Podcasts about first cause

"The Cosmological argument is a family of arguments that seek to demonstrate the existence of a Sufficient Reason or First Cause of the existence of the cosmos... The kalam cosmological argument traces its roots to the efforts of early Christian theologians who, out of their commitment to the biblical teaching of creation ex nihilo, sought to rebut the Aristotelian doctrine of the eternity of the universe." The argument is extremely simple: 1. Everything that begins to exist has a cause. 2. The universe began to exist. 3. Therefore, the universe has a cause. This is part 2 of our apologetics study as we work through "The Blackwell Companion to Natural Theology." James Sinclair, co-author of the chapter on the kalam cosmological argument with William Lane Craig, joins the show to discuss the scientific evidence in support of premise 2. We look at the FRW mode, astronomical evidence for the Big Bang, the Hawking-Penrose singularity theorems, the BVG theorem, quantum gravity approaches, and the exceptions to each of these approaches. Come join the conversation and bring your questions! James D. Sinclair (MS Physics Texas A&M, BS Physics Carnegie-Mellon) is a senior anti-air warfare analyst for the United States Navy with a specialty in the constructive (digital only) modeling of air-to-air combat. Some career accomplishments include analytical support for the fielding of the AIM-9X Sidewinder missile, combat utility evaluation of the F-35 Lighting II, and presentations at public symposia such as the Military Operations Research Society (MORS) and the Combat Identification Systems Conference (CISC). He began to interview cosmologists in the early 2000s on the topic of the beginnings of the universe, bringing Navy knowledge integration methods to the formulation known as the Kalam Cosmological Argument. This ultimately led to a collaboration with philosopher William Lane Craig and two co-authored articles: “The Kalam Cosmological Argument,” in The Blackwell Companion to Natural Theology and “On Non-Singular Spacetimes and the Beginning of the Universe,” in Scientific Approaches to the Philosophy of Religion. He also co-authored the article "Fine-Tuning and Indications of Transcendent Intelligence" with Robert Spitzer.

Do you know an atheist, agnostic, or any believer with doubts? Join Dan and Archie as they discuss the Cosmological (or "First Cause") argument in this episode of Holy Spirit Soapbox.Verses mentioned in this episode:-Genesis 1:1-4-1 Peter 3:15-16Music by Alex Grohl "Catching Rays" via https://www.pixabay.comVisual Art Credit: https://www.canva.comSupport the showFor more information and to check out our other episodes, visit us at https://holyspiritsoapbox.buzzsprout.com/ or search "Holy Spirit Soapbox" on YouTube.

There are those who say they can only believe in something they can observe and measure in nature, and therefore do not believe in a supernatural God. However, there are also those of us who are compelled to believe in a First Mover or Orderer of all things in our scientific cause to find out why and how all things exist and function.

I read from firm to first-class.     "First Cause" is trying to prove the existence of God using science, but I'm not convinced.  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unmoved_mover#First_cause https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cosmological_argument     The word of the episode is "first aid".     Use my special link https://zen.ai/thedictionary to save 30% off your first month of any Zencastr paid plan.    Create your podcast today! #madeonzencastr     Theme music from Tom Maslowski https://zestysol.com/     Merchandising! https://www.teepublic.com/user/spejampar     "The Dictionary - Letter A" on YouTube   "The Dictionary - Letter B" on YouTube   "The Dictionary - Letter C" on YouTube   "The Dictionary - Letter D" on YouTube   "The Dictionary - Letter E" on YouTube   "The Dictionary - Letter F" on YouTube     Featured in a Top 10 Dictionary Podcasts list! https://blog.feedspot.com/dictionary_podcasts/     Backwards Talking on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLmIujMwEDbgZUexyR90jaTEEVmAYcCzuq     https://linktr.ee/spejampar dictionarypod@gmail.com https://www.facebook.com/thedictionarypod/ https://www.threads.net/@dictionarypod https://twitter.com/dictionarypod https://www.instagram.com/dictionarypod/ https://www.patreon.com/spejampar https://www.tiktok.com/@spejampar 917-727-5757

It's Friday, February 14th, A.D. 2025. This is The Worldview in 5 Minutes heard on 125 radio stations and at www.TheWorldview.com.  I'm Adam McManus. (Adam@TheWorldview.com) By Adam McManus and Jonathan Clark Myanmar's military bombed Catholic cathedral The ruling military regime in Myanmar bombed a newly designated Catholic cathedral earlier this month, reports International Christian Concern. The Sacred Heart of Jesus Church, located in Mindat, Chin State, was designated as a cathedral by Pope Francis on January 25 — just two weeks before it was bombed on February 6. The bombing destroyed the cathedral's roof and blew out the windows, rendering the building unusable. Fortunately, the area had been evacuated in anticipation of the attack, and no deaths were reported. Chin State is the country's only Christian-majority state, with about 85% of the population ascribing to the faith. Nearly 90% of Myanmar's overall population is Buddhist. According to Open Doors, Myanmar is the 13th most dangerous country worldwide for Christians. More Evangelicals growing in number in Costa Rica Evangelical Focus reports that a new study shows Evangelicals are increasing in Costa Rica, an historically Catholic country. Fifty percent of the Central American country's population identify as Catholic. Thirty-three percent identify as Evangelical.  This comes despite 73% of respondents saying they were raised Catholic and 23% saying they were raised Evangelical.  Evangelical Costa Ricans are also more likely to be younger and attend church weekly. One-third of world's population now identify as Christian Lifeway Research shared several encouraging trends for global Christianity this year based on a report from Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary. First, the number of Christians continues to grow, reaching 2.64 billion this year, about one-third of the world's population. Second, the growth of the religiously unaffiliated is slowing and even projected to decrease in the coming decades. Third, Evangelicals are the fastest growing Christian group, projected to reach 620 million by 2050.  Fourth, Christianity is growing the fastest in the Global South, especially in Africa and Asia. Africa is projected to have the largest Christian population by 2050.  And fifth, the percentage of the world's population without access to the Gospel has fallen to 27%. That's down from 54% in 1900. Psalm 22:27-28 says, “All the ends of the world shall remember and turn to the LORD, and all the families of the nations shall worship before You. For the kingdom is the LORD's, and He rules over the nations.” RFK, Jr confirmed as Trump's Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., whose nomination by President Donald Trump as Secretary of Health and Human Services was highly scrutinized by lawmakers, was confirmed to that post by the Senate on February 13 in a 52–48 vote, reports The Epoch Times. PRESIDING OFFICER: “On this vote, the yeas are 52, the nays are 48. The confirmation is confirmed.” Republican Senator Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, a polio survivor who previously voiced concerns about Kennedy's vaccine views, voted against confirming Kennedy. He was the only Republican to cast a no vote. Kennedy will head the Department of Health and Human Services, which manages 13 agencies, including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and the National Institutes of Health. Kennedy has promised significant changes throughout the department which has a $1.8 trillion dollar annual budget. Under the “Make America Healthy Again” campaign, Kennedy aims to curtail what he calls the chronic disease epidemic, removing toxic chemicals from the nation's food supply, overhauling dietary guidelines, and taking aim at ultra-processed foods, reports FoxNews.com. The Children's Health Defense founder has also called for a review of advertising rules for pharmaceutical companies and has urged Trump to ban pharmaceutical advertising on TV. He also believes in eliminating liability protections for drug companies. Kennedy told The Epoch Times in September that he would revamp the National Institutes of Health to focus on the causes of autism, autoimmune diseases, and neurodevelopment diseases instead of developing drugs and serving as an incubator for pharmaceutical products. RFK, Jr.: “God sent me President Trump” Before Robert F. Kennedy, Jr was sworn in as the new Secretary of Health and Human Services in the Oval Office, he offered praise for Trump's gutsy leadership. KENNEDY: “For 20 years, I'm up every morning on my knees and prayed that God would put me in a position where I can end the childhood, chronic disease epidemic in this country. On August 23 of last year, God sent me President Trump. “He's kept every promise that he's made to me. I'm so grateful to you, Mr. President. A lot of people told me that I couldn't trust President Trump. I better get it in writing, and we did a handshake, and everything that he told me he was going to do, he has done. “I genuinely believe that you are a pivotal historical figure, and you are going to transform this country. President Trump has promised to restore the American Dream in this country. A healthy person has a thousand dreams. A sick person only has one. 60% of our population has only one dream – that they get better. “President Trump has promised that he's going to restore America's strength. But we can't be a strong nation if we have a weak citizenry. 60% of our people are sick. 77% of our children cannot qualify for military service. “We need a man on a white horse now. We need somebody who is willing to come in and has the spine and the guts and the strength to challenge orthodoxies, to stand in the way of vested interests, and to break institutions that have turned against our democracy. President Trump has shown again and again that he is that hero. We need a revolutionary figure, and you are that figure. And I'm very grateful for you for giving me this opportunity.” Wikipedia founder comes to Christ And finally, Larry Sanger, the 56-year-old co-founder of Wikipedia in 2001 who grew up in the Lutheran Church, has been a lifelong religious skeptic until his conversion to the Christian faith in 2020, reports The Christian Post. An agnostic, he became intrigued by philosophical arguments for God's existence, particularly the "First Cause" argument, according to a new blog on his personal website. He began to personally study the Scriptures for himself, downloaded the YouVersion Bible app, “and immediately made Bible study a serious hobby.”  Christian apologists Stephen Meyer and William Lane Craig made him think deeply. After devouring the four gospels, Sanger said in 2020, “I should admit to myself that I now believe in God, and pray to God properly.” 2 Corinthians 5:17 says, "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new." Close And that's The Worldview on this Friday, February 14th in the year of our Lord 2025. Subscribe by Amazon Music or by iTunes or email to our unique Christian newscast at www.TheWorldview.com. Or get the Generations app through Google Play or The App Store. I'm Adam McManus (Adam@TheWorldview.com). Seize the day for Jesus Christ.

