Podcasts about father john

April 18, 2025 ~ Father John Riccardo, missionary and ACTS XXIX Executive Director discusses Good Friday with Chris Ayotte in for Paul W Smith.

The Rev. Fr. John DiGilio takes us through the life, ideas and legacy of Joachim of Fiore.

Many feel God's presence while spending time outdoors, and Father Dave welcomes Father John Nepil to discuss his faith connection to hiking the Colorado Trail. Father John is an avid hiker and mountaineer, and he has celebrated Mass atop all 54 of Colorado's highest peaks. His new book is called “To Heights and Unto Depths: Letters from the Colorado Trail.”

On the evening of Saturday, July 21st, 1984, the local Catholic residents of the tiny town of Ronan, Montana, all gathered at 5:30 p.m. to celebrate mass with their new priest, Father John Kerrigan, who had just been assigned to their parish.  He never showed. He didn't show up Sunday morning either.  Days later, his bloodstained clothes were discovered along a highway, but his body has never been found.Father Kerrigan's case has many similarities to the disappearances and murders of three other priests.  Two of whom knew Father Kerrigan. Could they all be related?Join Cam and Jen as they discuss “Last Rites: Father John Kerrigan”Thank you to our team:Written and researched by Lauretta AllenListener Discretion by Edward October from Octoberpod AMExecutive Producer Nico Vitesse of The Inky Pawprinthttps://unsolved.com/gallery/fr-reynaldo-rivera/https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/193119300/john-patrick-kerriganhttps://www.insidehook.com/culture/unholy-mystery-murdered-priestshttps://www.newspapers.com/image/394096896/?match=1&terms=missing%20priesthttps://www.newspapers.com/image/412665061/?match=1&clipping_id=167657715https://flatheadbeacon.com/2021/03/23/the-vanishing-of-a-priest/https://www.newspapers.com/image/1076932453/?match=1&clipping_id=167658436https://www.newspapers.com/image/350294378/?match=1&clipping_id=167658601https://www.newspapers.com/image/241351966/?match=1&clipping_id=167658779https://www.newspapers.com/image/350293577/?match=1&clipping_id=167658861https://www.newspapers.com/image/350304344/?match=1&clipping_id=167658922https://www.newspapers.com/image/350294283/?match=1&clipping_id=167659009https://www.newspapers.com/image/351402921/?match=1&clipping_id=167659122https://www.newspapers.com/image/354806616/?match=1&clipping_id=167659492https://www.newspapers.com/image/955820619/?match=1&clipping_id=167660070https://www.newspapers.com/image/349681260/?match=1&clipping_id=167660152https://www.newspapers.com/image/350705169/?clipping_id=167660321https://www.newspapers.com/image/958094424/?match=1&clipping_id=167660609https://www.newspapers.com/image/410685517/?match=1&clipping_id=167660917https://www.newspapers.com/image/470116359/?match=1&clipping_id=167661286https://www.newspapers.com/image/1073605939/?match=1&clipping_id=167661444https://www.newspapers.com/image/957459872/?clipping_id=167661532https://www.newspapers.com/image/467114749/?match=1&terms=Father%20John%20Kerrigan%20priesthttps://www.newspapers.com/image/467367147/?match=1&terms=Father%20John%20Kerrigan%20priest (List of accused priests and personnel)https://www.newspapers.com/image/958922589/?terms=Father%20John%20Kerrigan%20priesthttps://www.newspapers.com/image/350303929/?match=1&terms=Curtis%20Holmenhttps://www.newspapers.com/image/350302245/?match=1&terms=Curtis%20Holmenhttps://charleyproject.org/case/curtis-austin-holmenhttps://www.newspapers.com/image/394128873/?match=1&terms=Swan%20River%20Youth%20Forest%20Camphttps://www.newspapers.com/image/350292686/?match=1&terms=Daniel%20Radihttps://www.newspapers.com/image/1076936323/?match=1&terms=Daniel%20Radihttps://www.newspapers.com/image/350294378/?match=1&terms=Daniel%20Radihttps://www.newspapers.com/image/350294362/?match=1&terms=Daniel%20Radihttps://www.newspapers.com/image/351280442/?match=1&terms=%22George%20Ferguson%22https://www.newspapers.com/image/351115205/?match=1&terms=Episcopal%20priest%20missinghttps://www.newspapers.com/image/392859867/?match=1&terms=Episcopal%20priest%20missinghttps://www.newspapers.com/image/392870634/?match=1&terms=Episcopal%20priest%20missinghttps://www.newspapers.com/image/351116613/?match=1&clipping_id=167830432https://www.newspapers.com/image/394137120/?match=1&clipping_id=167833184https://www.newspapers.com/image/288943388/?match=1&clipping_id=168181958https://www.episcopalchurch.org/eir/what-is-the-difference-between-the-episcopal-church-and-the-roman-catholic-church/

Eat 10,000 Calories... 365 Days A Year! That's Right... You read the title correctly.   But there is always an "IF" thrown somewhere in there... IF you want to work out like the greatest Olympian Of All Time, Michael Phelps. The greatest body builders use to wake up at 2:00AM to drink a protein shake. One of those guys said by the time the competition for Mr. Universe rolled around, we were exhausted from eating.   What IF we devoured the word of God and prayed 365 Days a year like we were preparing for the Olympics? What IF we told people about the good news of Jesus Christ with the enthusiasm of a trained Olympian Athlete?   How would it look if we believed that God had made us, the students, volunteers, staff, our friends and family to do great things, bigger than we ever believed that we were capable of? Jesus said, "Truly, truly, I tell you, whoever believes in me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do, because I am going to the Father" - John 14:12   What IF? _______________________________ Looking for a new student ministry resource? You can read my book “Burn Up Not Out: A Student Ministry Fire Builder's Guidebook” here: https://amzn.to/3PtBTIy Listen to more episodes from the Youth Worker On Fire Podcast here: https://bit.ly/3saDyYq _______________________________ EPISODE CREDITS Email us at: youthworkeronfire@gmail.com Hosted by: Doug Edwards Theme Song: "The One and Only" by The 808 : Listen to more at https://bit.ly/3FTYIAJ Intro/Outro Voiceover: Michael Helms : https://www.youtube.com/@MichaelTheSoundGuy  Edited by: Secret Roots Music House

Father John Whiteford is back with us this week to discuss C.I. Scofield, J.N. Darby, and their incorrect theology. The Scofield Reference Bible is a very common Bible found in homes and churches all across America. It is where the very modern ideas of dispensationalism, the pre-tribulation rapture, and a few other incorrect theological issues come from. We discuss who invented these ideas, how Zionists have used them to further dangerous policies, and why no Christian ever believed these ideas before the 19th century. Fr. John Whiteford is the pastor of St. Jonah Orthodox Church (ROCOR) in Spring, Texas. He is the author of Sola Scriptura: An Orthodox Analysis of the Cornerstone of Reformation Theology, published by Conciliar Press, and the general editor of the St. Innocent Liturgical Calendar.   Sponsors: Tiger Fitness:   Sheath Underwear:   Code: Counterflow Donate to the show here:   Visit my website:   Audio Production by Podsworth Media:   Leave us a review and rating on Apple Podcasts! Thanks!

