Podcasts about Formless

https://schabelman.com/ Hi, I am Andres or Andy. I truly don't mind which one you call me. I do a lot of different things. I'D PROBABLY BEST DESCRIBE MYSELF AS A MULTI-HYPHENATE TROUBLEMAKER. I AM A Reflector, transmitting TRUTH & heart through my being & OFTEN WITH THE ABSURD, pushing for A BorderLess, FOrmless world without binaries. Curiosity is my fuel, collAboration is my medicine. Born to Argentine-Jewish parents and raised within a larger Catholic-Colombian community in New Orleans, I grew up in many different worlds. As my experiences have taken me around the planet, I've been lucky enough to immerse myself within eclectic cultures, to learn from many different ancient traditions, and to start exploring the different dimensions of our consciousness. As part of this journey, it has come to my attention that it is very important that I tell you that I will eat your leftovers if you invite me to your house, and I might use your hair products. Another aspect of my being that perhaps is my super power is that I am sensitive to the ways in which we all give away our power to external systems, people, organizations, societal pressures, etc. Everything I do — from the book I wrote (see above) to the perfume I created to my comedy and even including my travel content — everything I do is meant as a blueprint for humans to return to themselves. If this resonates with you, I hope you'll reach out so that together we may bring this world closer to unity, peace, and remembering just how connected and human we all are. Harvard Kennedy School Master's in Public Policy, first 30 employees at Airbnb, mentor to those wanting a mirror held up to themselves, participant in solutions that - more often than not - bring people together in real life. INVESTOR Tortuga Agriculture, Investment Belong Homes, Investment Levels Health, Investment Multitaskr, Investment Untold.io Films, Investment LettrLabs, Investment MyMarketplaceBuilder, Investment Castay, Investment LEADER Airbnb, International Growth Google, New Markets + Policy Fiverr, International Expansion Founder - Mentor Mealsharing, CXO Underpin, Strategy Nilus, Mentor Candid, Advisor

Series: N/AService: Sunday 9:00 a.m.Type: SermonSpeaker: Ryan Goodwin

Lecture by Swami Tyagananda, given on November 3, 2024, at the Ramakrishna Vedanta Society, Boston, MA

In this episode a quote from Helen Hamilton's book, "Dissolving The Ego", Chapter 14, "Consciousness can appear as form or formlessness" is contemplated.

Author Ike Baker will join us for a two hour conversation on his new book “A Formless Fire,” a detailed analysis of the origins of both occult traditions and those which have come to be known as spiritual today. The Platonic source of many of these ideas is obvious, and there is without doubt an eastern connection. So much is rotting from fraud or misunderstanding today that it is important to investigate the origins of occultism, mysticism, theurgy, theology, etc.http://ikebaker.com-FULL ARCHIVE & RSS: https://www.spreaker.com/show/the-secret-teachings Twitter: https://twitter.com/TST___Radio Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thesecretteachings WEBSITE (BOOKS, RESUBSCRIBE for early & ad-free show access): http://thesecretteachings.info Paypal: rdgable@yahoo.com CashApp: $rdgable EMAIL: rdgable@yahoo.com / TSTRadio@protonmail.comBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-secret-teachings-with-ryan-gable--5328407/support.