Is the Bible full of contradictions and errors of logic and science? Can we trust the Bible as a reliable information source from the First Cause of creation, or is it just a primitive book full of fallacious myths and religious superstitions? We will address those questions and more on this week's podcast, including:Is the Bible untrustworthy because it was written by men?Can we rely on the information in a book that was written thousands of years ago?Doesn't the Bible condone slavery, oppression of women, and other unjust practices?Hasn't the content of the Bible changed and been tampered with over the years?Isn't the Bible full of contradictions?There are so many interpretations of the Bible, how can we know which (if any) are correct?If the Bible is from an all-knowing God, why doesn't it answer ALL the mysteries of the universe?

Is the Bible the Word of God? Can we prove that it came from the First Cause of the universe? We learned in the last podcast that the First Cause has to consist of the causeless principles of righteousness and justice that it must be ALWAYS and COMPLETELY right and just. And that's ALL  we can definitively know about the First Cause based SOLELY on human understanding. Any other information about it would have to come from the First Cause itself. Is there such an information source?  Obviously, Christians believe that information source is the Bible, but they are not alone.  ALL belief systems, religious and secular, believe that they have information from the First Cause. But which of them (if any) are right? And can the information be objectively proven to be from the First Cause? On this podcast:The various belief systems that claim to have knowledge about and from the First CauseA contrastive comparison of that knowledge and information based on what we already know about the First CauseHow the Bible is unique from all the other “holy books”Some controversies about the BibleHow my snarky college professor inspired Faith By ReasonJoin the Faith By Reason Patreon for bonus episodes, and private Bible Studyat www.patreon.com/faithbyreason

Was the cause of existence natural, or supernatural?  IF the universe had a First Cause, then understanding everything we can about it will get us closer to an answer to the question we asked last week -  "What's the point of existence?" In this week's podcast, we begin to explore what we can know about the First Cause.Have time, space, matter, and energy always existed, or did they have a beginning?Did the universe come into existence in accordance to the natural laws of physics?If not, then what can we say about the First Cause of existence?What are the laws that govern existence?Why a messy room is proof that the universe cannot be infiniteHow the First Cause is OUTSIDE of time and space (and what that means)Related Links:Super.  Natural.Where and When

Psalm 24 The Range of Worship (vv. 1-2) The fullness of worship The foundation of worship The Requirements of Worship (vv. 3-6) Our part Pure hands Pure heart His part Blessing Righteousness The Reception of Worship (vv. 7-10) Lift up our heads: attention Lift up our doors: welcome More to Consider What is worship? Worship is to feel in your heart and express in some appropriate manner a humbling but delightful sense of admiring awe and astonished wonder and overpowering love in the presence of that most ancient Mystery, that Majesty which philosophers call the First Cause, but which we call Our Father Which Are in Heaven. A.W. Tozer, quoted in D.J. Fant, A.W. Tozer, Christian Publications, 1964, p. 90. True biblical worship so satisfies our total personality that we don't have to shop around for man-made substitutes. William Temple made this clear in his masterful definition of worship: For worship is the submission of all our nature to God. It is the quickening of conscience by His holiness; the nourishment of mind with His truth; the purifying of imagination by His beauty; the opening of the heart to His love; the surrender of will to His purpose -- and all of this gathered up in adoration, the most selfless emotion of which our nature is capable and therefore the chief remedy for that self-centeredness which is our sin and the source of all actual sin. Warren W. Wiersbe,The Integrity Crisis, Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1991. Barclay quotes William Temple, the renowned archbishop of Canterbury, as defining worship as quickening the conscience by the holiness of God, feeding the mind with the truth of God, purging the imagination by the beauty of God, opening the heart to the love of God, and devoting the will to the purpose of God Matthew R. Mounce. I think we delight to praise what we enjoy because the praise not merely expresses but completes the enjoyment; it is its appointed consummation. If it were possible for a created soul fully to 'appreciate,' that is, to love and delight in, the worthiest object of all, and simultaneously at every moment to give this delight perfect expression, then that soul would be in supreme blessedness. To praise God fully we must suppose ourselves to be in perfect love with God, drowned in, dissolved by that delight which, far from remaining pent up within ourselves as incommunicable bliss, flows out from us incessantly again in effortless and perfect expression. Our joy is no more separable from the praise in which it liberates and utters itself than the brightness a mirror receives is separable from the brightness it sheds. C.S. Lewis.

This episode explores in detail one of the most important features of Marxist and communist ideology -- redefining terms. This practice has been a key element in deceiving tens of millions of people into accepting communism's false and quasi-religious beliefs. The counterproposal section presents a key element needed for countering Marxism-Leninism -- understanding the nature of the First Cause of the universe. The news section details how the Chinese Communist Party is using its United Front Work Department to infiltrate and influence state governments. The last portion of the podcast replays an important speech given in 2020 by then-Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on CCP targeting state governments for influence activities. A must-listening program!