Mary Stone celebrates the 200th episode of our podcast, reflecting on the journey and the lessons gained from nature and gardens and thanking listeners for their help and kind support. She chats about her hopes to expand her reach, perhaps on YouTube, without being attached to outcomes. Like seeds, allow things to grow naturally and accept them for what they become, as we should accept each other in this Garden of Life.Related Episodes, Posts, and Helpful Links:Wood Frogs Sing for Spring - Blog Post with stunning photos by Blaine RothauserEp 20. Unexpected Furry Messenger, Father John's Memorial GardenEp 34. Forest Bathing, Willowwood Champion TreesEp 46. The Gift of Cut FlowersEp 31. Comedy of Crickets, Mayapple of My EyeEp 126. A Sunflower Maze Brings Happiness8888I'd love to hear your garden and nature stories and your thoughts about topics for future podcast episodes. You can email me at AskMaryStone@gmail.com.You can follow Garden Dilemmas on Facebook and Instagram #MaryElaineStone.Episode web page —Garden Dilemmas Podcast PageThank you for sharing the Garden of Life,Mary Stone, Columnist & Garden Designer                                        AskMaryStone.comMore about the Podcast and Column: Welcome to Garden Dilemmas, Delights, and Discoveries. It's not only about gardens; it's about nature's inspirations, about grasping the glories of the world around us, gathering what we learned from mother nature, and carrying these lessons into our garden of life. So, let's jump in in the spirit of learning from each other. We have lots to talk about. Thanks for tuning in, Mary Stone Garden Dilemmas? AskMaryStone.comDirect Link to Podcast Page

Today we read of Jesus on the Cross. “The chief priests and the rulers and the people” [Luke 23 v.13] opposed Pilate's decision to release him so he gave in and “delivered Jesus over to their will.” He is crucified between two criminals and one of these derides him saying, “Are you not the Christ? Save yourself and us,” but the other rebukes him and says, “we are receiving the due reward for our deeds, but this man has done nothing wrong”[v.39,41] Then he makes a request to Jesus which, together with Jesus' answer, is widely misunderstood.He says, ‘Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom'. And Jesus says to him, ‘Truly I say to you today, you will be with me in paradise.' “[v.42,43] We have quoted exactly as in the Bible (ESV) with one little exception, we have put the comma after the word ‘today' instead of before it. The original Greek has no punctuation so translators use their own judgement as to how to punctuate the text when rendering it in English – or any other language – and nearly all of them get it wrong in this verse.The question the criminal asked indicates he knew the teachings of Jesus but had turned to bad ways: maybe he learnt the prayer Jesus taught, ”Thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth …” [Matt.6 v.10].The word ‘paradise' means a garden, a park – the Garden of Eden was a paradise. The whole world will become the Garden of Eden when Jesus sets up God's kingdom'. Jesus promised, “to the one who conquers I will grant to eat of the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God.” [Rev. 2 v,7].It is obvious that Jesus is not referring to heaven when he made this promise. After he came out of the tomb he said to Mary Magdalene, “I have not yet ascended to the Father” [John 20 v.17]. The criminal re-established his relationship with Jesus because of his faith – and for that reason he received this promise of a place in the paradise of God's kingdom. He had remarkable faith in the future that awaited Jesus when the disciples had lost theirs!A closing thought is to note the mistake some make in saying that since this repentant criminal was not baptised – baptism is not essential. They forget that baptism is a symbol of the death and resurrection of Jesus as Paul makes plain in Romans 6 v. 3-8. Baptism became essential after the resurrection of Jesus. Those who only knew the baptism of John had to be rebaptised (see Acts 19 v.3-5) The whole world is to become a paradise! What wonders await all who will be with Jesus then! Will you be with him in paradise?. 

"He was the son of Juliana, a Christian woman of Armenia. While still a child, he left his mother and ran off to the desert. He was utterly aflame with love for Christ the Lord. In the beginning he entrusted himself to the guidance of a spiritual father, Pharmutius, who was so pleasing to God that an angel brought him bread every day. John later left him and withdrew into solitude. He let himself down into a dry well and lived there for a full ten years in fasting, prayer and vigils. St Pharmutius used to bring him some of the angel's bread, for the angel of God did not wish to bring bread to the young John in person, lest he grow proud through this, so sent it through Pharmutius his spiritual father. After ten years of arduous asceticism in his well, St John went to the Lord and his relics revealed wonderworking power. He lived and was glorified by God and men in the 4th century." (Prologue)

Pastor Will continues through the Book of John with a message entitled "Who Is Your Father?" - John 8:41-47.Other Scriptures Referenced: ​Ephesians 2:1-6, Genesis 2:17 - 3:4, Romans 5:12, Hebrews 2:14, Ezekiel 28:14-15.VideoAudioMar 23rd am - "Who Is Your Father?" - John 8:41-47.mp3File Size:24694 kbFile Type:mp3Download File [...]

  “The two Gardens--Jesus agony”—2nd Sunday of Lent.  Lenten preaching series: “The Way to Calvary”   Fr. Steve will be preaching a 6-part homily series during Lent called "The Way to Calvary". Homilies will be posted on my website, www.FatherSteve.net. The series will contain the following topics:   1.) Judas and St. Peter 2.) The Agony in the Garden 3.) The Carrying of the Cross 4.) The Crucifixion, the Blessed Virgin Mary, & St. John 5.) Words from the Cross 6.) A Meditation on the Wounds of Jesus

What did Jesus mean when He described Himself as the bread of life? Pastor Nate Harlan preaches. Listen above or download the audio file here. Photo by Em bé khóc nhè on Unsplash The post Drawn by the Father — John 6:41-47 first appeared on Trinity Reformed Church.

In this powerful sermon, we explore why sharing our faith is crucial and how the busyness of life can sometimes dull our enthusiasm. Through Jesus' actions in the temple and key scriptures, we uncover three vital truths that should ignite our passion for sharing the Gospel:- Jesus is the only way to the Father (John 14:6).- The power of the Gospel transforms lives (Romans 1:16).- Christ's love compels us to share (2 Corinthians 5:14).Join us as we rediscover our passion for sharing the faith with others and boldly proclaim the transformative love of Christ.Watch now and be inspired to share the Good News!

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This is part two of my Q&A with Father John Strickland. We talk about the Protestant reformation, Autocephalous churches and connections to Byzantium amongst other topics.John is the pastor of an Orthodox Church in Poulsbo in Washington State. He wrote a four-volume series about the history of Christian civilization called Paradise and Utopia. He's also recorded a podcast of the same name as an accompaniment to the books which you can find wherever you get your podcasts or at www.ancientfaith.com. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

My guest this week is the priest at https://www.sttimothy.net and the head man at https://deathtotheworld.com. We are discussing the battleground where unseen and spiritual warfare takes place. We also talk about the weapons the Church gives us in this battle. Fr. John gets into the soul after death, Fr. Seraphim Rose, the Saints, Great Lent, and the importance of family within the Orthodox Church. Sponsors: Tiger Fitness:   Sheath Underwear:   Code: Counterflow Donate to the show here:   Visit my website:   Audio Production by Podsworth Media:   Leave us a review and rating on Apple Podcasts! Thanks!

In this contemplative episode of Love & Speak the Truth, Sr. Brenda engages in a heartfelt conversation with Fr. John Dardis, a Jesuit ministering in Rome, about the transformative roles of discernment and prayer in our lives. Drawing on his personal journey and leadership experience with the Society of Jesus, Fr. Dardis shares powerful insights on putting aside biases, embracing openness and truly listening to one another. His reflections on spiritual conversations and thoughtful decision-making offer timely wisdom and guidance for navigating today's divisive world. Listen now, for an inspiring discussion that invites us all to seek deeper connections with faith, love and one another.

John 1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. I think this is one of the most amazing statements about Jesus in the Bible. Commentator Arthur Pink wrote that in this verse we see Jesus' relation to time, to the Godhead, and to the Trinity. Each reality is important. The first declares that Jesus is eternal. He already existed before the beginning of all things. The second reality is that He is the Word, “the spokesman of God, and the One who spelled out the Deity, and One who has declared or told forth the Father” (Arthur Pink). The writer of Hebrews in 1:2-3 described Jesus as the One through whom God spoke and the exact representation of His glory. Jesus could say, “If you've seen me, you've seen the Father” (John 14:9). The third reveals that the Son is separate from God the Father and the Holy Spirit because He was with God. It also reveals that Jesus was and is always in the presence of God. And fourth, Jesus was God. Only one who is God can exactly express or reveal all of God. Jesus is God manifested. Expressing and revealing that great truth was the goal of John's gospel. My vision for the live to love scripture encouragements isn't to give an exhaustive commentary on each scripture. It's to draw from each verse an encouragement to live to love with Jesus as our purpose in life. I will argue that the primary way God receives glory in His people is by their living to love with Jesus. Then I will make an appeal for you to embrace God's call to walk in love with Him. Jesus was God, yet separate from God, and His purpose in coming to earth could be described this way. He came to glorify His Father by living to love with the Father, in the power of the Holy Spirit. John's conclusion after knowing Jesus was that God is love (1 John 4:8). Jesus came to earth to reveal that God is love by loving with the Father. He died, was raised, and ascended to the Father in order to come be with us so we could glorify the Father as we live to love with Him. Our encouragement today is that as believers in Jesus Christ, the Son of God, we have living with us He who in the beginning was the Word. He who lives in us lives in the presence of God and is God. We have God, who is love, living His life in us. This is the message of John's gospel. It's great news, and so we are not living for God, but He is living for us. As we will see in the next few days, Jesus alone is life. May we walk today in reverence and awe, showing our gratitude to God for giving us life by living to love with Jesus, for the glory of God. I invite you to become a partner in our ministry. Would you pray about becoming a regular supporter of Elijah Ministries and the Live to Love with Jesus ministry? I hope you will receive the joy and benefit of “giving it forward,” so others may receive encouragement to turn their hearts to God and to live to love with Jesus. You may give online or send a check to the address listed at www.spiritofelijah.com/donate.