Thank you for tuning in to another episode of Tin Foil Hat with Sam Tripoli! In this episode, we welcome back author Ike Baker to discuss his insights into the magical traditions of ancient Egypt, the Hermetic principles, the teachings of Jesus Christ, and Freemasonry. As always, Ike delivers an incredible conversation—nothing but bangers. We appreciate your continued support! Be sure to check out Ike Baker's new book, A Formless Fire: Rediscovering the Magical Traditions of the West:  https://bit.ly/3O4ocj5 Grab your copy of the 2nd issue of the Chaos Twins now and join the Army Of Chaos: https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/chaos-twins-1-by-sam-tripoli-paranoid-american--2/coming_soon/x/5548203 Check out Sam Tripoli's new special "Why is Everybody Gettin Quiet?" that drops Oct 15th on Rumble.com/Quiet and SamTripoli.com! Join the WolfPack at Wise Wolf Gold and Silver and start hedging your financial position by investing in precious metals now!  Go to samtripoli.gold and use the promo code "TinFoil" and we thank Tony for supporting our show. CopyMyCrypto.com: The ‘Copy my Crypto' membership site shows you the coins that the youtuber ‘James McMahon' personally holds - and allows you to copy him. So if you'd like to join the 1300 members who copy James, then stop what you're doing and head over to: CopyMyCrypto.com/TFH You'll not only find proof of everything I've said - but my listeners get full access for just $1 Check out Sam "DoomScrollin with Sam Tripoli and Midnight Mike" Every Thursday At 2:30pm pst on Youtube, X Twitter, Rumble and Rokfin!  Want to see Sam Tripoli live?  Get tickets at SamTripoli.com: The World- Sam Tripoli's new special "Why is Everybody Gettin Quiet?" that drops Oct 15th on Rumble.com and SamTripoli.com!   Tulsa, Oklahoma:  Headlining the Looney Bin Nov 14th-16th https://tulsa.loonybincomedy.com/ShowDetails/e14192d7-3a8d-4780-b83e-e78f20afdf3e/bca30415-8e4e-4ec5-817d-52222ac57427/Sam__Tripoli/Tulsa_Loony_Bin   Tampa , Fl:  Headlining Sidesplitters on Dec 6th https://ci.ovationtix.com/35578/production/1080723   Cancun, Mx:  Jiujistu Overdose Dec 12th-15th https://www.jiujitsuoverdose.com   Batavia, IL:  The Comedy Vault Jan 23rd-25th https://www.comedyvaultbatavia.com/events/103545   Columbus, Ohio:  Tin Foil Hat Comedy Live At the Columbus Funnybones Feb 6th https://www.etix.com/ticket/p/75622775/tin-foil-hat-comedy-night-columbus-funny-bone-comedy-club-columbus   Pottstown, Pa: Feb 7th:  Tin Foil Hat Comedy Live At Soul Joels Feb 7th https://www.souljoels.com/shop/tickets/swarmtankspecialevent/   Morristown, Nj: Tin Foil Hat live at The Dojo Of Comedy Feb 8th https://www.tiffscomedy.com/events/103149   Phoenix, Az:  The House Of Comedy Arizona Feb 27th- March 1st https://aztickets.houseofcomedy.net/event/sam-tripoli-9938398e   Please check out Arthur Kwon Lee's internet:  Website: www.arthurkwonlee.com Twitter: www.x.com/badazn Instagram: www.instagram.com/notarthurkwonlee substack: www.arthurkwonlee.substack.com   Please check out SamTripoli.com for all things Sam Tripoli. 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   SORAT'H, FIRST MEHL, CHAU-TUKAS: The son is dear to his mother and father; he is the wise son-in-law to his father-in-law. The father is dear to his son and daughter, and the brother is very dear to his brother. By the Order of the Lord's Command, he leaves his house and goes outside, and in an instant, everything becomes alien to him. The self-willed manmukh does not remember the Name of the Lord, does not give in charity, and does not cleanse his consciousness; his body rolls in the dust. || 1 || The mind is comforted by the Comforter of the Naam. I fall at the Guru's feet — I am a sacrifice to Him; He has given me to understand the true understanding. || Pause || The mind is impressed with the false love of the world; he quarrels with the Lord's humble servant. Infatuated with Maya, night and day, he sees only the worldly path; he does not chant the Naam, and drinking poison, he dies. He is imbued and infatuated with vicious talk; the Word of the Shabad does not come into his consciousness. He is not imbued with the Lord's Love, and he is not impressed by the taste of the Name; the self-willed manmukh loses his honor. || 2 || He does not enjoy celestial peace in the Company of the Holy, and there is not even a bit of sweetness on his tongue. He calls his mind, body and wealth his own; he has no knowledge of the Court of the Lord. Closing his eyes, he walks in darkness; he cannot see the home of his own being, O Siblings of Destiny. Tied up at Death's door, he finds no place of rest; he receives the rewards of his own actions. || 3 || When the Lord casts His Glance of Grace, then I see Him with my own eyes; He is indescribable, and cannot be described. With my ears, I continually listen to the Word of the Shabad, and I praise Him; His Ambrosial Name abides within my heart. He is Fearless, Formless and absolutely without vengeance; I am absorbed in His Perfect Light. O Nanak, without the Guru, doubt is not dispelled; through the True Name, glorious greatness is obtained. || 4 || 3 || ਸੋਰਠਿ ਮਃ ੧ ਚਉਤੁਕੇ ॥ ਮਾਇ ਬਾਪ ਕੋ ਬੇਟਾ ਨੀਕਾ ਸਸੁਰੈ ਚਤੁਰੁ ਜਵਾਈ ॥ ਬਾਲ ਕੰਨਿਆ ਕੌ ਬਾਪੁ ਪਿਆਰਾ ਭਾਈ ਕੌ ਅਤਿ ਭਾਈ ॥ ਹੁਕਮੁ ਭਇਆ ਬਾਹਰੁ ਘਰੁ ਛੋਡਿਆ ਖਿਨ ਮਹਿ ਭਈ ਪਰਾਈ ॥ ਨਾਮੁ ਦਾਨੁ ਇਸਨਾਨੁ ਨ ਮਨਮੁਖਿ ਤਿਤੁ ਤਨਿ ਧੂੜਿ ਧੁਮਾਈ ॥੧॥ ਮਨੁ ਮਾਨਿਆ ਨਾਮੁ ਸਖਾਈ ॥ ਪਾਇ ਪਰਉ ਗੁਰ ਕੈ ਬਲਿਹਾਰੈ ਜਿਨਿ ਸਾਚੀ ਬੂਝ ਬੁਝਾਈ ॥ ਰਹਾਉ ॥ ਜਗ ਸਿਉ ਝੂਠ ਪ੍ਰੀਤਿ ਮਨੁ ਬੇਧਿਆ ਜਨ ਸਿਉ ਵਾਦੁ ਰਚਾਈ ॥ ਮਾਇਆ ਮਗਨੁ ਅਹਿਨਿਸਿ ਮਗੁ ਜੋਹੈ ਨਾਮੁ ਨ ਲੇਵੈ ਮਰੈ ਬਿਖੁ ਖਾਈ ॥ ਗੰਧਣ ਵੈਣਿ ਰਤਾ ਹਿਤਕਾਰੀ ਸਬਦੈ ਸੁਰਤਿ ਨ ਆਈ ॥ ਰੰਗਿ ਨ ਰਾਤਾ ਰਸਿ ਨਹੀ ਬੇਧਿਆ ਮਨਮੁਖਿ ਪਤਿ ਗਵਾਈ ॥੨॥ ਸਾਧ ਸਭਾ ਮਹਿ ਸਹਜੁ ਨ ਚਾਖਿਆ ਜਿਹਬਾ ਰਸੁ ਨਹੀ ਰਾਈ ॥ ਮਨੁ ਤਨੁ ਧਨੁ ਅਪੁਨਾ ਕਰਿ ਜਾਨਿਆ ਦਰ ਕੀ ਖਬਰਿ ਨ ਪਾਈ ॥ ਅਖੀ ਮੀਟਿ ਚਲਿਆ ਅੰਧਿਆਰਾ ਘਰੁ ਦਰੁ ਦਿਸੈ ਨ ਭਾਈ ॥ ਜਮ ਦਰਿ ਬਾਧਾ ਠਉਰ ਨ ਪਾਵੈ ਅਪੁਨਾ ਕੀਆ ਕਮਾਈ ॥੩॥ ਨਦਰਿ ਕਰੇ ਤਾ ਅਖੀ ਵੇਖਾ ਕਹਣਾ ਕਥਨੁ ਨ ਜਾਈ ॥ ਕੰਨੀ ਸੁਣਿ ਸੁਣਿ ਸਬਦਿ ਸਲਾਹੀ ਅੰਮ੍ਰਿਤੁ ਰਿਦੈ ਵਸਾਈ ॥ ਨਿਰਭਉ ਨਿਰੰਕਾਰੁ ਨਿਰਵੈਰੁ ਪੂਰਨ ਜੋਤਿ ਸਮਾਈ ॥ ਨਾਨਕ ਗੁਰ ਵਿਣੁ ਭਰਮੁ ਨ ਭਾਗੈ ਸਚਿ ਨਾਮਿ ਵਡਿਆਈ ॥੪॥੩॥ ਅਰਥ: ਜੋ ਮਨੁੱਖ ਕਦੇ ਮਾਪਿਆਂ ਦਾ ਪਿਆਰਾ ਪੁੱਤਰ ਸੀ, ਕਦੇ ਸਹੁਰੇ ਦਾ ਸਿਆਣਾ ਜਵਾਈ ਸੀ, ਕਦੇ ਪੁੱਤਰ ਧੀ ਵਾਸਤੇ ਪਿਆਰਾ ਪਿਉ ਸੀ, ਅਤੇ ਭਰਾ ਦਾ ਬੜਾ (ਸਨੇਹੀ) ਭਰਾ ਸੀ, ਜਦੋਂ ਅਕਾਲ ਪੁਰਖ ਦਾ ਹੁਕਮ ਹੋਇਆ ਤਾਂ ਉਸ ਨੇ ਘਰ ਬਾਰ (ਸਭ ਕੁਝ) ਛੱਡ ਦਿੱਤਾ, ਇਕ ਪਲਕ ਵਿਚ ਸਭ ਕੁਝ ਓਪਰਾ ਹੋ ਗਿਆ। ਆਪਣੇ ਮਨ ਦੇ ਪਿੱਛੇ ਹੀ ਤੁਰਨ ਵਾਲੇ ਬੰਦੇ ਨੇ ਨਾਹ ਨਾਮ ਜਪਿਆ ਨਾਹ ਸੇਵਾ ਕੀਤੀ ਅਤੇ ਨਾਹ ਪਵਿਤ੍ਰ ਆਚਰਨ ਬਣਾਇਆ। ਇਸ ਮਨੁੱਖਾ ਸਰੀਰ ਦੀ ਰਾਹੀਂ ਖੇਹ-ਖ਼ੁਆਰੀ ਹੀ ਕਰਦਾ ਰਿਹਾ।੧। ਜਿਸ ਮਨੁੱਖ ਦਾ ਮਨ ਗੁਰੂ ਦੇ ਉਪਦੇਸ਼ ਵਿਚ ਪਤੀਜਦਾ ਹੈ ਉਹ ਪਰਮਾਤਮਾ ਦੇ ਨਾਮ ਨੂੰ ਅਸਲ ਮਿਤ੍ਰ ਸਮਝਦਾ ਹੈ। ਮੈਂ ਤਾਂ ਗੁਰੂ ਦੇ ਪੈਰੀਂ ਲੱਗਦਾ ਹਾਂ, ਗੁਰੂ ਤੋਂ ਸਦਕੇ ਜਾਂਦਾ ਹਾਂ ਜਿਸ ਨੇ ਇਹ ਸੱਚੀ ਮਤਿ ਦਿੱਤੀ ਹੈ (ਕਿ ਪਰਮਾਤਮਾ ਹੀ ਅਸਲ ਮਿਤ੍ਰ ਹੈ) ।੧। --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/gsjhampur/support

If you were unable to attend Sunday's service or would like to hear the teaching again, Hans' podcast is now available to listen.

Send us a textUnderstanding Brahm Gyana: A Journey to Self-RealizationIn this episode of the Bearded Mystic Podcast, host Rahul N Singh delves into the concept of Brahm Gyana, the knowledge of Brahman that leads to self-realization and oneness with Formless Consciousness. Drawing from his personal experiences and lifelong association with the Sant Nirankari Mission, Rahul explains how this divine knowledge transforms life and provides tools for meditation, reflection, and awareness. He discusses the role of the Satguru in imparting Brahm Gyana, the process of realization through shedding ego, and the importance of living a life rooted in non-duality. He also shares practical steps and principles to apply this wisdom in daily life. The episode encourages listeners to pursue Brahm Gyana for a deeper understanding of their true nature.00:00 What is Brahm Gyana00:16 Introduction03:55 Watch out for the subtle ego!04:59 What is Brahm Gyana?07:50 Steps to realize Nirankar09:50 How is the Brahm Gyana different to spiritual teachings?11:12 Importance of a Guru17:49 Impact of Brahm Gyana21:17 Applying Brahm Gyana in Daily Life24:11 Some practical tips25:56 Concluding ThoughtsVisit my website: https://www.thebeardedmysticpodcast.com/Buy The Bearded Mystic Podcast Merch: https://thebeardedmysticpodcast.myshopify.com/Want a one-on-one spiritual discussion with The Bearded Mystic - book here: https://www.thebeardedmysticpodcast.com/p/spiritual-discussion/Support the show

03-26-23 Sun AM “When Formless Becomes Formed” Rev. Joseph BoggsGenesis 1:1-3You can contact us at https://fpcdurham.org/contact

Recording Date: 2024-10-2 Speaker: Jeremiah Smith

[174] Exploring the Formless Through the Body - with Rebeca Castella by Andrew Holecek