Father in heaven, thank you for this moment. We are here by your grace! Your Word open before us and your Spirit active in us. Speak to us, we pray, in Jesus's name, amen.Today we're starting a new series in the Old Testament book of Numbers, and I just want to go ahead and tell you that this book is going to surprise you. If you've read the Book of Numbers before you may have noticed that, unsurprisingly, there's a lot of numbers. There are two big census reports of Israel in Chapter 1 and Chapter 26, and there's also a few parts that might be a little hard to understand, but mainly, this book is packed with action and suspense … There is conflict and resolution, obedience and rebellion, espionage and war, celebration and complaint, blessings and curses — There is meat that falls from the sky, the ground that swallows men alive, a rock that gushes water, poisonous snakes that kill people, and a donkey that talks. It's an amazing book, and the main point overall is that we might learn how to live with God on the road. The ultimate goal of everything (and I mean everything) is that God's glory be magnified in our hearts being satisfied in all that he is for us in Christ — and that means that God is our God and we are his people, and he is with us forever. That's what heaven is! That's home, Christian! But we're not there yet. For right now, we are on the road, we're still on a journey, and the Book of Numbers is meant to help us. We're gonna be in this book over the next 11 weeks, and what I'd like to do today is give you a short introduction to this book as a whole. And I want to tell you three things that the Book of Numbers is gonna help you do (and this goes for everyone, but I'm especially thinking about those of you who heard we were doing a series on Numbers and thought, “Oh man, Numbers??”. Here are three things you can prepare to do in response to this book:Enter the wildHear the wordHeed the warningAnd before we look closer at these three things, I want to make sure we're all on same page when it comes to the storyline. For the last several years we've been working our way through the Torah, the first five books of the Old Testament. Numbers is book #4 of 5, and it only makes sense if we understand it in the context of these other books. So let's back up for a second and remember where we are.GenesisEverything starts in Genesis 1:1 — “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth…” God is the First Cause. He's the Unmoved Mover. He is dependent on nothing, but all things are dependent upon him, which magnifies his glory. After Adam's fall into sin, the entire world was corrupted and broken, but God, by his grace, was determined to have a people who lived under his blessing. And so he chose Abraham and blessed him — God said: I will bless you and make you a blessing; through your offspring all the families of the earth will be blessed, and your descendants will be as many as the stars (Genesis 12:1–3; 15:5–6). And God also promised him a certain land — the land of the Canaanites (Gen. 12:7; 15:18–21; 26:1–5; 28:4; 35:12). God repeats this promise to Isaac and then to Jacob. Jacob's name is changed to Israel, and he has 12 sons.Exodus Fast-forward to the Book of Exodus, and all the children of Israel had migrated to Egypt because of a famine; they had grown in number, which threatened Pharaoh, so he makes them slaves, but then God raises up Moses to lead the people out of Egypt in the exodus. God does this dramatically, through many signs and wonders, executing judgment on the false gods of Egypt (see Num. 33:4). The people of Israel escape, through the Red Sea, and they journey to Mount Sinai. And Mount Sinai is the place where God comes down on the mountain to speak with Moses. God gives Israel the law and instructions for the tabernacle, which will be God's dwelling place among his people. God will be with his people, but how? That's the vital question that emerges in the story. How will this Holy God, Creator of all things, dwell with this sinful people? — because one thing that becomes clear by the end of the Book of Exodus is that the people of Israel are sinful. They grumble about almost everything. They're bent away from God. So how can a people like that have a relationship with this God? Leviticus That's the big question that Leviticus takes on, and the answer is atonement. The Day of Atonement is the center of the Book of Leviticus, and Leviticus is the center of the Torah. Through blood sacrifice, the people's sins can be forgiven and they can worship God — they can live with God's presence at the center of their lives! God makes a way for sinners to be close to him, and this is all pointing to the gospel of Jesus Christ. That's Leviticus.NumbersAnd now here is Numbers. For location and timing, Numbers opens and the people of Israel are still in the wilderness of Sinai. This is continuing the Book of Exodus. Numbers 1 picks up where Exodus 40 left off. So Leviticus comes between Exodus and Numbers because of its theme, but in terms of timing, Numbers happens right after Exodus. The people of Israel had built the Tabernacle and received the law, and now they're just about to set out on a journey from the wilderness of Sinai to the Promised Land (that same land that God promised Abraham back in Genesis).They're leaving from where they are (Mount Sinai) to go to their promised home, but they don't want to leave the presence of Yahweh. That's the whole point of the Tabernacle — it's a mobile dwelling place for God. The people must have God go with them — as a cloud by day and fire by night. And this is the answer to Moses's prayer going back to Exodus 33. Remember God promised Moses, “My presence will go with you”, and Moses said to God — one of the high points of Scripture — Moses said,“If your presence will not go with me, do not bring us up from here. 16 For how shall it be known that I have found favor in your sight, I and your people? Is it not in your going with us, so that we are distinct, I and your people, from every other people on the face of the earth?” 17 And the Lord said to Moses, “This very thing that you have spoken I will do …” (vv. 15–17)So the Book of Numbers focuses in on God's holy presence going with his people, even as they go deeper into the wilderness. That's where we are.Three things this book will help you do …1. Enter the WildBack in 1992 there was a guy named Chris McCandless who died of starvation in an abandoned bus on Stampede Trail in Alaska. If you've seen the movie or watched the documentary or read the book, you know the story. He graduated at the top of his class at Emory University, but gave away all his money and accomplishments to become a vagabond, and he ended up hitchhiking to Alaska — because he wanted to be deep in the wild. He wanted the adventure of the wilderness and it killed him, and he's been criticized for this. Apparently, he was ill-prepared and under-equipped for where he went. He went hiking and didn't even have a map, and sadly, if he did have a map he would have seen that he wasn't as remote as he thought. With a map, he could have easily walked out from where he was to safety. So this a tragic story — it was an avoidable death in the wilderness.And we're actually gonna see this same thing in the Book of Numbers. The people of Israel are also in the wilderness — but it's not because they want to be — they're in the wilderness because God leads them there to test them, because he wants their faith. All they have to do is trust him, but they don't, and therefore a whole generation of Israel does not make it out alive. A big part of the story of Numbers is a whole generation of people dying an avoidable death in the wilderness. That's what the wild can do to you. And this is important for us because, similar to Israel, we as Christians are currently in the wild. It might not feel like we are, but it's true. Notice in verse 1 we're told that the story of Numbers is taking place after God rescued his people from Egypt. The events of this book are after salvation but before making it home. The in-between. That's where the wilderness is, and that's where we are.As Christians, we also live after salvation and before making it home. Jesus has rescued us — he has died for us and been raised from the dead, we are free in him — but we're not in heaven yet. This is the in-between. We need to recognize that we've entered the wild … and not all of us make it out.And I'm just being honest with you. I've been a Christian long enough to know some tragic stories of people who fall away … and it's all avoidable. But how? We've entered the wild, and now we ask: How do we make it through the wild?2. Hear the WordNow in our English Bibles, we call the Book of Numbers Numbers, but in the Hebrew Bible it's known as bĕmidbar — which means “in the wilderness.” Those are the very first words of Numbers in the Hebrew Bible. The book starts: “In the wilderness Yahweh spoke to Moses.”And one fascinating little detail in the Hebrew that we can't see in English is that the words for “wilderness” and “spoke” in that first sentence sound the same. The Hebrew word for “wilderness” (or desert) is midbar; and the Hebrew word for “spoke” (or word) is dibbur — midbar … dibbur. This would be like us saying wild and word. Wild … word. They kinda sound the same.And ancient Jewish interpreters picked up on the wordplay here — that the words just don't sound the same, but they're closely connected in this story. And this connection is made plain in the Book of Deuteronomy, the book right after Numbers.In Deuteronomy Chapter 8, reflecting back on the Book of Numbers, Moses says:2 And you shall remember the whole way that the Lord your God has led you these forty years in the wilderness, that he might humble you, testing you to know what was in your heart, whether you would keep his commandments or not. 3 And he humbled you and let you hunger and fed you with manna, which you did not know, nor did your fathers know, that he might make you know that man does not live by bread alone, but man lives by every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord.I want you to get this, and this is a little bit of spoiler, but here it goes: the only way that Israel can live in the wild is to listen to the word. And if we had to capture that in a single idea it would be the idea of guidance. I think that's what we could call the overall theme of the Book of Numbers. If Genesis is Beginnings, Exodus is Rescue, Leviticus is Atonement, Numbers would be Guidance. That's what it means when God's presence goes with his people. Where God guides, the people go. And that includes literal direction in this story, but it's also more than that. God's guidance is moral — he is showing his people how to live together as his people, under his care, trusting him everyday. That's what guidance is for.Need Guidance?Anybody in here need any guidance? Do you think our lives in this world, in the in-between, need to be guided by God?Absolutely. This is why God has given us the Bible — we have his word to us in Holy Scripture!Look, we have get over our worry about legalism when it comes to daily Bible reading. Can we just grow up out of that? Settle this: reading the Bible is not what makes God love you. Okay? Settled. And, now … I don't know how you survive as a Christian without reading the Bible.We need God's word for the life of faith like we need oxygen. Don't think about Bible reading as a duty, but think: Do I want to breathe?You're not reading just to read; you're not trying to check a box, but you need to know how to live in this world. You need to hear from God on how to live in the wild! We need God's guidance! And there's a book for that. God has given us his word.Church, hear the word. 3. Heed the WarningThe Book of Numbers can be divided up or outlined in a couple of different ways, and one way is to see the book as really the story of two generations. The first generation goes from Chapter 1 through 18; and the second generation from Chapter 20 through 36.The second generation is faithful and they make it to the Promised Land, but the first generation is faithless and they die in the wilderness. Numbers is a fascinating book in and of itself, but then we also have the New Testament, and in the book of 1 Corinthians Chapter 10, the apostle Paul makes some comments about the Book of Numbers that are pretty important. In 1 Corinthians 10 most English Bibles put a little heading there that says something like “Warning Against Idolatry” because that's what Paul is doing. He gives a warning, and look where he goes:In verses 1–5 he talks about that first generation in Numbers. God had rescued them from Egypt; they had seen God's provision, nevertheless, verse 5: “with most of them God was not pleased, for they were overthrown in the wilderness.” That was the first generation — we're gonna study all about this over the next several weeks. But notice what Paul says in verse 6.1 Corinthians 10:6,“Now these things took place [the events in Numbers — these things took place] as examples for us, that we might not desire evil as they did.”Again, look at verse 11: “Now these things happened to them as an example, but they were written down for our instruction, on whom the end of the ages has come.”And that word for “instruction” could also be translated as “warning.” Paul is saying that the purpose of this book — the reason the events of Numbers were written down — was so that we Christians would read it as a cautionary tale! Verse 12: “Therefore let anyone who thinks that he stands take heed lest he fall.”According to the apostle Paul, this is the attitude we should bring to this book. Sober up, church! Listen closely! Take heed! Do not be like the first generation in Numbers.In short, flee idolatry. Flee IdolatryPaul mentions idolatry twice here, in verse 7 and verse 14. And that tells us that, fundamentally, Israel's problem of unbelief in Numbers was a failure to obey the first commandment: “You shall have no other gods before me” (Exodus 20:3).That was the real reason behind all their grumbling and suspicion — they didn't worship the true God! And this all comes to light in Numbers 25.Numbers 25 is the last event of the first generation, (right before Chapter 26 gives us the census for the new generation). And in Chapter 25, this is verse 1:“While Israel lived in Shittim, the people began to whore with the daughters of Moab. 2 These invited the people to the sacrifices of their gods, and the people ate and bowed down to their gods. 3 So Israel yoked himself to Baal of Peor.”Now this is eerily similar to Exodus 32 when Israel made the golden calf, except this is worse! In Exodus 32, the people clearly break the second commandment, “You shall not make for yourself a carved image” (Exodus 20:4), but here in Numbers 25 they're not making images, they are literally putting other gods before Yahweh!It's like Numbers has pulled back the layers and got to the real issue. The people of Israel have not learned from their sin in Exodus 32, but they've doubled down in it. They've dug in their heels to make clear they want other gods besides Yahweh — which is disgusting and ridiculous and terrifying.We don't want to do that! We must flee idolatry! And in the Book of Numbers, we're gonna learn how to flee. We are going to heed Paul's warning and we're going to reject idolatry.And so we should expect a kind of testing through this book over the next several weeks.And I want to invite all of us, through this series, to open our hearts to God, and ask him to search us. We want him to expose any idols we might be harboring. Is there anything that we might want more than God?Questions to ConsiderAnd to get us started with that heart attitude, I'd like to close with some self-assessment questions. And I know this is a little different. We've never done this before, but this is an intro sermon. I want us to prepare for this book, and so here are a few questions for us to think about…(1) When it comes to entering the wild …Do you demonstrate a recognition that this world is not your home? How does your life show that you're on a journey to heaven?(2) When it comes to hearing the word …Are you determined to love what God loves and to do what God says? How often do you look to God for guidance?(3) When it comes to heeding the warning …Is Jesus your all-consuming passion and all-satisfying treasure? If he's not, who is?The TableThe Book of Numbers is a kind of call to action. It's an “on your feet” book, but the action is faith, and faith is the empty-handed embrace of who God is. We bring nothing to him, and this Table reminds us of that.We come to him, hands open, to receive his grace, to lean on his mercy, to rest in his love, which he has shown us most vividly in the death of Jesus for us. This Table reminds us of that, and we give God thanks for the gospel.