On this week's episode we welcome back Meghan Walsh the daughter of Americas Most Wanted John Walsh and story behind the fraudulent case of DCF and CPS taking her children including a 5 day old baby girl by using the courts and a bogus Judges order along with the local authorities. TGI Now Podcast was on the scene that day to witness it live including a viral video that shows the fraud and abuse of the "child protective services system". We will review the video live with Meghan

Jesus' Relation to the Father - John 5:16-30, Rev. Eugene Kim by CGS Media

The eternal struggle between good and evil—how can we ensure we're on the right side? In this gripping episode, we speak with Father John Farao, a renowned exorcist and Catholic Chaplain at California Men's Colony, a prison housing 4,000 men. With over 14 years of experience, Fr. Farao has witnessed firsthand the grip of darkness—and the transformative power of faith in even the most troubled souls. Inside this episode, we explore:  How Fr. Farao was called to prison ministry and exorcism.  The hidden battles inmates face—and the role of faith in redemption.  What it's like to see God's work firsthand in a prison environment. The deepest traumas that challenge spiritual healing. Exorcism is often misunderstood, feared, and sensationalized, but what is the truth behind this ancient practice? Click play now to uncover the realities of spiritual warfare and the power of faith. Episode also available on Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/38oMlMr

John 8:37-59. From the "The Gospel of John" sermon series. Preached by Mike Tiberi.

Exodus 25 tells us of the Tabernacle itself. Verses 1-14 describe the curtains which served as the roof of the Tabernacle. Eleven curtains made of linen and embroidered with golden, blue and scarlet threads woven through the linen in a cherubic pattern. These would have been visible to the priests, who served in the Holy Place; and to the High Priest on the Day of Atonement, the one day each year when he entered the Most Holy Place. Three other layers covered the linen – a layer of goats hair dyed scarlet; a layer of rams' skins; and finally, on top of these a waterproof layer of what has been translated as, badgers' skins in the KJV; and was probably dugong skins. As well as forming the roof they covered the boards of acacia wood (themselves covered with beaten gold plates); at the sides and back end of the building, where the Most Holy Place was situated. The dugong covering would be seen by the priests in the courtyard and by the worshippers, who had brought their offerings. Verses 15-30 describe the acacia boards that formed the building. Like the covering curtains these were on both sides and at the rear of the structure. They were fastened to each other by bars which passed through coupling rings providing a unity for the frame and giving it rigidity and stability. It speaks of the role of the ecclesia, whereby believers support one another and are united in their goals. They were anchored in the ground by silver sockets – speaking of our hope is fixed and grounded by the redemptive work achieved in our Lord Jesus Christ. Verses 31-33 describe the veil, which separated the Most Holy Place from the zHoly Place. Again the veil, – which was linen and interwoven with threads of blue, purple, scarlet and gold – spoke of the work of Christ, in whom we can draw near to God. The writer to the Hebrews tells us that it spoke of the nature of Jesus, through which the divine characteristics inherited from his Father were woven (see Hebrews 9 verses 19-23). At the precise time Jesus died on the stake the veil in Herod's temple was torn from top to bottom (Matthew 27 verse 51). This tearing of the temple curtain spoke of the removal of the sacrificial code of the Mosaic Law; and the bringing in of a better hope for faithful believers. Verses 34-35 provides a brief overview of some of the items of furniture within the Holy and Most Holy Places. The last verses of this chapter tells us of the entrance curtains through which the Tabernacle was entered. It was a linen screen of embroidered needlework with several similarities to the inner veil. It spoke of Christ, who is the door, or way of approaching the Father (John 10:1-6; 14:6).

This episode is brought to you by Telepaideia, a collection of live online courses in Latin, Ancient Greek, and the classical humanities offered by The Paideia Institute. Visit www.paideiainstitute.org/telepaideia to browse the course catalogue and register! It's my pleasure today to welcome back Father John Strickland to the podcast. Four episodes ago we talked in detail about the Divine Liturgy and its place at the heart of Byzantine life. I put out the call for listeners to ask questions. Particularly those of us not familiar with Orthodoxy or ecclesiastical issues in general. And Father Strickland has kindly returned to answer them. The questions are wide ranging and so demand thorough answers which Father John provides. So we decided to split them over two episodes. Today we tackle the Orthodox view on salvation and purgatory. As well as the role of the Ecumenical Patriarch and thoughts on the Byzantine understanding of how the divine played a role in daily life. Then we finish with the Orthodox view of Catholicism, Church Union and evangelisation. John is the pastor of an Orthodox Church in Poulsbo in Washington State. He wrote a four-volume series about the history of Christian civilization called Paradise and Utopia. He's also recorded a podcast of the same name as an accompaniment to the books which you can find wherever you get your podcasts or at www.ancientfaith.com. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The battle of good versus evil: how can we be sure we're on the right side? In today's episode, we speak with someone who has witnessed evil take hold of people — and fought to drive it out. What kind of person dares to confront such powerful forces head-on? One of these rare and fearless individuals is Father John Farao, a renowned exorcist from the Diocese of Monterey… For over 14 years, Fr. Farao has served as the Catholic Chaplain at California Men's Colony, a state prison in San Luis Obispo that houses 4,000 men. Renowned for his deep knowledge and spiritual insight into the demonic, he is dedicated to clarifying and demystifying the teachings of the Catholic Church. Click play to dive into: How Fr. Farao got involved in the prison ministry.  What it's like to watch God work in the lives of inherently troubled people.  The impact of faith on inmates. The most difficult types of trauma to overcome.  Exorcism remains one of the most mysterious, misunderstood, and sensationalized practices in Christianity. What can Fr. Farao's experience tell us about the realities of this chilling subject? Join us now to find out for yourself! Episode also available on Apple Podcasts: http://apple.co/30PvU9C Upgrade Your Wallet Game with Ekster!  Get the sleek, smart wallet you deserve—and save while you're at it! Use coupon code FINDINGGENIUS at checkout or shop now with this exclusive link: ekster.com?sca_ref=4822922.DtoeXHFUmQ5  Smarter, slimmer, better. Don't miss out!