In this episode, filmed on location in Kathmandu, Nepal, I am joined by Jina Kusala, originally from Norway and now a wandering Theravada monk. Jina tells the story of his traumatic childhood, the mental suffering and instability it caused, and how the Buddhist path provided a means to reckon with the pain. Jina shares encounters with religious leaders such as Mingyur Rinpoche, recounts meeting previous podcast guest Bhante Jason and reflects on the profound time he spent under Bhante's instruction. Jina recalls his Himalayan wanderings and cave retreats, discusses the power of the 4 foundations of mindfulness, details the differences between Hīnayāna and Vajrayāna realisations, and explains why with incremental progress one may aim for sainthood. … Video version: https://www.guruviking.com/podcast/ep270-wandering-monk-jina-kusala Also available on Youtube, iTunes, & Spotify – search ‘Guru Viking Podcast'. … Topics include: 00:00 - Intro 00:56 - Background and recent travels in the Himalayas 01:40 - How to work with hardship 03:09 - Upbringing in Norway and traumatic childhood 04:30 - Healing trauma 06:21 - Redeeming trauma and helping others 07:42 - Chasing satisfaction 10:22 - Finishing high school and seeking 13:25 - Discerning the wholesome vs unwholesome 14:46 - First encounter with Buddhism in Norway 15:44 - Travel to Sri Lanka and attempts at meditation 17:17 - Jina suggests a location change 17:57 - Meeting Bhante Jason 19:19 - Sophisticated use of the 4 Foundations of Mindfulness 22:46 - Entering the 4 jhānas, clearing emotional blockages, 23:34 - Mechanism of gaining insight 24:31 - The Buddhist path in brief 24:59 - 3 kinds of delusion 25:35 - The 4 noble truths 29:14 - When the mind lets go 31:55 - Leaving Bhante Jason's hermitage 35:21 - Making Jina's broken mind functional 38:25 - A scripture parade 38:45 - A period of chaos and profound uncertainty 40:05- Stabilising and improvement of functionality 40:59 - Interpersonal difficulties and wounds of mistrust 42:52 - Manifestation of unprocessed trauma 43:55 - Becoming a cure for trauma 44:53 - Himalayan Buddhism as Jungian shadow work 45:49 - Jina's karmic background with Himalayan Buddhism 47:02 - Differences between the realisations of early vs later Buddhist forms 49:16 - Formless states vs true nirvāṇa 52:25 - A private meeting with Mingyur Rinpoche and 5 month retreat in caves 54:40 - Plans for India 55:21 - Reflections on the wandering life 57:05 - Developing intuition and accessing the magical mind 58:59 - Reflections on the path, meaning, and ennobling character 01:00:43 - Learning from your mistakes 01:02:29 - Incremental improvement 01:02:32 - Aiming for sainthood … Kathmandu Interviews playlist: - https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLlkzlKFgdknwvU82dU487LhF_mF4AkGek&si=gFGJpi-fnLtxeyZ5 Previous Episode with Bhante Jason: - https://www.guruviking.com/podcast/ep12-bhante-jason-guru-viking-interviews … For more interviews, videos, and more visit: - https://www.guruviking.com Music ‘Deva Dasi' and ‘Meditation' by Steve James

A Formless Fire : Ike Baker  Patreon.com/Aetherica for more 

Listen to Our Podcasts Here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/no-labels-necessary/id1658301063 Join ForeverFan Today and Use Promo Code: NOLABELS02 http://www.foreverfanmusic.com/?ref=NoLabels Check out Formless: https://formless.xyz/ Go Follow Tory on Socials: https://www.instagram.com/brandontory/ Timestamps: 0:00 Intro 0:37 Brandon Tory's Journey 2:03 How Formless is Disrupting the Music Industry 3:23 Why Every Artist Needs to Redefine Their Craft Now 4:47 Mastering Multiple Creative Roles 7:20 The Secret Link Between Innovation and Artistic Greatness 8:07 Why Most Artists Fail at Monetization 9:57 Revolutionizing the Internet: Turning Followers into Financial Allies 18:37 Unlocking the Power of Smart Contracts 26:15 The Future of Art This channel is ran by the founders of No Labels Necessary, Sean "Brandman" Taylor and Jacorey "Kohrey" Barkley. No Labels Necessary is a music-first marketing agency that helps artists impact culture through digital content and marketing. Want to grow your music career . Join our community

Cosmic Energy   This is the energy that fires off volcanoes. This is the energy that keeps our sun burning. The energy that lights the stars or even makes them explode or collapse in on themselves.  Kundalini Shakti is cosmic energy hidden in you. The name kundalini describes how….   —  Gurudevi Nirmalananda Watch Gurudevi's full discourse “The Form of the Formless” here:   #kundalini #yogamysticism #gurudevi #svaroopameditation #spirituality #divine #yoga #siddhayoga #muktananda #gurudevinirmalananda #meditation #blissyoga #svaroopayoga #swaminirmalananda

200: Pt. 1 Becoming Formless & Void | Virginia Killingsworth on Spirit-Centered Business™I am celebrating our 200th episode with my dear friend and spiritual powerhouse, Virgina Killingsworth!  We talk about the opportunity to surrender to God's redesign and transformation when we allow ourselves to become “tohu wa-bohu” in Hebrew, meaning formless and void.  It's a place of “no longer self, but Christ who lives in me.”  She is launching a new program to mentor people through the process of letting go and becoming.HIGHLIGHTS:Introduction of "Overshadowed”: Virginia describes receiving a divine blueprint or download for the project, which is structured discipleship, helping individuals grow and mature in their spiritual walk.Effective Discipleship: Emphasis on purposeful and effective discipleship, rather than a haphazard approach.Backstory: Her song "Overshadow Me" inspired by Mary's song in Luke 1, symbolizing alignment with divine purpose.Creative Process: receiving inspiration and then working it out through intentional practice.Transformation through Overshadowing: Describes how overshadowing involves the Holy Spirit displacing negativity with supernatural life, similar to the process of transformation at the cross.Classroom Analogies: Virginia uses the metaphor of "classrooms" to describe different stages of spiritual growth and learning, including the "king's classroom" and "co-creation classroom."Tohu wa-Bohu: Virginia explains the Hebrew terms for "formless and void" in Genesis 1, relating it to a state of spiritual preparation and creation.Surrender and Trust: Emphasizes the importance of absolute surrender and trust in God, overcoming the innate mistrust of human nature.Maturity Map: Reference to 1 John 2 as a guide for spiritual maturity, involving stages from child to young man to father.Transformation and Growth: The idea that overshadowing relates to personal transformation, from spiritual rebirth to physical transfiguration, and pulling from eternity.Role of Yielding: Highlights the necessity of yielding to God's transformative work, allowing Him to cultivate trust and faithfulness in believers.Continuous Growth: The ongoing process of stepping beyond comfort zones and experiencing God's faithfulness as a part of spiritual growth.Overshadowing appears throughout the Bible, from Genesis to the New Testament.Genesis and Creation: The overshadowing theme begins with Genesis, where it symbolizes the divine influence in creation.Exodus 34: God's overshadowing presence during Moses' encounter on Mount Sinai, which is described as a portal to the heavenly realm and the beginning of the old covenant.Psalm 91: The benefits of being under the shadow of God's wings, including protection, divine care, and healing.Mary's Conception: The overshadowing of Mary by the Holy Spirit as described in Luke 1:35, leading to the miraculous birth of Jesus.Jesus' Transfiguration: Jesus' transfiguration on the mount, where a bright cloud overshadowed them, as a significant event showing divine approval and revelation.Acts 5:15: The reference to Peter's shadow healing the sick as an example of divine power overshadowing through Peter.Gideon's Story: The analogy of Gideon's clay vessel and the light shining through it as a metaphor for breaking open the flesh to reveal the true self.Christianity vs. Other Religions: The discussion touches on the difference between Christianity and other religions, emphasizing relationship over ritualistic practices.Tree of Life vs. Tree of Knowledge: The contrast between the Tree of Life and the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil, and how Christianity offers a different approach to understanding and living.Mature Judgment: The distinction between false and true judgment, and the role of spiritual maturity in discerning good from evil.False Judgment: How false judgment can arise from immaturity and separation from God, contrasted with the true judgment that comes from oneness with God.LINKS:- Connect with Virginia, and check out her free blog and shop full of music and teachings, including the Miracles Are Normal online course.http://VirginiaKillingsworth.com- Join All Things Restored gathering every Sunday night on Facebook. Main website with all the links is here: http://AllThingsRestored.org - Join the international prayer group on Zoom on Tuesday mornings: http://TekheletRestored.orgCheck out the FREE RESOURCES in our new store! http://SpiritCenteredBusiness.com/shopGet Bralynn's Book! Discover Your Business Destiny: Co-Creating, Stewarding and Standing to Manifest God's Divine Plan http://SpiritCenteredBusiness.com/book

In this episode we speak with Brandon Thorpe, a trailblazer in technology and entrepreneurship. From his early programming days to pivotal roles at Google AI and Apple, Brandon has redefined innovation in the tech world. Beyond his technological achievements, discover how his musical collaborations with Grammy winner Dallas Austin and the launch of his groundbreaking album 'Unicorn' showcase his diverse talents. Co-founder of Formless, Brandon is revolutionizing the internet through shared technology and smart contracts.   Learn about his vision for an equitable digital landscape, the origins of his passion for tech, and the challenges and successes he faced while raising funds for Formless. Explore the multifaceted world of a creative technologist committed to inspiring others and reshaping the future of digital communities.   If your company is looking to scale its AI initiatives, head over to Tesoro AI (www.tesoroai.com). We are experts in AI strategy, staff augmentation, and AI product development.  Founder Bio:   Brandon Thorpe was a Staff engineer at Google AI, Senior engineer at Apple, self-taught programmer at 13 years old, featured in national media such as Forbes and WSJ, signed with Grammy Award winner Dallas Austin to release album "Unicorn", creator of Multi-Dream Theory with the idea that humans are capable of achieving excellence in multiple fields in parallel, co-founded Formless in 2022 aiming to illuminate true human purpose through technology by revolutionizing the internet with SHARE technology empowering common property ownership with smart contracts. Creative technologist with millions of streams and views across internet platforms. Formless was selected as one of around 30 companies from a pool of 8,000 to receive investment from a16z's CSX accelerator in 2023 and has since raised a multi-million dollar pre-seed round.   Time Stamps:   03:11 Brandon's journey from tech to music and back 12:52 Exploring the intersection of music, technology, and blockchain 15:27 Pain point that led to creating Formless 18:58 Redefining music distribution through blockchain 20:18 Blockchain as a nongovernment global computer. 23:02 Challenges and opportunities of music and blockchain 25:47 Redefining artist monetization and community building 30:52 Expanding Formless Beyond Music 34:04 Starting points and essential skills for building blockchain 38:31 Navigating the blockchain insights and opportunities 43:12 Engaging with the Formless Platform 45:08 Fundraising journey: strategies and lessons learned 51:56 What is coming up in 2024 and how to get in contact with the formless team   Resources   Company website: https://formless.xyz/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/formlessxyz/ Twitter: https://x.com/formless_xyzLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/formlessxyz/  

Have you ever wondered what to do when you don't know what to do? Join Michael for a deep dive into the spiritual nature of the human experience!