Colette Michaan is a flutist, bandleader, and producer who was born and raised in New York City by immigrant parents from Egypt and Syria. She is intercultural in her origins, history, identity, relations and resonances, and her music has naturally been informed by many cultures. Colette has always loved how music undeniably engages people across borders. While performing Jazz and Latin music, primarily, Colette explored many genres, by collaborating with musicians in Africa, Asia, South America, and the Caribbean. Colette has been performing locally and internationally with her own band, as well as with other artists since the late 1970's. Her self-produced recordings include First Cause (2004), Querencia (2010), Incarnate/Encarna (2014), Heaven & Earth (2017); Earth Rebirth (2023). Each album reflects a milestone in her ongoing process, and can be heard on all major streaming platforms. Colette's work is inspired by something traditional, something original, and something new. “I play music that expresses my personal journey. My intention is to inspire joy, to move people to feel, enjoy, reflect, to come together and celebrate life!” https://www.colettemichaan.com http://wijsf.org  

“The Lord trieth the righteous.” — Psalm 11:5 All events are under the control of Providence; consequently all the trials of our outward life are traceable at once to the great First Cause. Out of the golden gate of God's ordinance the armies of trial march forth in array, clad in their iron armour, and […]

Want to Start or Grow a Successful Business? Schedule a FREE 13-Point Assessment with Clay Clark Today At: www.ThrivetimeShow.com Join Tim Tebow, LIVE and in-person at Clay Clark's December 5th & 6th 2024 Thrivetime Show Business Workshop!!! Learn Branding, Marketing, SEO, Sales, Workflow Design, Accounting & More **Request Tickets & See Testimonials At: www.ThrivetimeShow.com**Request Tickets Via Text At (918) 851-0102 See the Thousands of Success Stories and Millionaires That Clay Clark Has Helped to Produce HERE: https://www.thrivetimeshow.com/testimonials/ Download A Millionaire's Guide to Become Sustainably Rich: A Step-by-Step Guide to Become a Successful Money-Generating and Time-Freedom Creating Business HERE: www.ThrivetimeShow.com/Millionaire See Thousands of Case Studies Today HERE: www.thrivetimeshow.com/does-it-work/  

With Work ranging from Architecture to Acting, from Fine Art to Feature Screenplays, Creativity has not just been a passion of Robin Chappell, but a Way of Life (even Force of Life, as he believes that Creativity is the First Cause and the Whole of Being for all of Us). In his adult years, his work has spanned eight Creative fields, and his life is not over yet.With his Art Work to his Writing to his Film Production company, his work seeks to both entertain as well as act as an avenue of furthering Higher Consciousness on the Planet. His scripts and the Novel Adaptations that he is currently bringing into the world, work on the level of entertainment as well as having that Higher content embedded in, but not overpowering them. Mainstream subtly influencing the Mountain.From ageism/sexism to science fiction/"horror" genres, his Metaphysical Fiction, (aka "Transformational Media") seeks to reach a greater audience, one that values content but also wants to be entertained.He seeks to embody his brand, "The Leonardo daVinci of the Twenty-First Century."Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/inspiring-stories--2917948/support.

Pastor Klika – June, 16, 2024 – 45:07

https://youtu.be/BjucTupxJLs

Welcome back to the Salty Pastor Podcast, where we delve deep into the rational foundations of faith. In this episode, we navigate the cosmos to explore one of the most compelling arguments for God's existence: the Cosmological Argument.Dr. Douglas Peake takes us on a journey from ancient philosophy to modern astrophysics, illuminating the path that leads to the logical conclusion of a First Cause. We'll dissect the principles of causation, diving into why everything that begins to exist must have a cause and how the universe's inception points to an uncaused, transcendent Creator.Join us as we analyze the historical and scientific roots of the Cosmological Argument, from Aristotle's observations to the Big Bang theory, showcasing the harmony between faith and science. Discover how this argument stands robust against the critiques and remains a pillar in the rational discourse of God's existence.Engage with profound questions about the universe's origin and the nature of the First Cause. Is it possible that the intricacies of our cosmos, expanding and cooling, can be explained without a divine architect? We'll challenge the skepticism of renowned atheists and uncover the inherent rationality in acknowledging a Creator.Tune in to this enlightening episode where logic meets the cosmos, and the mysteries of the universe unveil the undeniable presence of a divine orchestrator. It's not just about proving God's existence; it's about understanding the fundamental truths that govern our reality.