Hebrews 12:28-29 Therefore, since we receive a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us show gratitude, by which we may offer to God an acceptable service with reverence and awe; for our God is a consuming fire. If you have received God's unshakable kingdom in Christ, what has been your response? In today's verse, we are encouraged to show our gratitude to God. What does that gratitude look like? What are we to show the world? The answer to these questions will be given in detail in chapter 13. For now, we get a general answer. Because we are so grateful for the new unshakable kingdom of love that we have received through Jesus Christ, we offer our lives to God for His service with reverence, that's piety, do you remember that word in 5:7? And we offer it in awe because just like the Israelites saw God's consuming fire descend on Mt. Sinai, we see His fire consume us for His glory.  Let's unpack this a little more. The only thing that is acceptable to God is the work of His Son. That's why Jesus told His disciples that apart from Him, they could do nothing fruitful for the Father (John 15:7-8). In chapter 11, we learned what pleases God, namely the faith that He produces in and through His Son. If we offer anything in our lives with and through Jesus Christ, God consumes it for His glory. For God to consume something, such as the sacrifices on the altar, was to demonstrate His acceptance. Do you remember, Elijah offering the sacrifices on Mt. Carmel when the fire of God came down and consumed everything? That's the picture here.  The way we show our gratitude to God for the unshakable kingdom we have received by grace is to offer ourselves for His service. We are to first, do it with reverence, piety, dedication, and commitment to doing His will. I suggest for your consideration that living to love with Jesus is the way we show our gratitude to God for His love and grace. We do it by receiving well, that's reverence, whatever He gives us in this world. He's going to show us that this world is empty and full of suffering. We are going to be foreigners here and kicked out by this world because our living to love as the purpose of our lives shakes their world. It makes them look and feel bad, and they don't like having their world shaken. In contrast, we consider it a joy to express our gratitude to God and love as a pleasing sacrifice to God. We know our living to love with Jesus will be an acceptable service to God. Paul put it this way to the Ephesians in 5:1-2. “Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children. And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.” Second, we are also to offer our service of love in awe. We should be in awe that God would accept our failing and weak offerings of love simply because it is with Jesus. It is awesome and awe-inspiring to experience God's pleasure and see God use our meager offerings of love to His people in this world. Just as Israel was in awe upon seeing God's fire fall upon Mt. Sinai, and again seeing God consume Elijah's offering, we should offer ourselves in awe that God is pleased with what we offer Him to the degree that He consumes it for His joy and glory. Because we are abiding in Christ the Father is delighted with the offering. We live to love with Jesus because that's how we show God that we are grateful to be in His unshakable kingdom.

In this week's episode, Father Sean and Father John continue their discussion of Fr. John's new book, To Heights and Unto Depths, with Father Sean sharing more about his personal experience on the trail.

On this day in 1737, a Founding Father with a bold signature was born. John Hancock's birthday is also national handwriting day. 

He was the son of Eutropius, a prominent senator, and Theodora, who lived in Constantinople. At the age of twelve, he secretly fled his home, taking nothing but a Gospel book with him. Entering the Monastery of the Unsleeping Ones in the City, he gave himself up with fervor to a life of prayer, self-denial and obedience. For three years he ate only on Sundays after taking communion, and became so thin and haggard that he bore no resemblance to the young nobleman who had entered the monastery.   Tormented by longing to see his parents, but unwilling to give up the ascetic struggle, he left the monastery with his Abbot's blessing, dressed in beggar's rags, and took up residence in a poor hut near the gate of his parents' house. Here he lived, mocked by those who had once been his servants and despised by his own parents, who no longer recognized him.   After three years, Christ appeared to him and told him that his end was drawing near, and that in three days angels would come to take him home. John sent a message to his parents, asking them to visit his hut. In perplexity, they came, and John, showing them the Gospel book that they had given him as a child, revealed to them that he was their son, and that he was about to die. They embraced him, rejoicing at their reunion but weeping for his departure from this life. Immediately, he gave back his soul to God.   The whole City of Constantinople was stirred by the story, and great crowds came to John's burial service. A church was later built on the site of his hut, and many miracles were wrought there through the Saint's prayers.

The True Worshippers of the Father (John 4:20-24, Jan 12th 2025) by Sovereign Grace Church

"Deeper With The Father" - John 15:1-6 - Pastor Heiden Ratner (Deepen 2025)

Pastor Caleb Schnurr continues his series on The Gospel of John in the Sunday Morning Service on January 5, 2025. In this sermon, we look into a confrontation between Jesus and the religious leaders, where the question “Who's your father?” takes on profound spiritual significance. Jesus challenges their understanding of spiritual lineage and reveals the difference between those who are children of God and those who follow the ways of the devil. Join us as we explore what it truly means to be a child of God and how our actions reveal our Spiritual Father.

Hilltop Hoops Hour with Pat Olsen featuring interviews with USF Dons Basketball head coach Chris Gerlufsen, Santa Clara Broncos TV/radio broadcaster Henry Caruso and Interim University President Father John Fitzgibbons See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jesus offers His followers divine peace and prays for their unity, reflecting the oneness between Him and the Father (John 14:27, 17:11-23). Living in His peace and unity becomes a powerful testimony to the world, revealing God's love and the truth of Jesus' mission. For this reason, we celebrate Christmas!

Father John Cusick, formerly of Old St. Pat's, joins Rick Kogan to talk about religion, the holidays, and First Fridays.

Verse by verse study through the book of John Chapter Sixteen and Verse Twenty Eight

Verse by verse study through the book of John Chapter Sixteen and Verse Twenty Six