The four-fold model of Consciousness details how the One, being formless, manifests into form. Shiva becomes the universe as well as everything else that exists. Your meditative process unravels all this, so you discover who you are. You are Shiva, who is being all while being you.  All this and more unfolds within when you step onto the path of the Great Masters.   Read Gurudevi's Teachings Article in our Freebies

TikTok BANNED in the US⁉️What Creators NEED to Know Now!

Series: Genesis Scripture: Genesis 1 Sermon: Formless and Void

Why does God look like a lion riding woman with ten arms holding various weapons slaying a buffalo demon on the field of battle?Why does God look like a ash besmeared yogi on the tiger-skin mat telling his beads in the highest reaches of the Himālayas?Why does look like a flute playing mischievous boy who steals the hearts of cowherd-girls?Or does God "look" like anything at all?Some schools of Indian philosophy insist that God is formless and impersonal (Advaita Vedanta, Buddhism etc.) and others that God is a person but is formless (Abrahamic faiths etc.) and yet others that God has a form and a particular form at that (Most forms of Vaishnavism, some forms of Shaivism and Shaktism etc.).Ramakrishna's position with regards to these is most radical: he insists that God is all of the above and so much more besides!At any rate, in this lecture I try to make a case for God with form. Since God is both formless and with form, it might be better for us, given our mind's predilection for form, to work with the latter! Those of you who are committed to the formless (which is also perfect and valid!), give me a chance to convince you! This lecture happened around the Fall Navaratri last year, I think!Lectures happen live on zoom every Monday at 7pm PST and Friday 10am PST and Friday at 6pm PST.  There's Q&A right after the lectures. It is free and open to the public. All are welcome!Use this link and I will see you there:https://www.zoom.us/j/7028380815For more videos, guided meditations and instruction and for access to our lecture library, visit me at:https://www.patreon.com/yogawithnishTo get in on the discussion and access various spiritual materials, join our Discord here: https://discord.gg/U8zKP8yMrMSupport the show

Cara Stricker is an Australian born director, writer, musician and artist. Stricker first started making films, photographs and installations as a young teenager, stemming from her background as a dancer and musician. She is known for her work that combines filmmaking with her creative direction, choreography, and expressive narratives. Her unique blend of feminism, nature and performance creates work that is both subversive and otherworldly. Her work is screened, exhibited, printed, and performed around the world. Stricker's major commissions include: creating a techno-surrealist land-based prayer prompt short film with the Miccosukee, Seminole and Black Carribean community's of Miami within the Everglades, Allapattah, and installations by James Turrell, Es Devlin and teamLab for Superblue; Bvglari global campaigns for 23' and 24' featuring Zendaya and Anne Hathaway; a four part polyptych instillation and music video for Alicia Keys; visual sonic film about the late Aaliyah's legacy; and album films for Chloe and Halle, Blood Orange, Kelsey Lu, Amber Mark, Tei Shi and Kadhja Bonet. She has collaborated with global brands such as Gucci, MAC Makeup, Chanel, Alexander Wang, Missoni, musicians such as SZA and Perfume Genius, and photographed for titles such as Vogue, Dazed, I-D Magazine, Fader, Interview Magazine and Oyster. Her work has been awarded and screened internationally including at Cannes Lions, Tribeca Film Festival, Camerimage, Cannes Short Film Festival, Raindance Film Festival, Berlin Music Video Awards, Toronto Shorts Film Festival, Shots awards, HollyShort Film Festival, New Orleans Film Festival, Rooftop Film Festival New York, London Short Film Festival, Palm Springs International Shortfest, Sugar Mountain festival and Vivid Sydney. Her short narrative ‘Maverick', starring Abbey Lee and Rhys Coiro, which she wrote and directed, premiered at FFFest, and her commercial film short, “Carlos,” that explores how micro-mobility is transforming the lives of its users, was shortlisted for both best non-fiction short at Cannes Lions and Best Branded Content at the Tribeca X Award. Most recent solo exhibitions include two mixed media shows at The Hole NYC. Her latest albums include collaboration with musician John Kirby (Solange Knowles, Frank Ocean, Blood Orange, Sebastian Tellier) to direct, perform and produce music for their audio visual album, ‘Drool', and her solo ambient album and short film ‘Formless', both released on Terrible Records, with screenings and performances across Australia, LA and New York City. She lives in Los Angeles.

Bhagavad Gita Chapter 12, verse 5 - Which is the best path to God Realization? This question comes as some people try to meditate upon the Formless aspect of God and others on the Personal Form. Which path does Shree Krishna recommend? Listen fully to learn as Swami Mukundananda explains in detail the most reassuring path to attain God and Shree Krishna's promise that comes along with it to those who practice it.  

Feel God saying- 'that thorn in your side (that job, that illness, that person), is to bring you closer to Me, to lock you inside of Me, inside of My Love, inside of My Healing, inside of My Will, so that you'll stop leaving. Don't let the appearance of this world make you forget that you're in Me. That I'm all around you. Just listen, when the noise becomes too much, listen for Me. When you listen to sound, the very listening is Me. The Silence and Sound are not separate. The Formless and Form are not separate. I Am not separate from you. Surrender. Soften.    Relax into Me-- the fulfillment of your greatest Desire.' I Love you, Nik nikki@curlynikki.com ******God is afoot! I'm writing, and working on something BIG (and very useful) for your practice! I'll share #ListenerFavorite episodes until I return with new ones in Spring! Look out for announcements soon! Support the show: ▶▶https://www.patreon.com/goodmornings ________________________________ Today's Quotes: "Whatever we put our attention on will grow stronger in our lives. Put your attention on the highest." -Maharishi Mahesh Yogi "I am love; if you come close to me, something will start dancing in your heart. Allow it." -Osho "Am I not here? I who am your Mother? Are you not under my shadow and protection? Am I t the source of your Joy? Are you not in the hollow of my mantle, in the crossing of my arms? Do you need something more? Let nothing else worry you, disturb you." -Virgin of Guadalupe to Juan Diego, December 12, 1531-From the Original Nican Mopohua recorded by Antonio Valeriano. "Jesus is the beginning, the means and the end of all desires. As I was concerned about the state of my soul, all of a sudden my adorable Jesus came and told me:"My daughter, do not be concerned, for I alone am the beginning, the means and the end of all your desires." With these words I calmed myself in Jesus. May everything be for the glory of God, and may His Holy Name be blessed." -Luisa Piccarreta, Book of Heaven "The path is simple: organize your heart around love and your mind around truth.  This how we live a divine life." -Isha Das "When you listen to sound the very listening is the silence. Silence and sound are not separate." -J Krishnamurti "If it's from God, it'll come with His Peace." -IG @faithfulfootprints "It is by God's Grace that we think of God." -Ramana Maharshi "Do not fear anything; nothing will happen to you against My Will." -Jesus to St. Faustina in Her Dairy "Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. 9 But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me. 10 That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong." -2 Corinthians 12 

Nikki & Brie are fired up because they're joined by someone they've admired for a long time: TV host, movie star, entrepreneur, mom, wife, and all-around badass Jenny McCarthy! From watching Jenny change the game on MTV to being a panelist on The Masked Singer, Nikki & Brie have felt a special connection to her. Jenny gives them the lowdown on what really happened before the cameras started rolling on Singled Out, growing up as a fighter in Chicago, the challenges of motherhood, why this season of The Masked Singer is going to be a must-watch, being married to Donnie Wahlberg, and what it's like to be in the spotlight when it comes to being in public relationships, something all three of them identify with. Jenny also explains why she started a makeup company, Formless Beauty, and how it's different from anything on the market. She even sent some samples to Nikki and Brie…however, one of the Garcia Twins didn't share! To close out the episode, Jenny shares her Inspiration & Affirmation, which is all about truly loving yourself. Check out Jenny on the season 11 premiere of The Masked Singer tonight on Fox, and for more about Formless Beauty, check out FormlessBeauty.com Follow Jenny on InstagramFollow Jenny on TikTokFollow Formless Beauty on Instagram Call Nikki & Brie at 833-GARCIA2 and leave a voicemail! Follow Nikki & Brie on Instagram and send Nikki & Brie a message on Threads! To watch exclusive videos of this week's episode, follow The Nikki & Brie Show on YouTube, Facebook, and TikTok! You can also catch The Nikki & Brie Show on SiriusXM Stars 109!