Everything outside of planet earth we call “space” or “outer space.” This inversion is about reclaiming wonder for “the heavens,” which has been lost during the onslaught of “The Enlightenment,” for which a better name would be “The Great Flattening,” “The Vanilla-ing,” or perhaps “The Vacuuming” since we have undergone three centuries of sucking the enchantment out of life, making heaven and all spiritual things prohibited from the public square. Instead of lying in the grass or on rooftops looking up in awe at the incredible depth of the heavens, we now are face down looking at Webb telescope pictures of space on our phones. What a buzzkill. The pictures are amazing, but the wonder is gone if we just see the pics as the images of a mechanical automation spun off by an absentee creator. Even the word space tastes like a saltine cracker compared to the triple-fudge sundae of the word heavens. Perhaps you noticed that the word is plural in some translations of the opening line of Genesis. “In the beginning, God created the heavens and earth.” In some translations, heaven is singular, but most use the plural form. This requires some inspection because we tend to only think of heaven as where God is, but the bible uses this word to mean the sky, the stars, and where the angels and saints live. Before going too far in this inversion, let's set a stake in the ground as a marker. Whether we say “heavens” or “heaven” matters little in the end. What matters is enchantment. When you are re-enchanted to say “heavens” instead of “space,” heaven becomes larger and more inclusive than what the engineers and physicists have taught us to believe. Seeing the “heavens” opens creation back up to link the immaterial with the material. Much like the composite of our body and soul, so are the heavens of the angels and the stars and the saints and the sky. All of God's creation brings the believer a collective wonder. So how many heavens are there? Or how many levels? Dante had ten. But according to St. Paul, there are three. Let's stick with St. Paul. He said, “I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago was caught up to the third heaven.” In the days of creation, we can also read of the three heavens: * Atmosphere or air, the place of birds and clouds.* The starry heaven, what we now call by more dull names, like space or the universe.* Highest heaven. The third heaven. The heaven closest to God. The unseen, invisible realm, is best described in the book of Revelation. Also known as paradise. We still use terms like this today when speaking of the heavens, but we mean different things when talking about heaven at a funeral versus talking about the heavens in astronomy class. The first answer everyone wishes to know is: what is this third heaven? Is it a place? Is it a dimension? We often use metaphors of mountains or clouds with our imaginations, but imagination is a bit dangerous. Popular ideas about heaven imagined by artists suggest that it's all harps and pearly gates. Seems kind of weak. This is likely why many people would rather rock out at a music festival than pursue heaven. Harps and golden gates lack appeal. Did it ever appeal to anyone? I think not. Please set those old artistic images aside and think of them no longer, because Jesus doesn't elaborate when he tells the apostles that he will go to make a place for them, making no mention of harps or gates. He only speaks of “dwelling places”:In my Father's house there are many dwelling places. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, so that where I am, there you may be also. (Jn 14:2-3)So it is a place, but a place we cannot fully know yet. It's a house of some kind. A good spiritual reading on heavenly places is The Interior Castle by St. Teresa of Avila. Now there is a mystic that needs to be read by modern people. She embraced the mystery of the heavens and had the gift of articulation for this place that can never be fully articulated in human words. Mystics like Teresa of Avila can lead us toward God without giving us a formulaic answer. This is frustrating for us in the age of data because we want to know all the details, but Jesus says if we know him, we will know the way to this house - and that is sufficient for our salvation. We want all the data, but one of the most important steps toward humility before God is accepting that we cannot know all because we are not God. This concept of the “place” of heaven where the saints exist is a mystery, and the greatness of the act of faith, from the Trinity, to the Incarnation, to the Eucharist at Mass is enmeshing our whole minds, hearts, bodies, and souls into these mysteries in humble prayer. This “place” of heaven is yet another wonderful mystery, which is why meditating on the Glorious Mysteries of the Rosary every Wednesday and Sunday is a great way to spend a holy hour. But like many mysteries, Jesus gives clues. “I go to make a place for you,” tells the apostles there would be a place for them to be after earthly death. The third heaven is that place. In other words, what we usually think of as heaven means the third heaven that St. Paul speaks of when his friend in Christ was “caught up” to the third heaven. This is powerful language. St. Paul, like his friend in Christ, is a saint, which means his soul is in the third heaven, even though the bodily resurrection has not yet happened. A few people have been “taken up” body and soul to heaven already. We know that Jesus' resurrected body and soul went to heaven on his own power, in the mystery of the Ascension. The only other human we know for certain was taken up body and soul into heaven is the Mother of God, Mary. She was assumed into heaven, as in pulled up body and soul. As for us regular humans who experienced the effects of the Fall, we know of three specific people in the bible who seem to have been pulled up to the third heaven. * Enoch in Genesis 5: “walked with God; then he was no more, because God took him.” * Elijah goes up to the third heaven in a fiery chariot. * Moses' resting place is unknown and it is a traditional pious belief that he was taken up to heaven. This brings us to one of the strangest events in the Gospels, which is why you should pause on this mystery every Thursday during the Luminous Mysteries of the Rosary. I'm talking about the Transfiguration, which has much to do with heaven. Jesus takes three apostles to a mountaintop. Jesus turns into pure light. “There he was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and his clothes became as white as the light. Just then there appeared before them Moses and Elijah, talking with Jesus.” Now, the light aspect of this event requires a whole chapter of its own, but for now, just consider who appears with Jesus. Moses and Elijah, two spiritual heavyweights, flank Jesus. Notably, these two men are believed to have gone straight up to heaven. Could it be a preview of the third heaven for the apostles? Could it be that Jesus is showing a glimpse of the unseen, invisible heaven? Yes. Of course it is. What are Moses and Elijah doing? They are talking with Jesus. Understand, please, that this is heaven. They are face-to-face and talking to God. To paraphrase another quote from St. Paul, he says that here on earth we see through a glass darkly but in heaven we will be face to face with God. What is happening at the Transfiguration? We see in heaven Moses and Elijah are face to face, speaking with God. That's what heaven is. No harp is needed. Consider the sixth Beatitude: “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.” Those who have been purified live in rest, in peace, with God, face to face.No wonder Peter is stunned and stammers some nonsense. He hasn't been purified yet for heaven. James and John also fall to the ground when God speaks. And what mere human wouldn't fall to his knees and stammer at this sight? That is actually the correct response. They see their infinite unequalness to God's glory. Seeing Jesus turn blindingly bright and talking to the long-deceased Moses and Elijah - that alone would bring jaw-dropping wonder. Enter in the booming, thunderous voice of God. Then add the glory cloud of the Holy Spirit. Peter, James, and John are alive in space and time, yet somehow amid the Holy Trinity and two of God's most holy chosen people who bore crosses for God to the end, who endured and gained their eternal souls. This would be enough to make us all fall to the ground. But that is the point. That is how we should experience the Trinity. After all, fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and wisdom comes from humility before God. Peter repeatedly learns that God is not his equal or just some extra thing in his life, but that God is infinitely higher and utterly central to his life. Best of all, his preview of heaven in the Transfiguration was recorded by the apostle John so that we can all go there, to the mountain, again and again, and see the preview that Jesus offered. Contemplative prayer done on the mountain of Transfiguration is where the intellect, will, and even the dangerous imagination can seek a glimpse of heaven. We can see the sky and the stars, but we cannot see the third heaven without the help of scripture and prayer. The invisible realm is beyond reason and requires the submission of our intellect and will to see. Another example of a clue about heaven is when Jesus is dying on the cross. He tells St. Dismas, the Good Thief, that “today you will be with me in paradise.” He's not talking about Hawaii. He's talking about the third heaven. It is the place of everlasting worship of God, where everyone lives in obedience to God. And what is paradise? It's not likely what you think. Basically, paradise is where everyone just lives out the Ten Commandments. That is what heaven is: people living in joyous obedience to God and singing together, without trying to win or one-up God