Deception is simply taking a piece of the truth, and twisting it. That's what makes it so convincing. It sounds right... sort of. Almost. I believe I first read in one of C.S. Lewis's books, probably in several of them, that evil defines itself by the absence of God, just as darkness defines itself as the absence of light. Satan cannot create anything; all he can do is pervert something that God made, and intended for good.   The introduction of Jonathan Cahn's most recent book, "The Dragon Prophecy," puts this extremely well, so I'm going to just quote him. He writes, "If God is good, then how could there be evil? And if God is evil, then how could God be good? But if God did not create evil, then how could evil exist? Or how could God be God?... If evil was created, it would not be a problem, nor would it be evil. Evil is a problem for the very reason that it was not created. It should not exist, because it was not created, and yet it does. The existence of evil defies the created order. It is not of the creation and thus exists in opposition to the created order. Evil exists in defiance of existence... evil is not simply a force, like that of an earthquake, a hurricane, or a fire. All these bring calamity and destruction. But none would constitute true evil. Serial killers are. Why? The hurricane is an impersonal force. It acts without consciousness, will, choice, volition, or intent. But the serial killer commits his acts with conscious intent, will, an volition--and so is evil. And so evil is not an impersonal force--but a personal one, requiring consciousness, volition, will, and intent. Thus in our search for an answer to evil, we are led to personhood... Evil is an inversion--an inversion of truth, of reality, of existence. Evil is, by nature, inverted and, by nature, inverts. It twists, bends, and turns existence in upon itself. It exists as anti-existence. Its being is anti-being, and its nature, anti-nature. It is a negation and therefore seeks to negate, a nullification that exists to nullify. It has no true, ultimate, or absolute existence and therefore acts to bring that which exists into non-existence... Possessing no absolute or true existence of its own, evil is, as well, by nature, parasitic... Evil must use the good. And so though good can exist without evil, evil cannot exist without good. Truth can exist without falsehood, but falsehood cannot exist without truth. Laws can exist without crimes, marriage without adultery, and life without murder. But crimes cannot exist without laws, adultery without marriage, nor murder exist without life. Destruction requires structure, immorality requires morality, and sin requires the holy. The good is primary. Evil is the parasitic inversion of the good. And so the existence of evil inadvertently testifies not against the existence of the good--but for it. It bears witness, unwillingly, to the existence of the good--the existence of God" (9-10). So if evil itself is an inversion of something created to be good, then nearly everything God created for our pleasure and enjoyment can also become evil... but because it contains the seeds of something that was originally good, Satan can also use that kernel of goodness, or truth, to convince us that the twisted version is actually good and true, too... and if we don't know the truth well enough to tell the difference, we'll fall for it.  The Syncretism Trend According to Dr George Barna's research with the Cultural Research Center at Arizona Christian University, the dominant worldview of Americans (92%) now is syncretism (https://www.arizonachristian.edu/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/CRC-Release-AWVI-2-April-23-2024.pdf): that is, an amalgamation of disparate and contradictory beliefs, pulled from multiple religious or philosophical ideologies, according to an individual's personal inclinations and emotions. Syncretism is therefore not a single worldview, but a mishmash of beliefs--hence the common phrase, "your truth" and "my truth." The implication is that these can be mutually exclusive, without any logical contradiction. This strategy of Satan's is nothing new. He is a liar and the father of lies by nature (John 8:44). He sticks with this approach because it works.  Syncretism in the Old Testament Syncretism has  been around since the days of the Old Testament, and was the main reason why the Israelites couldn't seem to stay on the "blessing" side of God's covenant (Deuteronomy 28). Literally the first of the Ten Commandments was "You shall have no other gods before Me" (Ex 20:3)--and al, the Hebrew word translated "before", also means "by" or "beside." So God wasn't saying they simply had to worship Him the most, but it was okay if they occasionally sacrificed to Baal or Molech or Asherah--so long as He was the most important. No; they were to have no other gods besides Him. Period. The entire Old Testament history is a cycle of the Israelites' disobedience of this one commandment. The first example after the Ten Commandments were given is the golden calf that Aaron made with the spoils from Egypt while Moses was up on the mountain receiving God's law (Ex 32). These Israelites had spent their entire lives in Egypt, where a pantheon of gods were worshipped (many of whom God specifically humiliated by the plagues chosen to eventually force Pharaoh to let them go). When they made the golden calf, the Israelites declared that this was God--the One who had delivered them from Egypt (Ex 32:4). So they weren't exactly abandoning Yahweh for some other god; rather, they were mixing Him with the gods they had grown up with. Then, the Israelites tended to mix worship of Yahweh with worship of the gods of neighboring nations, even before they ever got to the Promised Land. Israel's enemies feared God, and one of them (King Balak of Moab) sent for Balaam, a local seer, to curse Israel (Numbers 22-24). God wouldn't allow Balaam to curse Israel, but Balaam wanted Balak's money... so instead, he told Balak how to get the Israelites to curse themselves, by placing themselves on the "cursing" side of God's covenant (Deuteronomy 28). Numbers 25 shows the result: the Moabite harlots used sex to entice the men of Israel into idolatry. The issue in this case wasn't so much the sex, as it was that sex was used in worship of false gods.  The cycle repeats throughout the Old Testament: Israel falls into idolatry, they fall under the 'cursing' side of God's covenant as a result (bringing themselves out from under His protection, and subject to Satan's machinations), they get oppressed by their enemies, they cry out to God, and God delivers them. They renew their vows to and worship of the One True God in varying degrees, but then they forget again, fall into idolatry, and the cycle repeats. God had laid out very clearly that they would be blessed if they followed His laws, and cursed if they didn't (Deut 28), and the very first commandment was no gods before Him. It was the first for a reason: God knows that we were made to worship something, and we treasure what we worship. "Where your treasure is, there will your heart be also" (Matt 6:21), and our hearts guide the course of our lives (Prov 4:23).  Eventually Israel split into two kingdoms (Northern and Southern, or Israel and Judah) over this very issue. Most of the subsequent kings of both nations perpetuated idolatry, though a few tried to purge the nation of idolatry to varying degrees, and enjoyed the 'blessing' side of the covenant for a time as a result (Deut 28). But God sent prophet after prophet to the Northern and Southern nations (writers of most of the major and minor prophetic books of the Old Testament), warning them of impending destruction if they did not repent of their idolatry. They ignored the warning, and eventually both nations were taken into captivity because of their idolatry: Israel to Assyria and Judah to Babylon. (Though of course, God was not done with Israel, and His promises to them still stand--Ezekiel 37 prophesied their restoration to their own land as a resurrection of dry bones, which miraculously took place on May 14, 1948. And the nation of Israel takes center stage throughout most of the book of Revelation, from chapter 5 on.)  Syncretism in the New Testament  Syncretism was around during the time of the early church, too, particularly in Paul's ministry. God sent him as the apostle to the Gentiles, who practiced varying forms of pagan beliefs already. They attempted to mix Jesus with these beliefs, until Paul's preaching convicted them to follow Jesus only, burning their books of magic arts and getting rid of their idols of Greek and Roman gods (Acts 19:11-20--which turned into a big riot in the city, v 21-41). Paul described the end times as being a time of "unrighteous deception among those who perish" (2 Thess 2:10), so we can expect that as we approach that day, this will only increase. Jesus told us that in the last days, "if possible, even the elect" would be deceived (Matt 24:24). The Greek work for deception in these verses is planao, and it means "to lead away from the truth, to lead into error." This inherently means that there is such a thing as truth. If you believe something contradictory to that truth, that is deception. We're living in an age that largely borrows from postmodernism as part of the syncretic worldview. According to the Encyclopedia Britannica, "Postmodernists deny that there are aspects of reality that are objective; that there are statements about reality that are objectively true or false; that it is possible to have knowledge of such statements (objective knowledge); that it is possible for human beings to know some things with certainty; and that there are objective, or absolute, moral values." Holders of this worldview are therefore confused about even observable or mathematical truths, let alone those that are not observable (such as whether or not there is a God, and if there is, how many, and which one, how do we get to Him, etc). So before we even approach the topic of how to avoid being deceived, we have to establish that there is such a thing as objective truth. If there isn't, then there is no such thing as deception, either, since deception derives its definition from truth (just as darkness derives its definition from light, by the absence of it). What Is Truth (i.e. Is There Such A Thing As Objective Reality?) The best argument I've heard on the topic of whether or not there is an objective reality comes from Dr Jason Lisle's "The Ultimate Proof of Creation" (which is a book, but here is his lecture on the argument https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aQ_UxcV-xcM). While there is an abundance of apologetic evidence for the scientific and historical accuracy of scripture (here's the first in an apologetics series I did on the subject, https://www.drlaurendeville.com/anthropic-fine-tuning/), Lisle points out that none of these arguments can be definitive, because someone who holds a different worldview can simply invoke a "rescuing device" to explain away any evidence that seems to contradict his own position. We all do this, and it's not necessarily a bad thing--for example, if someone points out an apparent contradiction in scripture, my first reaction isn't, "Oh, I guess the Bible is wrong!" Rather, I assume there's additional information I don't happen to know about yet, which resolves the apparent contradiction, and then I go look for it. Even if I can't find it at the time, I am still certain it exists, and someone will find it eventually. That's a rescuing device, to preserve an otherwise deeply held worldview without logical contradiction. The real key to establishing which worldview is correct lies in that last statement: "without logical contradiction." There are laws that govern the way the world and the universe works--laws that we all have to believe in and abide by in order to know anything at all. C.S. Lewis expounded on this concept in "Mere Christianity" (https://www.authorcagray.com/posts/mere-christianity/) with respect to morality, in particular--the idea that we all know that there are universal laws of decency and conduct, and we further know that we don't live up to them. But, that being the case, who made those laws? Where did they come from? He argues that their very existence necessitates a lawgiver. Lisle takes this argument further--the existence of non-moral rules that govern how the material world works, such as the laws of logic, and principles of math and science, are the presuppositions upon which all knowledge is based. Everyone has to abide by these, no matter what their worldview is, or it would be impossible to know anything at all. But who made those rules? Where did they come from? Why does math work? Why do we all assume the laws of logic in order to have a coherent conversation? This, too, necessitates a creator. Many who abide by laws of math, science, and logic (and morality, for that matter) don't happen to have a theistic worldview, but that in and of itself is a logical inconsistency; they can't account for those rules in their worldviews at all. They have to borrow from the theistic worldview in order to make any of their other arguments.  This is the very place where postmodernism diverges, though. If there is no objective reality, then knowledge of any kind doesn't exist. Most of those who hold this worldview at least believe in morality of some kind. Lewis's argument might be most relevant here--you'll never get someone persuaded by postmodernism and religious syncretism to argue that murder, or genocide, or racism are fine, for example. They know these are wrong because they "feel" them to be wrong--and they're not just wrong for them, they're wrong for everyone. Now we have at least one absolute... which necessitates a lawgiver not only for morality, but also for at least one logical law: that of non-contradiction. This already establishes the existence of an objective reality. If there is an objective reality, then necessarily, some statements about it must be true while others must be false. The world is round and not flat, for example. If a world exists at all, both things cannot be true about it at the same time and in the same way, simultaneously--that would be a logical contradiction. Which Objective Reality Is It? (Can Anybody Know?) If some objective reality does in fact exist, how do we know which one it is? How do we know that our senses are reliable, first of all, and that we're not living in a simulation a la "The Matrix," for instance--one in which the laws of morality, logic, math, and science are simply foundational to the code? This argument goes back to Descartes, who concluded that at the very least, he must exist after some fashion, because his consciousness told him he must. C.S. Lewis in "Mere Christianity" used a similar line of reasoning, arguing that if there were a deeper reality, one that created this reality, we couldn't possibly find out anything about it through our five senses. Of course we couldn't; those senses are of the physical world, and can thus only give us information about the physical world. Our consciousness, however, has no identifiable physical reality. (To this day, science cannot explain what consciousness actually is - https://www.drlaurendeville.com/electromagnetism-vital-force/.) So Lewis argues that, if there were anything knowable about the world beyond our own, the only place where we might possibly expect to find clues about it would be in our own consciousness. And there, in fact, we do find such clues: specifically, we all have a sense of right and wrong. While we might quibble about the details therein--someone might say that under such and such a condition, killing someone is not murder, for example--no one will seriously argue that murder is morally fine. One might have different rules surrounding the morals of sex, but nobody is going to say you can just have any person you like anytime you like. This establishes several things, according to his argument: the existence of a moral law outside of our reality, of how we ought to behave (even though we know we don't, or at least not always, and certainly not perfectly), which necessitates the implied existence of a law-giver. The very fact that we do not keep the law (even though we know we should) is the whole point of the law of the Old Testament, too (Romans 7)--but even those who didn't know the Old Testament were aware of the moral law to this extent, so that no one is without excuse (Romans 1:18-2:16). Once we know that there is a moral law, and that we're incapable of keeping it on our own, that narrows down the possible religions considerably. We must choose one that hinges on the concept of