Reclaiming the Cross II - Zodiac sign is ZeitgeistWebsite: http://www.battle4freedom.comNetwork: https://www.mojo50.comStreaming: https://www.rumble.com/Battle4Freedomhttps://a.co/d/4IcrSyKProclaiming a Cross-Centered Theology HardcoverI. Sound Doctrine: Essential to Faithful Pastoral MinistryWe live and minister in an ant-doctrinal age or, at least, and age that thinks it's anti-doctrinal. We live and minister in an anti-theological, or at least it claims to be anti-theological. By that, I mean that it is now the zeitgeist to claim to be suspicious of doctrine, doctrinal systems, and systematic theology all the while holding to one's own cherished doctrines system emphatically, if unwittingly and inchoately. (Duncan, p17)https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/zeitgeistzeitgeist: the general intellectual, moral, and cultural climate of an erahttps://a.co/d/8qwRimrImmutability (Unchangeableness) of GodGod is unchanging in his being, perfections, purposes, and promises, yet God does act and feel emotions, and he acts and feels differently in response to different situations. (Systematic Theology: An Introduction to Biblical Doctrine Grudem, p.163).https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Hebrews+13%3A8&version=CJBHebrews 13:8 CJVYeshua the Messiah is the same yesterday, today and forever.https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/inchoatelyinchoate: being only partly in existence or operation : INCIPIENTespecially : imperfectly formed or formulated : FORMLESS, INCOHERENThttps://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1+Corinthians+14%3A33&version=CJB1 Corinthians 14:33 CJBfor God is not a God of unruliness but of shalom. As in all the congregations of God's people,Why Dubiety of Doctrine Doesn't Work? (p18)dubiety1 : a usually hesitant uncertainty or doubt that tends to cause vacillation2 : a matter of doubtA Threefold DiscussionA. I want to argue that the very ideas of doctrine, theology, and systematic theology are under great duress in our time.B. I want to show you from Scripture that systematic theology is necessary, important, and in fact, unavoidable.C. I want to identify in the Bible some things that systematic theology (in general) and doctrine (in particular) are important for.Romans 10:17 CJBSo trust comes from what is heard, and what is heard comes through a word proclaimed about the Messiah.

As Buddha had a message for the East, so too did Swami Vivekananda have a message for the West, if not for the whole world. What was that message? While it is of course a very multifaceted, variegated and nuanced message, three core principles stand out; we explore them in the course of this lecture, as part of our Vivekananda Jayanti celebrations earlier this month. These principles are:1. Religion is a matter of Direct Experience, not dogma. Inspired by his teacher Ramakrishna who daily experienced God for himself in all of Her aspects, the central thrust of Swami Vivekananda's teaching is that spirituality is a matter of verification. Placing an emphasis on yoga (the means for acquiring experience) and on an individual's own perception of God here and now, Swami Vivekananda transforms religion which was even then at his time becoming an antiquated, useless bundle of beliefs from a hoary past into a living, viable method that is strikingly in keeping with the most modern notions of the scientific inquiry, rationalism and verificationism. 2. You are innately divine. Inspired by Ramakrishna who felt that "the wretch who considers himself a sinner verily becomes one; as you think so you become", Swami Vivekananda took the Christian West to task for its fixation on original sin. Most religions begin with a disempowering view of the human condition, i.e "you are broken in need of fixing, lacking in need of growing, sick in need of healing" etc. But the vision of Non-Dual Hinduism is: "you are already free, you are already pure, you are infinitely strong as you are for your very nature is divine!" This is the truth and Americans at once recognized it as it was spoken, thus breaking their centuries long dream of being weak. Anyway, it is only the person who has this latter attitude who will have the self-confidence to really progress with their spiritual practices!3. All existence is One. Swami Vivekananda stressed above all Non-Duality. But his was a far more radical and inclusive non-duality than Shankara's Advaita Vedanta or Ramanuja's Qualified non-duality. His view, in my opinion, comes closer to the Shaiva Non-Dual view of masters like Abhinava Gupta: everything is God. Matter is non-dual, thought is non-dual, spirit is non-dual, all are just various reading of the one indivisible Consciousness-Bliss-Absolute that is both Formless and with Form, that is both Impersonal and Personal. And that One Existence is your very own Self! It is from this non-duality that we derive the 2nd principle sketched out above and also the notion of "harmony of all religions," which is the idea he is perhaps most famous for but which, as you can see, is just the natural consequence of the must more fundamental and far deeper principle of absolute, uncompromising non-duality! Lectures happen live on zoom every Monday at 7pm PST and Friday 10am PST and Friday at 6pm PST.  There's Q&A right after the lectures. It is free and open to the public. All are welcome!Use this link and I will see you there:https://www.zoom.us/j/7028380815For more videos, guided meditations and instruction and for access to our lecture library, visit me at:https://www.patreon.com/yogawithnishTo get in on the discussion and access various spiritual materials, join our Discord here: https://discord.gg/U8zKP8yMrMSupport the show