or each other. That is what the music of the birds and clouds and stars and planets and angels and saints is. Paradise is kind of like the end of How the Grinch Stole Christmas where all the Whos in Whoville sing together out of joy even after all their consumer stuff is stolen. In fact, the Good Thief in his humiliation on the cross is being purged and purified for paradise right alongside God incarnate. He has a change, a repentance, a turning to Jesus. Obedience to God comes late to him, but the only thing that matters is this: it comes. It happens. Yes, perhaps he only labored in the field for an hour, but Jesus is generous and gives him the full day's wages. He's already singing God's praise while being tortured to death. St. Dismas now desires to be obedient, not out of fear, not for the promise of heaven, but out of the joy that comes from the forgiveness of a loving Father. He wants to follow the Commandments and live in harmony with God's will. And what happens when his turn is pure and true? He is granted entry into paradise by Christ. Jesus says that heaven is paradise. Again, no harps. In the end, the third heaven isn't that hard to understand, because it's just people living the commandments and embracing God's love by giving up their will and ego. What St. Dismas discovers in his last hours is what many of us never will, because our own will is in the way of God's will. Regarding this mysterious third heaven, the question of time arises. I spent a lot of time discussing the nature of time in the first inversion. But here we must consider the nature of time once more. This falls into mystery territory as well. Jesus is like a best friend who won't tell all the spoilers, he only tells us what we need to know to have ultimate enjoyment, or what is known as the beatific vision - pure happiness - upon reaching heaven. If we are talking about heaven as the sky and stars, then time certainly exists, as we can track asteroids and land rockets on Mars. We measure wind in terms of miles per hour. But if we mean the third heaven, empyrean - the highest heaven of the angels and saints - then I'm afraid that knowing the nature of time is beyond my pay grade. God is eternal, outside of time, because he created time. The Maker, the Prime Mover, the First Cause is most certainly outside of time, but can also be present in time, as the Holy Spirit at Pentecost and the Incarnation of Christ prove. However, what of time in the heavens of the angels and saints? There is an idea from St. Thomas Aquinas and others called aeviternity, which is not quite the same as eternity. This is not much spoken of today, but I wish it were. Time may be different in St. Paul's “third heaven,” where the saints are. Does time exist in the highest heaven? What do we need to know about it, if anything? Jimmy Akin's “Hitchhiker's Guide to Heaven” can help us here. Connected with the question of whether heaven is a particular place is the issue of whether time exists in it.A popular conception is that it does not. The logic is fairly simple: God exists outside of time. God dwells in heaven. Therefore, there is no time in heaven.That's true enough when heaven is conceived of exclusively as the dwelling place of God, but it is not true when it is conceived of as a place that is occupied by angels and by humans after their deaths. In that case, a different sense of the word time is involved.The First Vatican Council taught that God “from the beginning of time brought into being from nothing the twofold created order, that is the spiritual and the bodily, the angelic and the earthly, and thereafter the human which is, in a way, common to both since it is composed of spirit and body.”This indicates that the spiritual realm is created and subject to time. Thus John Paul II taught that eternity, in the sense of being beyond time, “is here the element which essentially distinguishes God from the world. While the latter is subject to change and passes away, God remains beyond the passing of the world” (General Audience, Sept. 4, 1985). In short, time may exist in the highest heaven, or some form that we don't fully understand. But the good news - great news - is that if we partake in the Sacraments and die in a state of grace, we will learn the answer. As far as salvation goes, we need not know the details about the place Jesus prepares. This is difficult, but this is where the mysteries of the faith can be great sources of meditation and humility. God is first. The heavens are mentioned as his initial step in creation. Earth comes afterward. Worth noting here is that the heavens are created, as God created “out of nothing.” That is to say, the heavens did not exist before or concurrently with God. Like time, it was also created. Like the stars and the sky, the highest heaven is also created. The thrones, dominions, powers, and principalities - all are created by God who created all out of nothing. In this order of introduction regarding creation, heaven gets top billing over earth. This doesn't belittle earth, it simply makes an argument that the spiritual realm existed before matter. This is why spirit is higher than matter. This is why we should realize that our soul has a body, too, as the spirit gives life to the material realm. This order also places us in the proper posture of humility before God, because there is an order to creation and even beings within creation.Interestingly, this ordering fits with modern science, but I don't think that's the main point, since the sacred writer was making a point about religious truth, not modern physics. Genesis is not a math book or science book, but a book of higher truths. But still, it makes me pause to notice the accuracy: according to the Big Bang theory, the heavens were created first, if by the word “heavens” we mean the parts needed for making stars. Truly, heavens is a term worth much contemplation, because it can mean the stars and the sky, or it can mean the spiritual realm - or it can mean both - and it does. Just as we have both souls and bodies, so do the heavens. There is the spiritual heaven and the starry heaven. As it turns out, astrology is mostly nonsense, but they are correct about a couple of things: the position of Saturn and Jupiter and Alpha Centauri do matter to us, because like the planets and stars, we also have matter and all of these bodies have a gravitational effect on each other. But the effect of the stars and planets is not focused on us. That's the mistake of astrology. The music of the spheres in the heavens has the purpose of glorifying God, and that's all. Indeed, these heavenly bodies matter to us, because like all of creation, they matter to God. But they do not dictate our moods or beliefs, because all things created by God that didn't experience the Fall are still rightly aimed at God in their purpose. The birds and clouds in the nearest heaven are good, just as the harmonic motion of the starry night is good, but best of all is the highest heaven, where the angels continually sing God's praises. However, the angels are just doing what the stars and birds are, which is glorifying God. Like the birds, we should live our lives as a small humming in the great song of creation. Just as birds sing, we should make our own song of praise. Birds are fruitful and they multiply, working and singing, and so should we. The stars are in motion, dancing and giving light, and so should we. The saints give witness to the lights that we too can become through the humble offering of ourselves for the glory of God. No bird or star competes with God, rather, they are in concert with God. No bird or star attempts to make a name for itself, rather, they make a name for God. The birds, stars, and angels give us the same lesson that Christ did. The education of Christ surrounds us in the heavens, if only we would forget about ourselves to partake in the great play of creation. The goal of life is to reach heaven, yet as Jesus said, “The kingdom of God is among us.” “Repent and believe, for the kingdom of God is at hand.” Forget honor and wealth; look upward to the heavens, as the birds and stars and angels do. The point here is to be inverted in your understanding of the heavens: all of creation glorifies God, from the birds to the stars to the seraphim. This is why the “Sanctus, Sanctus, Sanctus” is sung right before the Eucharistic prayer at Mass. The “Hosts” of this song are the seraphim, the cherubim, and the angels, in the highest heaven, the third heaven. Like any concert, there are lights raised in the audience, moving in unison, and to partake in the divine nature, we raise our light to play a part in this amazing show, so that while we are just one little light, we can see that we are part of a whole. Every anonymous star adds to the majesty of the night sky, despite getting no name or notice. Our little light of faith is part of the whole, and we can share in the joy because of the certainty that God is at the center of all things, not us. Next time at Mass, when you sing the following words, know that you are part of a choir that includes all of creation, from us on earth and upward to all three heavens. This is why the Mass is more than just an obligation, it is a gift: Holy, holy, holyLord God of Hosts.Heaven and earth are full of your glory.Hosanna in the highest.Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord.Hosanna in the highest.Further reading:How many heavens are there?The Hitchhikers' Guide to HeavenHow not to think about heaven - Bishop BarronBlasting Holes Through the Buffered Self - Bishop BarronRe-Enchanting the Secular - Matthew Petrusek. Secularism is the predominate worldview in the West. However, it does not answer the deepest longing of the human heart. Did God Create Heaven?Is heaven a place or only a state of mind? This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit whydidpetersink.substack.com