grace, not works. There is literally only one of those. (More on that in this podcast: https://www.drlaurendeville.com/relational-apologetics/). That's why we call Christianity the gospel, which means good news: the good news is that, while you can't make yourself righteous no matter how hard you try, you don't have to make yourself righteous because Jesus did it for you. All you have to do is accept what He did on your behalf. Once you've gotten to this place, now all the scientific apologetics (start here: https://www.drlaurendeville.com/anthropic-fine-tuning/) can fall into their proper place: as corroborating evidence for the Bible. But the Bible has to be philosophically established as authoritative first. Once we've established that the Bible is truth (John 17:17, Psa 25:5, Psa 91:4, Psa 96:13, 100:5, 117:2, 119:142, 151, 160; 138:2, Prov 3:3, Col 1:5), we've got to learn what it says--well enough that Satan can't take it out of context and feed it back to us, or add a tiny bit to it to change the meaning. That's exactly how he works, though. He even tried that with Jesus (Luke 4:1-13). Fortunately Jesus was the Word made flesh (John 1:14), so He didn't fall for it... but the less we actually know the scripture, the more vulnerable we'll be to this strategy. Knowing the Truth Well Jesus warned us that as the last days approach, Satan will double down on this strategy: that false prophets will rise up and deceive many (Matt 24:11), claiming to be Jesus returned (Mark 13:6), some with signs and wonders. At the same time, Revelation suggests that in the last days, the church will become apathetic, so prosperous materially that we will be unaware of our spiritual emptiness (Rev 3:14-22). (This sounds a lot like the seeds choked by thorns in Jesus' parable of the sower: the seed is choked by "the cares of this world and the deceitfulness of riches, and he becomes unfruitful", Matt 13:22). Peter tells us that "scoffers will come in the last days, walking according to their own lusts, and saying, 'Where is the promise of His coming? For since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of creation.'" (2 Peter 3:3-4). Paul tells us that the last days will be accompanied by a great "falling away" (2 Thess 2:3). Deception comes in many forms, but one thing they all have in common is that they act almost like a vaccine against the truth. There's just enough truth to them, mixed with a lot of untruth, that it's hard to tease apart the good from the bad. In that way, they can deceive "even the elect, if possible" (Matt 24:24, Mark 13:22). We protect against this, in a nutshell, by knowing the truth really, really well. This is the way bankers are trained to recognize counterfeit money: they don't study every possible counterfeit (there will always be a new one). Rather, they learn what the real thing looks like so well that they'll know when something seems off, even if they can't articulate what it is. In the same way, we're to renew our minds with the Word (Romans 12:2); that's how we will recognize truth from lies. Otherwise, it's all too easy for Satan to take a sliver of truth, mix it with a lie, and so deceive us. An Old Testament example of this is found in 2 Kings 18. The back story: in Numbers 21:6-9, the people had sinned, had come out from under the protection of God's covenant, and were dying from bites from poisonous snakes. God commanded Moses to make a bronze serpent on a pole, and told the people that if they would only look at the serpent, they would be healed. We know with hindsight that this was a type and shadow of Jesus, who was made sin for us, and became our substitutionary sacrifice ("by His stripes, we are healed," Isaiah 53:5). But the Jews didn't realize that; all they knew was that God ordained healing through looking at the pole, so the pole became a symbol of deliverance. But over the centuries, they made looking at the pole into a formula: the shadow without the substance of Jesus behind it. It became an idol, which they called Nehushtan. Back to 2 Kings 18, centuries later: verse 4 tells us that King Hezekiah had torn down the high places and broke Nehushtan in pieces. Later in the chapter, Judah is threatened with destruction by a messenger from the King of Assyria, Rabshakeh. This would have been especially terrifying, since Israel (by this point they has become two nations, Israel and Judah) had already been carried into captivity by Assyria, in punishment for the fact that the people kept falling into idolatry and had forsaken God. So when Rabshakeh threatened the people with destruction, he said, "You broke down God's symbols of worship! Why would He come through for you?" (2 Kings 18:22). The people of Judah had to know God and His word well enough to know that what Hezekiah did was actually right in God's eyes (2 Kings 18:5-7). God had originally ordained the serpent on the pole, yes, but the people had made it into an idol, which broke the first of the Ten Commandments. Hezekiah's actions had placed the Jews on the right side of God's covenant (Deut 28), so they, unlike their sister nation of Israel, could trust that God would come through for them. But if the people had not understood all the back story, they might easily have believed Rabshakeh's taunts. They could have lost faith that God would come through for them, convinced that they would go the way of Israel before them, and turned against Hezekiah, thinking he'd brought them out from under God's protection. This is how the enemy works. The serpent is subtle and cunning (Gen 3:1, 2 Cor 11:3-4). Satan tried to deceive Jesus not even by misquoting scripture, just by quoting it out of context (Matt 4:6). This happens to us today all the time. One common example is the teaching that God causes or (directly) allows sickness in order to discipline us, or to teach us something, or for the "greater good". This sounds so spiritual, and a host of out of context scriptures even seem to back it up--yet Deut 28 makes it clear that sickness is always considered a curse. Jesus became a curse for us and redeemed us from the curse (Gal 3:13-14), and even before that, He healed all who came to Him (Matt 15:30, Matt 4:23-24, Matt 8:16, Matt 9:35, Matt 10:1, Matt 12:15, Matt 15:30, Luke 4:40, Luke 10:9). Jesus He was a perfect representation of the Father (John 5:19, 5:30, 8:28, 12:49). So this cannot be right. He may take what the enemy meant for evil and turn it for good (Gen 50:20), but that doesn't mean He caused the evil in the first place. Not even close. (For more on this, see https://www.drlaurendeville.com/why-bad-things-happen-from-a-biblical-perspective/). Truth is the foundation of the spiritual armor (Eph 6:14)--it must go on first, before anything else. The Bible can testify to us that not only is the Word truth, but God is the God of truth (Isa 65:16), that Jesus is the truth (John 14:6). Only knowing the truth will make us free (John 8:32). If we focus on knowing the truth, we will recognize deception. It's important to also rely upon the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of truth (John 14:17, 15:26, 16:13, 1 John 5:6), to guide us, rather than on our own understanding (Prov 3:5-6), or the wisdom of the world (1 Cor 1:20-2:7), or any other spirit besides the Holy Spirit. The world is confused about what truth is (John 18:37-38) because they don't hear His voice--but we do. This shouldn't be a problem for us.  Cross-Reference What You Hear Along those lines, just because we hear a doctrine preached from the pulpit doesn't mean it's so. It's our responsibility to be like the Bereans in Acts 17--when Paul and Silas preached the word to them there, Luke writes of them, "These were more fair-minded than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness, and searched the Scriptures daily to find out whether these things were so. Therefore many of them believed" (Acts 17:11). They didn't just take Paul and Silas's word for it; they went straight to the source text to confirm it. Paul later wrote to the Galatians, "even if we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel to you than what we have preached to you, let him be accursed. As we have said before, so now I say again, if anyone preaches any other gospel to you than what you have received, let him be accursed" (Gal 1:8-9). He repeats himself, because this is so important. Forget him--even if an angel preaches it, let him be accursed! We are not to blindly follow any person simply because of his or her authority. (We're to respect authority of all kinds, Romans 13:1-7--that's a different issue. But when what someone in authority says comes in conflict with God's word, we obviously go with God's word, Acts 4:19). There are plenty of warnings about false teachers in scripture (though one important note here--there's a difference between a false teacher, and a good person doing his or her best who is simply flawed. None of us is going to get everything right. This is the reason why James says that not many should become teachers, as they will "receive a stricter judgment. For we all stumble in many things," James 3:1-2.)  A false teacher, though, is one who will distort the truth (Acts 20:29-30, 2 Peter 3:16), by mixing it with myths/fables (Titus 1:14) or "merely human commands" (Matthew 16:1-12) or the traditions of men (such as forbidding to marry, abstaining from certain foods, 1 Tim 4:3), according to the principles of the world (Col 2:4-8). They will pretend to be godly or moral, though (2 Cor 11:13-15, 2 Tim 6:5)--so we must use discernment. There are a few criteria we're given to distinguish a false teacher from just a flawed human being, in process like the rest of us: Anyone who denies that Jesus is the Christ is a false teacher (1 John 2:22-23, 4:2-3) Some may lie intentionally for their own gain (Deut 18:20, Ezekiel 13:9, Jer 14:14, Jer 23:16, Titus 1:10-11) or in hypocrisy (1 Tim 4:2-5), using "godliness" as a means of their own selfish gain. Others may be so blind that they truly believe they are doing God a favor in persecuting His true followers (John 16:2). Romans 16:18: Paul said in this verse that these individuals use good words and fair speeches and deceive the hearts of the simple. This means that they flatter people (2 Timothy 4:3) and appeal to the same selfish desires that they themselves have, to draw people after themselves (Acts 20:30). We can't judge another person's motives (Matthew 7:1-3), but we can, and should, judge the fruit of their lives and ministries (Matthew 7:15-20, 1 John 3:7-9). There are many who claim to be believers but aren't (Matthew 7:21-23) and they'll be among us until the end of the age, when God will finally separate them out (Matthew 13:24-30). Truth, "Signs," and Our Emotions We are the gatekeepers of our hearts (Prov 4:23), and have to guard its boundaries, careful of what we allow in. I always thought the parable of wheat and tares (Matthew 13:24-30) only referred to evil people sown amongst the good people of the church. But what if it also means good and bad ideas from good and bad spirits within a given individual-- in other words, we can bear good fruit and bad fruit from different 'trees' even within our own hearts? This might be why Jesus could tell Peter "get behind me Satan" (Matt 16:23) and James and John, "you don't know what spirit you are of" (Luke 9:55), but the men themselves were still His. This also probably goes along with the Parable of the Sower (Matt 13:3-15)... the 'tares' we allow into our own hearts are part of what can choke the word and render it unfruitful. Truth of course must correspond to an accurate description of reality (Gen 42:16)--which should negate any postmodernist philosophy, or syncretism, blending contradictory descriptions of reality. Once we know the truth, we are to continue in what we were taught (Col 2:6-7, 1 John 2:24), not mix a little Christianity with a little of some other contrary message. Paul rails against this practice in many of his letters. In 2 Cor 11:3-4, Paul is angry that the Corinthians' minds may be corrupted so that they receive the one preaching a different Jesus or gospel from the one he preached. In Galatians 1:6-9, as mentioned earlier, the Galatians are falling prey to a perverted gospel, and Paul curses those who preach such a gospel. In Eph 4:14, he writes that only "children" in Christ are tossed about by every wind and wave of doctrine, taken in by trickery and craftiness and deceit. We're supposed to guard against not just what we hear from other humans, but to test what the spirits say too--hence Paul's angel comment (Gal 1:8-9). John also tells us, "do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God" (1 John 4:1). In a lot of denominational churches that don't believe in the supernatural gifts of the spirit (1 Cor 12), this may not come up much. But in those that do, or for individuals who might ascribe to varieties of syncretism (believing in "signs from the universe" if they seem especially coincidental, perhaps), this will become important. Just because a prophet seems to be speaking from a supernatural source doesn't mean what they're saying is from God. It might be, but we have to test it. Just because an idea out of left field pops into our minds doesn't mean it was the Holy Spirit who put it there. Just because a black crow perches on a tree doesn't mean it's an omen foreshadowing our future. Just because we see the same state license plate on every car doesn't mean God is telling us to move there, etc. Solomon writes, “A simple man believes anything, but a prudent man gives thought to his steps” (Prov 14:15). Elsewhere "simple" is used as a synonym for "fool" (Prov 7:7, 8:5, 9:13). We have to remember that the physical world is a battleground. Until the earth lease is up, Satan is still technically the god of this world (2 Cor 4:4). So God can send us signs in the physical realm, yes--but so can Satan. God can whisper thoughts to our minds--but so can Satan (in fact, this is his primary tactic, 2 Cor 10:3-6). Peter writes that the scriptures are a "more sure word of prophecy" even than hearing an audible voice from heaven (2 Peter 1:19-21), probably for this exact reason: anything using the physical realm has the potential to be counterfeited. That doesn't mean God can't use physical means to communicate with us, but it's clear that the primary means He uses for His own are the scriptures, and the Holy Spirit (John 14:17, 26), who also often speaks to us by bringing the scriptures we know to our remembrance. He also will speak through the prophets (1 Cor 12:1-11), dreams and visions (Acts 2:17-18), but we have to check all of this against the Word. Scripture will divide between soul and spirit (what originates with us vs Him, Hebrews 4:12), as well as what might originate with a malevolent spirit sent to lead us astray. David tells us it's the scriptures that make the simple wise: "The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul: the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple" (Psalm 19:7). What if an idea comes to us as an idea, a dream, a vision, a prophecy, or a "synchronicity" moment that seems supernatural, and it's something that isn't addressed in scripture at all, though? How do we know if it's from God, from us, or from the enemy then? The first thing to check there is whether or not the message is consistent with God's character. Jesus said we can ask anything in His name and He will give it to us (John 14:14). What's in God's name (https://www.drlaurendeville.com/names-of-lord-psalm-9-9-10-meditation/)? He is Jehovah Nissi (the Lord my Banner), Jehovah-Raah (the Lord my Shepherd), Jehovah Rapha (the Lord that Heals), Jehovah Shammah (the Lord is There), Jehovah Tsidkenu (the Lord our Righteousness), Jehovah Mekoddishkem (the Lord who Sanctifies You), Jehovah Jireh (the Lord who Provides), Jehovah Shalom (the Lord is Peace), Jehovah Sabaoth (the Lord of Hosts).  The next thing to check is the fruit that message produces (Gal 5:19-23, Romans 8:6-8). God won't lead us into anything producing negative fruit--if the fruit is bad, it's from the flesh or the enemy, and not the Spirit. If it passes those tests, though, then as we continue to pray about the message (dream, vision, prophecy, idea, etc) then it's also biblical for us to ask for additional confirmations of the message--Paul says in 2 Cor 13:1 that every word should be established by two or three witnesses. If the message is from God, He'll make sure you know it. His Spirit guides us into all truth (John 16:13). And as you continue to seek Him and pray about it, peace (a fruit of the Spirit) should grow, confirming that the message comes from God (Col 3:15). Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