Jesus’ death on the cross was the result of the meticulous plan and purpose of God, orchestrated in space and time. - SERMON TRANSCRIPT - It is the manner of God, before He bestows any signal mercy on the people, first to prepare them for it, so said Jonathan Edwards talking about the Great Awakening as God moved a lot of pieces together to produce that revival. And it is absolutely true. If you look at the scripture, God is a God of meticulous preparations, laying out the raw materials for a providential work before He does that work, of throwing the unformed clay onto the center of the potter's wheel before He shapes it into the vessel He has predetermined to make, or of arranging the wood and the sacrifice on the altar before the fire comes down and ignites it. God is a God of meticulous preparation, we see it in Genesis 1 with the entire earth, with the worlds that He made. In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth, and the earth was formless and empty. Interesting statement. Darkness was over the surface of the deep and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters. Formless, empty, the earth, that was planet earth. Then God got busy shaping a planet just right for human life, working day by day, creating light, separating light from darkness, separating the waters in the atmosphere from the waters down below on the surface of the earth, separating the sea from the dry land, step by step, preparing things, getting things ready for human life, for man created in the image of God. God is a God of meticulous preparations. But if that's true of physical creation, it's even more true of the complexities of redemptive history. God has meticulously arranged the pieces for our salvation on the chessboard of human history, moving this piece here and that piece there, putting it all together as century unfolded after century until, as Galatians tells us, "In the fullness of time, in the fullness of time God sent his son into the world." In the fullness of time means, effectively, when all of God's preparations for the coming of his son into the world were complete. God had raised up the Jewish nation. He had established the kingly line of David. He had spoken clearly through the prophets. He had borne patiently for centuries with the sins of the Jewish nation. He brought judgments on that nation through two exiles, first to Assyria and then to Babylon. Then reestablished a small remnant of Jews in the Promised Land under Gentile dominion. Then at just the right time, brought Jesus, his only-begotten son into the world. Then God meticulously prepared Jesus for 30 years for his role as Savior of the world. Jesus grew in wisdom and in stature and in favor with God and man, step by step being gotten ready, for 30 years, getting ready until the time came for Him to be revealed to Israel, and that He could begin his work of amazing miracles and perfect teachings that identified Him as the only-begotten son of God, the Savior, the only Savior from sin. Then at just the right time, God prepared the climax of Jesus' mission to the world, the journey to the cross and then to the empty tomb. The final three chapters of Mark's gospel depict that journey, and we're beginning that today. Mark 14, 15 and 16, Jesus' journey to the cross. And in this account, today, we're going to see overwhelming evidence for this God's meticulous preparation, preparation for the cross. We see the concept of preparation, of getting things ready in a number of verses in the text you just heard read. Look down at verse 8, speaking of Mary's anointing, "She poured perfume on my body beforehand to prepare for my burial.” One of the translation says, prepare for my burial. Then, a few verses later, verse 12, Jesus' disciples asked him, "Where do you want us to go to make preparations for you to eat the Passover?" We'll deal with that text next week, God willing, and also, in verse 15 and 16, next week, "He will show you a large upper room furnished and ready. Make preparations for us there. So the disciples left and went into the city and found things just as Jesus had told them. So they prepared the Passover." We're going to look at all that next week, but that's where we're heading, it's preparations, it's getting things ready. And as we'll see today, these are just some of the preparations that God was orchestrating to bring Jesus' son to his bloody substitutionary death on the cross. This morning, we're going to see that God's preparations for that, for the cross, went back before the foundation of the world, extended through all of Jewish history, included Jesus' most hateful enemies, included Jesus' most devoted followers, extended even to the bitter betrayal by one of his closest followers, one of Jesus' apostles, step by step, meticulous preparation, bringing us to the cross. I. Preparation for the Cross Now the cross, we believe as Christians, is the centerpiece of the Bible and of all of human history. It is the center of Christian theology. By the cross alone are our sins atoned for. By the cross alone are we reconciled to a holy God. By the cross alone are we delivered from God's righteous sentence of death and hell. By the cross alone are we cleansed of all of our defilement and made pure. By the cross alone are we clothed in perfect righteousness. By the cross alone are we brought into an eternity in heaven. We understand the centrality of the cross, for this reason, Paul said in 1st Corinthians 2:2, "I resolved to know nothing while I was with you, except Jesus Christ and Him crucified." Or again, later in that same epistle, 1st Corinthians 15:3 and 4, "For what I received, I passed on to you as of first importance," top priority, "Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures, and that he was buried, and he was raised on the third day according to the scriptures." That's the centerpiece. Then, finally, Paul's own personal statement, he makes many of them, but I love this one, Galatians 6:14, "May I never boast, except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me and I to the world." Paul's saying, "The cross changed everything for me, the entire way I look at myself and the world and everything, and I'm only going to boast in the cross of Christ." The infinite value of the cross can only be seen by faith. It's easy to misunderstand Jesus' death on the cross as though it were some kind of tragic mistake, some kind of horrific blunder, a hideous miscalculation on the part of Jesus. He had made enemies of very powerful men. He was sucked into their vortex of pride and power, got sucked in over his head, suffered the ultimate penalty for his naiveté. But this is a grave error, no, it's not that way at all. Jesus' death on the cross was the result of the meticulous plan and purpose of God orchestrated in space and time to the specific actions of people who are doing God's will, whether they knew it or not. Jesus said it plainly, John 10:18, "No one takes my life from me, but I lay it down freely of myself. I have the authority to lay it down and I have the authority to take it back up again, this command I receive from my Father." It says it all. So we see this when it comes to the cross, the centerpiece of all human history, all biblical theology, all roads lead to Calvary, all roads lead to the bloody cross of Jesus Christ. Here we see God's sovereign, meticulous preparation that brought us there. So in today's outline, we're going to see the preparation by predestination and then, by prophecy, by prediction, by plotting, by the perfume poured out on him, and by betrayal. So let's walk through these. II. Preparation for the Cross by Predestination The Bible reveals that the cross was predestined by God before the foundation of the world. Now we're at Passover time. I'm going to talk about the Passover in a moment, but before any of that happened, God knew about the cross God had planned the cross. The cross was founded in the mind of God before time began. Revelation 13:8 says that Jesus was, "the lamb that was slain from the creation of the world.” 1st Peter 1:19, 20 says, "You," us, we Christians, "were redeemed by the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect. He was chosen before the creation of the world, but was revealed in these last times for your sake." So before the creation of the world, the substitutionary atonement of Christ had been predestined in the mind of God. Jesus was the lamb of God slain in the mind of God from the creation of the world. Since this was the plan of God, every step toward the cross, even taken by Jesus' sworn enemies, was part of that plan. As Peter preached in the streets of Jerusalem 40 days after Jesus' death, Acts 2:23, "Jesus was handed over to you by God's set purpose and foreknowledge, and you, with the help of wicked men, put him to death by nailing him to the cross." God's set purpose and foreknowledge involving the people of Jerusalem and wicked men led to Jesus being nailed to the cross. Then later, two chapters later, in Acts 4, as persecution starts to ramp up, the church prayed to God. In Acts 4:27, 28, "Herod and Pontius Pilate met together with the Gentiles and the people of Israel in this city to conspire against your holy servant, Jesus. They did what your power and will had determined beforehand should happen." That says it plainly, doesn't it? Even the plots of wicked men were part of God's eternal plan. The preparation for the cross was ultimately in the mind of God before time began. III. Preparation for the Cross by Prophecy Next, we see the preparation of the cross by prophecy. God had already formed this plan before He said, "Let there be light," but then He paid out information gradually over redemptive history through prophecies that said what He was going to do step by step. God communicated the details of the cross through many prophecies. God sent many prophets and spoke many words of prophecy predicting the cross of Christ. Every animal sacrifice itself was an acting out prophecy of the cross. Now, clearest in this text was the Passover itself, it was a lived-out, acted-out prophecy from centuries before pointing toward the cross of Christ. This account begins with the approach of the Passover. Verse 1, "Now, the Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread were only two days away”. The preparation of the Passover is a big part of this account and next week's account, God willing. The disciples wanted to know where they should go and prepare the Passover feast. Everything's getting ready. All the people have come from miles away to prepare for the Passover. The Passover itself was God's sovereign preparation for the cross, getting everybody ready to understand it, fifteen centuries before Christ. You remember the story of the Exodus and how God brought the enslaved nation of Israel out of Egypt with a mighty hand and outstretched arm, and with ten plagues, terrible plagues. The tenth plague was the worst of them all, the plague on the firstborn. The angel of death would visit every home in Egypt that terrible night and kill the firstborn in that home. From the highest to the lowest, from the throne of Pharaoh to the lowest slave, no one would be exempt. And the Jews were no better, Ezekiel 20, "They are as idolatrous as the Egyptians were,” and they deserve their firstborn to be slaughtered as much as the Egyptians did. So God made a provision to make a distinction between Israel and Egypt by means of this sacrifice. The clear implication, when you have to paint the blood on your doorpost and your lintel or your firstborn would die, your firstborn deserves to die as much as anybody else's. It's only by the shed blood of the substitute that that death doesn't come to you. God commanded each family to select a lamb without blemish or defect, slaughter it, paint the blood of that lamb on the doorposts and lintels of the house. The promise was that the angel of the Lord would see the blood of the lamb and pass over that home not killing the firstborn. Thus, the Passover is the picture of what God had already predestined before the foundation of the world to do, the cross of Christ. He's the lamb that was slain before the foundation of the world. Now it's acted out that very night, the night of the tenth plague, the shedding the blood, a substitute delivering sinners from death. Then, it was reenacted year by year for fifteen centuries as part of their heritage, part of their religious year. God established this as a preparation, getting their minds ready for the fulfillment. In Jesus' time, it's estimated that over two million Jewish pilgrims would come to the city of Jerusalem for the Feast of Unleavened Bread and Passover. That feast, that particular Passover that year, Jesus would fulfill that image for all time. Christ is the end of the law so that there might be righteousness for all who believe. And so, it would be fulfilled. It wasn't an accident that Jesus died right at the Passover time, right when the Lamb would be slain, it was exactly to fulfill that imagery. So the application of the blood of Jesus, the substitute, to our