In this talk Rev Lee discusses that The Study of the Science of Mind is a study of First Cause, Spirit, Mind, or that invisible Essence, that ultimate Stuff and Intelligence from which everything comes, the Power back of creation – The Thing Itself. If you found this content valuable, please support our mission by donating: https://app.easytithe.com/app/giving/agapespiritualcenter If you want more information like this, please order My New Book "The Power in You" on Kindle, a printed copy, or the audible version on Amazon today. https://www.amazon.com/Lee-Wolak/e/B09PF5BQNR... Follow me: Facebook: Agape Spiritual Center Instagram: leewolak Twitter: Lee_Agape TikTok: RevLeeWolak Podcast: “Agape Spiritual Center” (Weekly) Podcast: “Thoughts That Can Change Your Life” (Daily) YouTube: @RevLeeWolak Email: Info@AgapeSpiritualCenter.com Website: AgapeSpiritualCenter.com

Stay tuned for daily classes!

Word Made Flesh: Life and DeathPastor Steve PooleTHEME - The flesh and blood Jesus deals with death.TEXT - John 11:17-441. Jesus doesn't blame Lazarus or his sisters.“The flesh and blood Jesus doesn't rebuke any of themourners for showing their grief over the death ofLazarus, and he could have!” ~Steve Poole2. Jesus doesn't condemn their emotional response.“…the Son of God, having clothed himself with our flesh,of his own accord, clothed himself also with humanfeelings, so that he did not differ at all from his brethren,sin only excepted.” ~ John Calvin3. Jesus offers peace through truth.“I am that high and holy One who, by taking man's natureupon Me, have ennobled his body, and made itsresurrection possible. I am the great First Cause andProcurer of man's resurrection, the Conqueror of death,and the Saviour of the body. I am the great Spring andSource of all life, and whatever life any one has, eternal,spiritual, physical, is all owing to Me…” ~ J.C. Ryle4. Jesus offers peace through sharing in our tears.“When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who hadcome with her also weeping, he was deeply moved in hisspirit and greatly troubled.” ~ John 11:33“Yet I have no doubt that Christ contemplated somethinghigher, namely, the general misery of the whole humanrace; for he knew well what had been enjoined on him bythe Father, and why he was sent into the world, namely,to free us from all evils.” ~ Calvin/Pringle5. Jesus is deeply moved for ALL those who suffer the angst ofdeath, even himself.“Jesus therefore again groaning within himself. Christdoes not approach the sepulcher as an idle spectator, butas a champion who prepares for a contest; and thereforewe need not wonder that he again groans; for the violenttyranny of death, which he had to conquer, is placedbefore his eyes.” ~ Calvin/Pringle

In addition to having the properties of immateriality, spacelessness, eternality, and power, I argue that the First Cause must also possess the properties of intelligence and volition. Since intelligence and volition are features of personal agents, the First Cause must be a personal agent. Only the God of theism fits the bill. Web: ThinkingtoBelieve.comEmail: ThinkingToBelieve@gmail.comFacebook: facebook.com/thinkingtobelieveTwitter & Gettr: @thinking2believParler & Truth: @ThinkingToBelieve

Now that we have established that the Kalam successfully demonstrates that the universe has a cause, we need to determine what or who that cause is. Using a logical analysis, I explain the necessary properties of such a cause. I examine each one to determine whether they exhibit the necessary properties of the First Cause and find each one wanting.Web: ThinkingtoBelieve.comEmail: ThinkingToBelieve@gmail.comFacebook: facebook.com/thinkingtobelieveTwitter & Gettr: @thinking2believParler & Truth: @ThinkingToBelieve

Episode: 2961 In which we struggle to give meaning to the word infinity.  Today, infinity.

This lecture discusses key ideas from the Medieval philosopher, theologian, and Dominican friar, Thomas Aquinas, and focuses on his Summa Theologiae, Prima Pars, q. 2. It focuses upon his discussion in article 2, bearing on whether God's existence can be proven or demonstrated by rational means at all. Thomas offers us five ways to argue for God's existence. The second way focuses on efficient causality, and argues that God is the First Cause. To support my ongoing work, go to my Patreon site - www.patreon.com/sadler If you'd like to make a direct contribution, you can do so here - www.paypal.me/ReasonIO - or at BuyMeACoffee - www.buymeacoffee.com/A4quYdWoM You can find over 2000 philosophy videos in my main YouTube channel - www.youtube.com/user/gbisadler You can find Thomas Aquinas' Summa Theologiae online here - www.newadvent.org/summa/

In this enlightening podcast, we delve into the profound concept of Hashem as the First Cause, exploring how Hashem's existence differs qualitatively from everything else. Uncover the essence of truth and reality, understanding that truth is synonymous with permanence and Hashem embodies this in its purest form. Discover why Hashem's existence is never up for debate, while everything else in the world can potentially cease to exist. Gain a deeper appreciation for the mitzvah of Anochi Hashem, realizing that Hashem, as the First Cause, not only created the world but sustains it. Join us in unraveling the mysteries of Hashem's unique existence.Music is by : https://pixabay.com/users/onoychenkomusic-24430395/Podcast is produced by Eli Podcast Productions Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Discover the profound wisdom of Jewish philosophy in this enlightening podcast episode. Dive deep into the concept of Hashem as the First Cause of all existence. Learn why Hashem is beyond human comprehension, with no parts, emotions, or causes. Understand the true meaning of Hashem's oneness, and why we can't define the indefinable. Explore how Hashem is the source of everything in the world and why questions like "Who created Hashem?" are nonsensical. Join us as we uncover the essence of Hashem as the ultimate First Cause that governs our existence. Tune in for a journey into the mysteries of Hashem's nature.Music is by : https://pixabay.com/users/onoychenkomusic-24430395/Podcast is produced by Eli Podcast Productions Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Drifting | “Drifting, without aim or purpose, is the first cause of failure.” - Napoleon Hill (The Best-selling Author of Think & Grow Rich - The Author Clay Clark Named His Son After) + Don't Allow SMELLS to Turn Your Business Into a Dystopian Hell See the Thousands of Success Stories and Millionaires That Clay Clark Has Helped to Produce HERE: https://www.thrivetimeshow.com/testimonials/ Schedule a FREE 13-Point Assessment with Clay Clark Today HERE: https://www.thrivetimeshow.com/ Download A Millionaire's Guide to Become Sustainably Rich: A Step-by-Step Guide to Become a Successful Money-Generating and Time-Freedom Creating Business HERE: www.ThrivetimeShow.com/Millionaire 10 of the Key Revenue Producing Activities to Used Grow A Business: ACTIVITY #1 - Gather Objective Google Reviews from REAL Clients ACTIVITY #2 - Gather Objective Video Reviews from REAL Clients ACTIVITY #3 - Conduct the Weekly Group Interview ACTIVITY #4 - Write Original HTML Website Content to Optimize the REAL Website ACTIVITY #5 - Pull the Weekly Tracking Statistics ACTIVITY #6 - Schedule a Daily Huddle ACTIVITY #7 - Verify That the Online Advertisements ACTIVITY #8 - Schedule a Time for Weekly Staff Training ACTIVITY #9 - Conduct Our Weekly Call Recording / Sales Meeting ACTIVITY #10 - Schedule a Weekly All-Staff Meeting Download A Millionaire's Guide to Become Sustainably Rich: A Step-by-Step Guide to Become a Successful Money-Generating and Time-Freedom Creating Business HERE: www.ThrivetimeShow.com/Millionaire Show Audio: https://rumble.com/v23mywc-business-podcast-dr.-zoellner-and-clay-clark-teach-how-to-build-a-successfu.html Learn More About Steve Currington and the Mortgage Services That He Provides Today At: www.SteveCurrington.com Entrepreneurship 101: Step 1 - Find Problems That World Wants to Solve Step 2 - Solve the Problems That the World Wants to Solve Step 3 - Sell the Solution Step 4 - Nail It and Scale It How to Decrease Your Business' Reliance Upon You? Step 1 - Improve Your Branding Step 2 - Create a Turn-Key Marketing System Website Pre-Written Emails Dream 100 Marketing System Pre-Written Script Step 3 - Create a Turn-Key Sales System and Workflow Step 4 - Weekly Optimize the Business to Prevent Drifting Step 5 - Install a Tracking Sheet Clay Clark Testimonials | "Clay Clark Has Helped Us to Grow from 2 Locations to Now 6 Locations. Clay Has Done a Great Job Helping Us to Navigate Anything That Has to Do with Running the Business, Building the System, the Workflows, to Buy Property." - Charles Colaw (Learn More Charles Colaw and Colaw Fitness Today HERE: www.ColawFitness.com) Learn More About Attending the Highest Rated and Most Reviewed Business Workshops On the Planet Hosted by Clay Clark In Tulsa, Oklahoma HERE: https://www.thrivetimeshow.com/business-conferences/ See Thousands of Actual Client Success Stories from Real Clay Clark Clients Today HERE: https://www.thrivetimeshow.com/testimonials/ See Thousands of Case Studies Today HERE: https://www.thrivetimeshow.com/does-it-work/

Welcome back TO A better SOUL SOURCED much needed conversation today you will feel my high vibes on the topic of really BECOMING HER not letting anyone or anything STOP YOU we talk about what we deserve, how to get it and why you're about to RELOAD YOUR mindset to accomplish whatever you want in life TODAY!!

"What we need to realize above all else is that God has provided for the most minute needs of our daily life, and that if we lack anything it is because we have not  used our mind in making the right contact with the supermind and the cosmic ray that automatically flows from it." Charles Fillmore, co-founder of Unity.Listen as Larry explains how First Cause or Divine Principle has provided for the most minute aspect of our lives. An abundance of every good imaginable has been provided for each of us. Our job is to know the "whys" behind unlimited abundance but not the specifics of  "how" it manifests in our life.If you are guided to share a gift of appreciation for these podcasts, please follow the link below.Support the show

With a one-minute look at culture from a Christian worldview, I'm John Stonestreet with The Point.    Recently, Christian writer Samuel Sey tweeted, “The question isn't: ‘does God exist?' The question is: ‘how could anything exist without God?'”   Or, as Fraulein Maria sang in The Sound of Music, “Nothing comes from nothing, nothing ever could.” Not only is there something (lots of them) in this world, but there is also consciousness, creativity, beauty, love, and order. These things say an awful lot about what kind of First Cause is required to bring all these somethings into existence.  One Twitter user pushed back against Sey arguing that a more important question is, “What kind of people should we be?” Sey responded, “It's impossible to know what kind of people we should be without affirming who our [C]reator is.” God, in particular the Christian God, is the best explanation for the world we experience.  As C.S. Lewis put it, “I believe in Christianity as I believe that the Sun has risen, not only because I see it but because by it, I see everything else.”  For the Colson Center, I'm John Stonestreet.    