He was born into a Christian family at Nikopolis in Armenia. When he was eighteen his parents died, and with twelve other young men he established a small monastery. After a few years, much against his will he was made Bishop of Colonia, but he continued to live the ascetic life of a monk. After nine years of service as bishop, discouraged by the worldliness and intrigue around him, he secretly left for Jerusalem to live as a monk. He was divinely guided to the monastery of St Sabas, who received him and, knowing nothing of his rank, assigned him a lowly place among the new monks. Saint John cheerfully undertook whatever task was given to him and served the other monks in humility and silence. After completing his novitiate he was given a cell where he lived in total silence, fasting five days a week. On Saturdays and Sundays he joined the brethren for prayer, Communion and meals; but even at these times the other monks were edified by his silence and unceasing compunction. Saint Sabas desired to make him a priest and took him to be ordained by the Patriarch of Jerusalem. Saint John asked the Patriarch for a private meeting and explained that he could not be ordained because he was already a bishop. The Patriarch returned St John to St Sabas, telling him only that it was impossible for him to ordain John, who should be allowed to live in silence and solitude. Saint Sabas was perplexed (thinking that some sin prevented the monk from being ordained), but soon received a revelation of John's true rank.   After many years of reclusion, St John withdrew further to a cave in the desert for nine years. He became known as a divinely-enlightened counselor and a wonderworker, and cheerfully received all who came to him for guidance or prayer. In 509 he returned to the monastery, where he lived as an anchorite in his cell, communicating with the world only through one of his disciples. For many years he lived only on thin porridge, into which he would mix ashes. One day a disciple saw him pouring ashes into his food, and John abandoned the practice, not wanting to be known for the practice of any virtue.   Once he asked God for a sign revealing whether he would be granted to enter the Kingdom of Heaven. Taking a fig-seed, he placed it on a bare rock outside his cell. Without soil or water, the seed brought forth a plant, put forth leaves and flowers, and produced three figs, which St John shared with his disciples. The Saint then made ready for death. He reposed in peace, at the age of 104.

