Professor David Potter. They discuss the scandalous tales and strategic manoeuvres that defined Constantine's ascent, including his brutal execution of his son Crispus and his wife Fausta, his significant victory at the Milvian Bridge, and his delicate balance between Christianity and Roman paganism. Together they uncover the personal dramas and political strategies that reshaped the Roman Empire and cemented Constantine's legacy.Presented by Tristan Hughes. Audio editor is Aidan Lonergan, the producer is Joseph Knight. The senior producer is Anne-Marie Luff.The Ancients is a History Hit podcast.Sign up to History Hit for hundreds of hours of original documentaries, with a new release every week and ad-free podcasts. Sign up at https://www.historyhit.com/subscribe. You can take part in our listener survey here:https://uk.surveymonkey.com/r/6FFT7MKTheme music from Motion Array, all other music from Epidemic Sound