Did Marvel's second installment in the Guardians of the Galaxy series succeed in expanding the storylines of these cosmic-misfits while continuing to subtly teach us Luciferian ideals? We are “extraordinarily humble” this week, which means we can't really tell you to go check out this week's episode, but we hear it's little “g” great!

You have heard the traditional arguments for the existence of God: The Argument from First Cause, the Design Argument and the Argument from a Universal Moral Law. What are the arguments against these and against the existence of God? Listen as Pat answers some of the toughest challenges presented against the existence of God such as; the multi-universe theory, argument of flawed designs, cannibalism and the moral law argument and from Pat's new YouTube video series Question of the Week.

You have heard the traditional arguments for the existence of God: The Argument from First Cause, the Design Argument and the Argument from a Universal Moral Law. What are the arguments against these and against the existence of God? Listen as Pat answers some of the toughest challenges presented against the existence of God such as; the multi-universe theory, argument of flawed designs, cannibalism and the moral law argument and from Pat's new YouTube video series Question of the Week.

On today's Bible Answer Man broadcast (12/12/22), Hank shares his thoughts on the incredible mystery of the incarnation of Jesus Christ. It's common for skeptics to think Christians are irrational to believe in what they cannot see, but in reality, it is irrational for skeptics to suppose that what they cannot see doesn't exist. Christians and skeptics alike believe in black holes, electrons, and the force of gravity despite the fact that these are all unseen. As Paul says in Romans chapter 1, God's invisible qualities, eternal power, and divine nature have been clearly seen through what has been made. In other words, the order and complexity of the universe testify to the existence of an uncaused First Cause. Jesus is the image of the invisible God. And as such, the incarnation is the supreme act of God's self-revelation. In the incarnation of Christ, His kenosis (emptying) makes our theosis (divinization) possible. Jesus came not only to save us by His death, but so that we might have life, and have it more abundantly.Hank also answers the following questions:Are we judged when we die or at the resurrection?If we have free will, how can we explain that everything is part of God's plan? Does God really have a plan?When do you think the Day of the Lord will occur?After a difficult church split, I'm struggling in my faith; do you have any advice?When I read the Bible, I don't find all the Christmas traditions we have today. If the Lord wanted us to celebrate His birth, wouldn't He have given us the exact day?How should Christians view alcohol?

We are in the middle of our Forged sermon series on apologetics

In this week's episode Claudette uncovers how to shift anything in your life. Whether it be relationships, conflicts, experiences or situations the first cause of all things come from within. When we realize our brains have the power to omit and receive frequency, we can become aware of our personal state with the inclusion of Truth. Once we partner with Truth, we can shift the frequencies we omit, thus allowing our outward experiences to shift with us. Through the knowledge that our outward manifestation first starts as a thought in our mind,  we can then begin to notice when we are in cooperation with a thought that doesn't support our highest selves. 

Today's reading is taken from Life After Death According to the Orthodox Tradition,by Jean-Claude LarchetISBN: 978-0-88465-477-3pp. 3 - 5Show notes and full archive at OrthodoxLife.org/podcast© 2022 Holy Trinity Monastery, Inc.

Today's reading is taken from Life After Death According to the Orthodox Tradition,by Jean-Claude LarchetISBN: 978-0-88465-477-3pp. 1 - 3Show notes and full archive at OrthodoxLife.org/podcast© 2022 Holy Trinity Monastery, Inc.

Don't let the ambiguity of the title steer you away from this podcast.  I feel there have been some good podcasts, better podcasts, and best podcasts.  This is one of the best ones. Listen and re-listen. The ideas here central and key to everything that every other podcast that I've done.  Don't miss this one!

It is not, therefore, the gospel, but it is apostasy from it, which hath produced so many deplorable effects in the world, and which, by drenching mankind in wickedness, makes way for their misery and ruin. And this, in the vindication of the gospel, will be made in some measure to appear in the discovery of the causes and reasons of this apostasy- for let men pretend what they please, unless they have first forsaken the gospel in their hearts and minds, they would not, they could not, forsake all rules of holiness and morality also in their lives.

A new MP3 sermon from The Narrated Puritan is now available on SermonAudio with the following details: Title: Uncured Enmity In The Mind, The First Cause of Apostasy From the Gospel Subtitle: The Narrated Puritan - T M S Speaker: John Owen Broadcaster: The Narrated Puritan Event: Audio Book Date: 8/11/2022 Length: 28 min.

On this episode… We're chatting with Julio Villarreal , former US Marine turned subscription ecommerce founder of Starsoul.  Starsoul, is the first cause driven t-shirt subscription business whose mission is to help others with their mission. We talk about how the idea for the business was formed right in the early days of the pandemic in North America as well as how Starsoul gives back to charities monthly based on the cause they're supporting.  We also chat about why the subscription business model was so appealing to the brand especially when it came to financial forecasting and inventory management. Lastly we hear about what's next for Starsoul as they continue to grow and scale. So let's get started, Julio thanks for joining us! --- Seamless subscription commerce with https://my.captivate.fm/rechargepayments.com (Recharge)

Today we will have open forum via Twitter spaces covering a wide array of topics, such as Philosophical debate issues: TAG, logic, and more, as well as theological issues relating to Triad, Christology, Augustinianism and Calvinism, original sin, Protestantism & evangelicalism, Roman Catholicism, as well as meta-politics, espionage and more.

This lecture discusses key ideas from the Medieval philosopher, theologian, and Dominican friar, Thomas Aquinas, and focuses on his Summa Theologiae, Prima Pars, q. 2. It focuses upon his discussion in article 3, which sets out the famous "Five Ways," each of which is a separate argument for the existence of God, conceived in some specific manner. Each of these is intended to be an a posteriori argument The first way focuses on motion or change, and argues that God is the Prime Mover. The second way focuses on efficient causality, and argues that God is the First Cause. the third way focuses on possibility and necessity, and argues that God is Necessary Being. The fourth focuses on degrees of being, and argues that God is supreme goodness, being, and every other perfection. The fifth way, a design argument, focuses on order and governance within the world, and argues to God as the governor or orderer of all things. In this article, we also consider a version of the Argument from Evil, and a discussion about adequacy of explanation that prefigures Occam's Razor To support my ongoing work, go to my Patreon site - www.patreon.com/sadler If you'd like to make a direct contribution, you can do so here - www.paypal.me/ReasonIO - or at BuyMeACoffee - www.buymeacoffee.com/A4quYdWoM You can find over 2000 philosophy videos in my main YouTube channel - www.youtube.com/user/gbisadler You can find Thomas Aquinas' Summa Theologiae online here - www.newadvent.org/summa/

On today's Bible Answer Man broadcast (12/15/21), Hank shares his thoughts on the incredible mystery of the incarnation of Jesus Christ. It's common for skeptics to think Christians are irrational to believe in what they cannot see, but in reality, it is irrational for skeptics to suppose that what they cannot see doesn't exist. Christians and skeptics alike believe in black holes, electrons, and the force of gravity despite the fact that these are all unseen. As Paul says in Romans chapter 1, God's invisible qualities, eternal power, and divine nature have been clearly seen through what has been made. In other words, the order and complexity of the universe testify to the existence of an uncaused First Cause. Jesus is the image of the invisible God. And as such, the incarnation is the supreme act of God's self-revelation. In the incarnation of Christ, His kenosis (emptying) makes our theosis (divinization) possible. Jesus came not only to save us by His death, but so that we might have life, and have it more abundantly.Hank also answers the following questions:Are we judged when we die or at the resurrection?If we have free will, how can we explain that everything is part of God's plan? Does God really have a plan?When do you think the Day of the Lord will occur?After a difficult church split, I'm struggling in my faith; do you have any advice?When I read the Bible, I don't find all the Christmas traditions we have today. If the Lord wanted us to celebrate His birth, wouldn't He have given us the exact day?How should Christians view alcohol?