a procession the King of Death a resolution    Let's make a sure resolution to make Jesus the King of everything in our lives!

Psalm 23 Even though I walk in the valley of the shadow of death I will give you Thanks!  

Today we began reading the letter the Hebrews.  Many of its verses are full of meaning!  It is important to grasp the flow of reasoning – and not to take one phrase or sentence out of its context.  The writer was most probably Paul; but since it is written primarily for the Jews – and he had fallen out of favour with many of them because he worked among the Gentiles and was converting so many, but had not (as they thought he should) taught them to keep the Jewish laws and practices, Paul was unpopular. This may explain why this epistle (more suitable to call it a book) was circulated without the author being named. He starts by telling them “God spoke to the fathers by the prophets, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things” [1 v.2]  and “after making purification for sins (i.e. dying for our sins) he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, having become as much superior to angels as the name he has inherited is more excellent than theirs” [v.3,4]  It was Centuries later that theologians in the by then ‘Roman' church came up with the concept referred to as ‘the mystery of the Trinity' – and the man-made creeds which then resulted confuse human understanding. The creeds seem to have influenced translators a little  in their rendering of Greek prepositions, en, dia, etc, But read the total context and we will grasp the obvious flow of Paul's reasoning. Verse 8 is interesting, it is the only verse in the Bible in which Jesus is called ‘God.' (apart from when the astonished and doubting  Thomas said, “My Lord and My God”)  Verse 8 and 9  quote Psalm 45 verses 6 & 7 which prophesy about Jesus that “Your throne O God is forever and ever … you have loved righteousness and hated wickedness; therefore God, your God. has anointed you with the oil of gladness beyond your companions.”  Jesus represented God, he said, “Whoever has seen me has seen the Father” [John 14 v.9], but he wasn't the Father. In the same way in Old Testament times  angels represented God on special occasions. Do true believers represent Christ?  Well Jesus told Paul on the road to Damascus, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?” [Acts 9 v.4]. Jesus has “ransomed people for God … and you have made them a kingdom … and they shall reign on earth.” [Rev. 5 v.9,10] and will surely represent Christ in a special way at that time.  The 2nd chapter in Hebrews presents us with a heart-searching challenge and question, “… we must pay much closer attention to what we have heard, lest we drift away from it … how shall we escape if we neglect such a great salvation?” [v,1,3]     .

It's time we talked about Orthodoxy in more detail. I ask Father John Strickland to explain the Divine Liturgy, and it's Byzantine origins, to me.John is the pastor of an Orthodox Church in Poulsbo in Washington State. He has also written a four-volume series about the history of Christian civilization called Paradise and Utopia. And he's recorded a podcast of the same name as an accompaniment to the books. He also wrote the Making of Holy Russia: The Orthodox Church and Russian Nationalism before the Revolution. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

“You can't follow the path, if you don't know the destination!” John 14:6 (NLT) 6 Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me. Humility: Jesus and the Father (John 13:1-5) Holiness: Jesus and Peter (John 13:6-11) Happiness: Jesus and the Disciples […]

Twitter: @podgaverockInsta: @podgaverockSpecial Guest Hosts: Michael RusseckFather John Misty “I Guess Time Just Makes Fools Of Us All" from the 2024 album "Greatest Hits: I Followed My Dreams and My Dreams Said to Crawl". Released on Sub Pop Records. Written by Josh Tillman Drew Erickson and produced by Father John Misty and Drew Erickson.Personel:Drew Erickson - arrangerMichael Harris - recording engineerJonathan Wilson/Michael Harris - Mixing Engineer Adam Ayan - Mastering EngineerFather John Misty - vocalsCover:Performed by Josh BondIntro Music:"Shithouse" 2010 release from "A Collection of Songs for the Kings". Written by Josh Bond. Produced by Frank Charlton.Other Artists Mentioned:For the Kings “Turn It Off”Billie EilishBob Dylan “Simple Twist of Fate”Angel OlsenWeyes BloodMargo PriceMitskiLana Del ReyPink Floyd “Money”Bob Dylan “Stuck Inside Mobile With the Memphis Blues Again”Isaac Hayes “Shaft”Marvin Gaye “Inner City Blues”Marvin Gaye “What's Going On”Bobby WomackJonathan WilsonBB King “Thrill is Gone”The Animals “House of the Rising Sun”Kenny Rogers and the First Edition“Just Dropped In (What Condition My Condition Is In)”Martin ScorceseRay CharlesRay StevensLittle RichardFor the Kings “Mrs James”Ray LaMontagneTony CliftonKendrick LamarFather John Misty “Real Love, Baby”Father John Misty “I'm Writing A Novel”Father John Misty “Hollywood Forever Cemetary Sings”Father John Misty “I Love You, Honeybear”Father John Misty “Chloe and the next 20th Century”Neil Diamond “Sweet Caroline”Steely DanPete RoseCharlie Daniels Band “Devil Went Down To Georgia”Bob Dylan “Ballad of a Thin Man”Bob Dylan “Desolation Row”Bob Dylan “Tangled Up in Blue”Leonard CohenEagles “Hotel California”8 Bit ArcadeBob Dylan “Isis”

He lived in the desert of Skete (Scetis) in Egypt during the fourth century, the golden age of the Desert Fathers. Nothing is known of his life in the world. He spent many years as the disciple of Abba Ammoes, who was very severe with him. Once the Elder took a dry stick, stuck it in the sand, and commanded John to water it every day until it bore fruit. Though this was plainly impossible, John performed the task uncomplainingly, walking a great distance to fetch the water, for three years. At the end of that time, the stick bore fruit. Abba Ammoes brought it to church the following Sunday and called out to the brethren, "Come and eat the fruit of obedience!" Though he had never praised or thanked his disciple, before he died Abba Ammoes said of John, "He is an angel, not a man." After his elder's repose, Abba John withdrew further into the desert, devoting all his time to vigil and prayer. As he prayed he would weave baskets, which he sold to meet his few needs. Sometimes he was so rapt in prayer that he would keep weaving until the basket reached an absurd size, filling his cell.   When, after many years, Abba John was delivered from all evil thoughts, Abba Poemen (commemorated August 27) told him to pray to God for another temptation to struggle against, for only in this way does the soul make progress. He rejoiced when he was insulted, was never known to be angry with anyone, and would run away as fast as he could if he ever saw men quarreling. He reposed in peace.   "Pray earnestly with compunction and vigilance. Pay no attention to the faults of others. Do not measure yourself against other people, for you are lower than every creature." — Abba John the Dwarf

In this week's episode, Father Mike and Father John take up the concept of self-reliance, one that has made its way into the Catholic spiritual lexicon but not found in the tradition. To do so, they will bring the Transcendentalist Ralph Waldo Emerson, who champions the term, into conversation with the Catholic novelist Sigrid Undset. As a male companion to "Kristin's Resentment" (episode #288, May 2017), their hope is to draw out the deeper meaning of self-reliance in Undset's Olav Audunssøn without spoiling the plot!