souls is what enables us to survive Judgment Day. As Romans 3:25 says, "God presented him as a propitiation through faith in his blood." Propitiation means one who turns aside the wrath of God by the payment of a sacrifice. That's what propitiation means. Jesus is that. So, Romans 5:9 says, "Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God's wrath through him?" "The application of the blood of Jesus, the substitute, to our souls is what enables us to survive Judgment Day. As Romans 3:25 says, 'God presented him as a propitiation through faith in his blood.' Propitiation means one who turns aside the wrath of God by the payment of a sacrifice." Of course I haven't given the whole raft of prophecies from the Old Testament pointing toward Christ, which there are many, but I'm focusing on the prophecy, the acted out prophecy that was the Passover. IV. Preparation for the Cross by Prediction Next, we see the preparation for the cross by prediction. In this, I mean, specifically, Jesus' stated predictions of what was going to happen leading up to the cross, effectively saying, "I am the fulfillment of all those prophecies. It's happening now." He got them ready by predicting what would happen to him. We're told in Matthew 16:21, "From that time on," that was in Caesarea Philippi when Peter made his great confession, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God," "Blessed are you Simon Jonah. This was not revealed to you by man, but my Father in heaven." All that, Caesarea Philippi. "From that time on," Matthew 16:21 tells us, "Jesus began to explain to his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things at the hands of the elders, chief priests, and teachers of the law, that he must be killed. And on the third day, raise to life." He did this again and again and again, predicted, predicted, predicted. Especially at this time again in Matthew 26:2, it says, "The Passover is two days away and the son of man will be handed over to be crucified." That's a clear statement Jesus made in Matthew's account. Mark doesn't pick up on it, but he did say it, "As you know, this is all happening. I'm about to die to fulfill the Passover." His prediction linked his own life to the Passover imagery. Now He did this to prepare his disciples ahead of time so that they wouldn't lose their faith. John 13:19, "I'm telling you now before it happens, so that when it does happen, you'll believe that I am, that I am God, and that I am the Messiah." The predictions got them ready, but they didn't really listen. Did you notice? They had no idea. One person listened though, the woman in our account. We will get to her in a moment. She listened. She paid attention, but the others, they were fighting it. They couldn't conceive of it. V. Preparation for the Cross by Plotting Next, we see preparation of the cross by plotting. Jesus' enemies were directly plotting his death. Look at verse 1 and 2, "Now the Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread were only two days away and the chief priests and the teachers of the law were looking for some sly way to arrest Jesus and kill him, but not during the feast, they said, or the people may riot." “Not during the feast," they said. Isn't it beautiful that He was killed during the feast? We'll get to all that. So much for the plans of the enemies, but they're plotting concerning this. Why did they hate Him so much? It's instructive for us to probe that. Why did they hate the only perfect man that's ever lived, filled with love, perfect in love toward God and toward others? Why did they hate Him? First, Jesus himself said the reason they hate Him is He testifies that what they do is evil and their pride won't let them listen to Him. He says they are evildoers. They hated Him because He exposed their righteousness as a sham. He called them, "whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside, but inside, full of dead men's bones and everything unclean." They hated Him because He cleansed the temple twice, at the beginning of His public ministry and then at the end, thus He was touching the nerve of what they cared about the most, money. So they hated Him for that. They were jealous. They hated Him because they were jealous of his popularity with the people who loved Him, and these enemies were jealous. And they hated Him because they were afraid of what the Romans would do in reference to Him, that the Romans would come away, come and take away their place in their nation because they were threatened by Him, so they hated Him. Throughout His ministry they opposed Him. And at a certain point, from a certain point on, they're looking to kill Him. They're openly wanting to kill Him. At some points, even picking up stones right there and then to kill Him like in John 8. They want to kill Him, many times already, but they're not able to do so, we're told, especially in John's Gospel because His time had not yet come. Timing is everything, fullness of time. So they were not able to do it. Now, however, the time has come, Jesus prays that in John 17, "Father, the time has come, glorify your son." The time's there, but God has His timetable, the enemies have theirs as He just hinted at a moment ago. God wanted Jesus to die at exactly the right time to fulfill the imagery of the Passover. God loves symbolism, and He wanted to fulfill that and make it easy for them to see the connection. But we see the irony, for Jesus' enemies, this is exactly the wrong time to kill Jesus. This is absolutely not what they want to do, not because they didn't want Jesus to fulfill prophecy, they weren't thinking about that at all, it's because of the threat to their nation and to their own position of this huge crowd and Jesus' stunning popularity with the crowd. Remember the triumphal entry? It terrified them. They were clearly afraid of Jesus' popularity with the crowds. So if they arrest Jesus in public, the crowds are going to riot, they're going to kill those that are there to arrest Jesus and defend Jesus. But they're also afraid, as I mentioned, of what the Romans would do if the crowds took Jesus and made Him king even by force, as John 6 said they wanted to do. In that case, Jesus' enemies would be left out, right? Either the Romans would come in and that moment would fail through Roman power and Jesus would be slaughtered and His followers slaughtered, and then the Romans would just come and take over and they would lose their place of power and position in the nation, or Jesus would succeed and be the king of the world, whereupon they're out because they're His enemies. Either way, this is not the time they think to arrest. They want to arrest Jesus, "in some sly way," that's one translation, the Greek says, "by subterfuge, by treachery or trickery." Ideally, they would like to arrest Jesus maybe at night or sometime when there's not many people around, and they needed information on His coming and going. They didn't have “Find My Friends” back then yet, so they needed to know where He's going to be and when, they need an insider. But how could that be? Jesus' twelve followers are fanatically committed to Him, so they thought. They had a problem, but in any case, they know, not during the feast. But yet, isn't it beautiful? God's plan cannot be stopped. It was during the feast because that's what God wanted. "Many are the plans of a man's heart, but it's the Lord's purpose that prevails." And so, the passages tell us, Acts 2, "Jesus was handed over to you by God's set purpose and foreknowledge, and you, with the help of wicked men, put him to death by nailing him to the cross." Their actions are part of the plan. Or again, "Herod and Pontius Pilate met together with the Gentiles and the people of Israel in this city to conspire against your holy servant Jesus whom you anointed. They did what your power and will had determined beforehand should happen." God willed that Jesus should die at the Passover and that these wicked men would be essential to making that happen by their plots, and so would Judas' betrayal, so would Judas' betrayal. We'll get to that. VI. Preparation for the Cross by Poured Perfume Next, we see preparation for the cross by the poured perfume. In the middle of all this swirling evil, there is this act of pure beauty, pure beauty, sacrificial worship poured directly on the head and feet of Jesus. And I would argue to some degree, I think even simply straight out, this is the point of everything, it really is, the point of the cross. Why did God make the universe to begin with? For His own glory, for a radiant display of His glory. But God already knew how glorious He was, He didn't need to make anything to prove it to himself. So then, God made sentient beings, angels and humans to be able to see and appreciate His glory and praise Him for it. He made the universe because He's generous and He wanted to share Himself. I's all about worship, but sin entered the world blocking that worship that God created us to do. Jesus came to remove that sin problem, that sin blockage by His death and His resurrection, by the outpoured Spirit, by His salvation plan to heal us of sin so that we could get back to the original purpose, which is worship, worship. Jesus came into the world for that purpose to affect worship as He said to the Samaritan woman in John 4, "A time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. God is spirit and those who worship and must worship in spirit and truth." "Jesus came to remove that sin problem, that sin blockage by His death and His resurrection, by the outpoured Spirit, by His salvation plan to heal us of sin so that we could get back to the original purpose, which is worship." So in the midst of all of this wickedness, this confusion, swirling plots by these powerful, wicked men, in the midst of the apostles at their worst, we're told in another place, some of them bickering about which of them was the greatest, some of them boasting that they love Jesus more than any of the others, and one of them showing his true nature as the devil, betraying Jesus, that's going to happen that night, in the middle of all of that, we get one beautiful act of worship by this woman. So beautiful. Let's look at the act, the act described. Look at verse 3, "While he was in Bethany reclining at the table at the home of a man known as Simon the Leper, a woman came with an alabaster jar of very expensive perfume made of pure nard. She broke the jar and poured the perfume on his head." Now, all four Gospels have an account of a woman anointing Jesus. Luke speaks of a sinful, but forgiven woman who anoints Jesus' feet with her tears and dries them with her hair. But Matthew, Mark and John all speak of this one incident that we're looking at now, and I think it's clearly a different time, a different woman too, I believe. John identifies this woman as Mary, the sister of Lazarus, the man that Jesus raised from the dead in John 11 and with whom Jesus had a close love relationship. Martha, Mary and Lazarus were close friends with Jesus. Martha and Mary are also well known. They were dear friends of Jesus. We're told the anointing takes place in Bethany very close to Jerusalem. We're told it happened in the home of a man known as Simon, the leper. We know nothing else about this man. He's not mentioned in any other account, so there's nothing to say about him, just where his home was. John tells us, this anointing took place eight days before the Passover. John positions it chronologically. So Mark has rearranged it and kind of inserted it here, but with John, we get the full picture of the chronology. It was a sacrificial gift. Mary took an alabaster jar of pure spikenard. One of the translations gives spikenard. John says it was pistik nard coming from the head or spike of a fragrant East Indian plant belong to the genus Valeriana, which yields juice of a delicious odor. The plant grows in the distant Himalayan mountains and was extremely costly, you can well imagine. It's traveled a long distance to get there. John tells us, and Mark tells us here that it was valued at 300 denari. A denarius was a day's wage for a laborer, so that's a year's worth of money. It's a lot of money. Furthermore, it was in a costly alabaster jar. You picture like a flask with a slender neck sealed at the top. For her to get at it quickly, she chose to break the neck of the alabaster jar and pour the whole bottle over Jesus' head, and also, John tells us, over his feet, Mark just says head, but head and feet. Then, we get the disciples' reaction, verse 4 and 5, "Some of those present were saying indignantly to one another, ‘Why this waste of perfume? It could have been sold for more than a year's wages and the money given to the poor.’ And they rebuked her harshly." John tells us that Judas was the ringleader of all this, he led out in this. John, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, probes Judas' heart, John 12:6, "Judas did not say this because he cared about the poor, but because he was a thief. As keeper of the money bag, he used to help himself to what was put into." It's absolutely disgusting. Because we are told in Luke 8 that some women, some wealthy women were supporting Jesus out of their means and Judas is plundering that on the side. Jesus had given the money bag to him to take care of. It's not like he didn't know who Judas was. However, it seems all of the disciples shared, to some degree, Judas' abhorrence of this action. They're all on board with what he's saying. They don't get it, it doesn't make sense. I mean, Jesus has just got done in Matthew's Gospel with the whole sheep and the goats thing, remember? The sheep and the goats, "I was hungry, you fed me. I was thirsty, you gave me something to drink." All of that. That's a whole bunch of benevolent ministry, a whole bunch of mercy ministry, and if you do it, you're in heaven. If you don't do it, you're in hell. And all this. Then, just a short time later, there's a woman pouring a year's worth of wages all over Him, and He's fine with it. It's confusing. Years ago, remember those, "What would Jesus do?" bracelets? I don't always know what Jesus would do. Does He seem unpredictable to you? I think I would've understood their objections, but He defended her. Look at it in verse 6 through 9, “'Leave her alone,’" said Jesus, “'Why are you bothering her? She has done a beautiful thing for me. The poor you'll always have with you and you can help them anytime you want, but you will not always have me. She did what she could. She poured perfume on my body beforehand to prepare for my burial. I tell you the truth, wherever this gospel is preached throughout the world, what she has done will also be told in memory of her.’" I can't imagine a stronger defense. He describes her lavish gift as a beautiful thing. The Greek word implies that it's a virtuous act. He addresses their concern for the poor by citing Deuteronomy 15:11, "There will always be poor in the land." He then challenges them about the poor, you can help them anytime you want. It's a bottomless pit. It never ends. You always have poor people with you. And anytime any of us wants to help the poor, we can do it. And I do believe, as in the sheep and the goats, God's going to talk to us about it on Judgment day, how much that was. But Jesus said, "You'll not always have me," not like this. This is an amazing statement. He's returning to the topic of His imminent death. He's soon to be physically taken away from them. He specifically says she anointed His body to prepare for His death. Verse 8, "She did what she could. She poured perfume on my body beforehand to prepare for my burial." Then Jesus makes this amazing, prophetic statement about how she would be remembered forever, "I tell you the truth, wherever this gospel is preached throughout the world, what she has done will also be told in memory of her." Jesus knew at that moment that these stories would be told to the end of time. How did He know that? Because He's God. And He knew that there would be a careful gospel record under the direct inspiration of the Holy Spirit and that this account would be included in that and that this gospel will be preached through the whole world. He already said that in Matthew 24:14 it's going to happen, and this story is going to ride along with that gospel proclamation, it's going to come with it and people are going to hear about her to the end of time, and I say beyond, beyond. I believe his statement's being fulfilled right now as I preach. Here we are in Durham, North Carolina, which is a long way from Jerusalem, and we're centuries later, and we're talking about her. Jesus is a prophet. But I think it goes beyond, it goes beyond this moment, it goes on into heaven. It goes into heaven. Why is that? Because we already learned from Mark 13:31, "Until heaven and earth pass away, my words will never pass away." Heaven and earth will pass away, my words will never pass away. What? Including this one? Yes. For all eternity, we'll be talking about this woman's anointing. That's pretty awesome. But then I thought about it as I was meditating about heaven, writing my book on heaven, I thought, we're not just going to talk about her active, sacrificial giving, we're going to talk about all of them, all of them. Which ones? Well, the ones you all did too, and the ones that I did. Why just this woman? If we're going to remember her good works, we're going to remember everybody's, and so, I believe we will. We're going to remember, "And my Father will honor," Jesus said, "the one who serves me." That's a beautiful thing. I love what it says in verse 8, "She did what she could." Isn't that powerful? What else can we ever do? Reminds me of Moses and the burning bush and that interaction. At some point, God says to Moses, "What do you have in your hand, Moses?" "A staff." "Throw it on the ground." Remember? It's like, "What do you have with you? I can use that. I can use that staff. Throw it on the ground." What about you? Are you doing what you could? That's the question. We'll get back to this. I want to circle back, but this is a beautiful moment. VII. Preparation for the Cross by Betrayal We go from that to... We go from the height of beauty to the depth of darkness. It's disgusting what happens next, but it's the truth, isn't it? Look at verses 10 and 11, preparation for the cross by betrayal. "Then Judas Iscariot, one of the twelve, went to the chief priests to betray Jesus to them. They were delighted to hear this and promised to give him money. So he watched for an opportunity to hand him over." So now we get to betrayal. Keep in mind, Jesus is in no way surprised or caught unaware by Judas. He knew this was coming. After the whole “eat my flesh, drink my blood "teaching in John 6, He says to the twelve, "You don't want to go away too, do you?" Peter says, "To whom should we go? You have the words of eternal life." Then Jesus says, "Have I not chosen you the twelve? And one of you is a devil." Not one of you will later will become a devil, you're a devil right now. He already knew. But still, just because Jesus knew didn't mean it wasn't painful for Him. Jesus knew about the cross, it was painful. This is betrayal. Betrayal shows a violation of trust, a love relationship. You can't betray someone you don't know or have no connection with, it always has to do with a close friend, has to do with a spouse, it has to do with a son or daughter or father or mother, a close relation. It has to do with a national affinity, you can betray your country. But you can't betray someone you have no connection with, a total stranger and there's no connection. So this is hurtful, painful betrayal. Why did Judas betray Him? He was never a believer. It's not like he lost his faith, he never had any. Jesus gave him charge of the money bag because that's all he cared about, it's the only way He could keep him to stick around. He was in it for the money. He was embezzling. In all of the gospel accounts, it's immediately after this anointing by Mary that he goes out to say, "What can I get for Jesus?" It's directly, you get a sense of cause and effect, it's like, "All right, if we're going to be doing that, we're going to pour a year's worth of wages on the ground, the game's up. It's time to trade Jesus in for what I can get from them.” Look at the valuation, you can't see it, but listen to the valuation question in Matthew's account, Matthew 26:14, 15, "Then one of the twelve, the one called Judas Iscariot, went to the chief priest and asked," listen to this, "What are you willing to give me if I hand him over to you?" "What's it worth to you?" It makes you want to vomit. "What's he worth to you?" "Thirty pieces of silver." Little knowing, both sides, that they were directly fulfilling a prophecy in Zechariah, but 30 pieces of silver. They measured out thirty silver coins, cold-blooded idolatry on the part of Judas. He was in it for the money. He loved money. He was covetous. Then, selling his soul for 30 pieces of silver. Yet, his initiative is instrumental, it's a catalyst for the timetable of Jesus' death. It was instrumental because now, they have what they were looking for, an insider who can give knowledge, specific knowledge of Jesus' comings and goings, and that's going to lead to Gethsemane where Jesus would be arrested. VIII. The Point of the Cross: Worship The point of all of this, as I've said, is worship, so let's bring this to application and bring it to a close. God created you and me to worship Him. The only reason we don't is sin, that's why we don't worship Him as we should. Mary's act of sacrificial giving was both a unique moment in time that could never be repeated, but also a timeless pattern or paradigm of worship. It's both. It was unique because Jesus said, "You will not always have me." We cannot anoint Jesus' head and feet physically, He's up in heaven, we do not have that ability to do it. Furthermore, we can't prepare for His burial because death no longer has mastery over Him. He will not die again. He doesn't need to be prepared for burial. That moment has passed. So it's not possible for us to love Jesus specifically the way Mary did. And yet, as unique as that moment was, it clearly also is, to some degree, a paradigm for lavish worship. It's based on faith. What was she doing? Preparing Him for what? Burial. So I told you, there was one disciple there who took Jesus' word seriously, He's going to die. She maybe didn't fully understand, of course, she didn't fully understand, but she believed that what Jesus said was true and she took Him at face value. Mary was this kind of a woman, she was a contemplative listener, ponderer, she sat at Jesus' feet and listened to His teaching. She took it seriously, that's who she was. Luke 10:42, Jesus said, "Mary has chosen what is better and it will not be taken from her." That's who she was. So as faith, it was based on Jesus' word. Secondly, it was loving. She cherished Jesus and sought to honor Him. She poured out this costly perfume out of a heart of love for Him. The beauty of the action was the love that was in her heart. It was lavishly sacrificial, it was costly, costly. Love can always be measured by cost, by sacrifice. No sacrifice, no love. Jesus said, "Greater love has no one than this that he laid down his life for his friends." The greatest gift God has ever given us, God the Father, is the gift of His son. That's the measure of God's love for the earth. God did not spare His own son, but gave Him up for us. That word “spare”, she didn't spare, she didn't hold back, she didn't pour a few drops on Jesus, she poured it out, poured it out. It recognizes, therefore, the supremacy of Christ above all. Yes, it is right to serve and love the poor, to share the gospel, to do many horizontal acts of kindness to other people, but we are created, first and foremost, for God and for Jesus. If we love anything more than we love God, including poor people, we're not worthy of Him. Jesus demands and deserves our best. That's a picture of worship. The challenge for us in terms of worship is are you doing what you can? She did what she could, what about you? What's in your hand? What's in your life? Are you living a life of self-denying sacrificial love for Jesus? That's the challenge. That's the challenge. As I finish my comments, now I want to go back to the beginning. The whole thing's about preparation. The best thing I can hope about all of you who are listening to me today is you are what Romans 9:23 calls, "vessels of mercy prepared in advance for glory." How beautiful is that? God is the potter, we are the clay. Is He preparing you, shaping you for glory? Have you trusted in Jesus for the forgiveness of your sins? That's the first direct preparation on a soul to get you ready for heaven. Have you trusted in Jesus for the forgiveness of your sins? And if so, then do you see the shaping hands of God in your life preparing you for an eternity in glory? That's a beautiful picture, isn't it? Close with me in prayer. Father, we thank you for the time that we've had to study this beautiful text. Father, I pray that you would work in us such a heart of sacrificial love for you, Lord Jesus, that we would hold back nothing, that we would spare nothing, that we would give and give. We are so stingy, Lord. I feel ashamed as I read this account. I feel how stingy I am toward you, how much I hold back from genuinely serving you and loving you. I pray, oh Lord, that there would be no one here listening to this sermon now that's outside of Christ, but that everyone would repent and believe and trust, simply trust in His blood shed on the cross for the forgiveness of sins, but then, that you would do that beautiful preparatory work in us so that we would be able to give and give and give worship for all eternity. In Jesus' name, Amen.

Why are you so tired, when 'I' perform(s) that which is given you to do? It's My responsibility, My battle, not yours. That's My meeting. That's My commute. That's Me stirring in you. Love stirring. That's why I gave you this day-- to pray ceaselessly, to feel My Love constantly, no matter what you think you're feeling, no matter what you think you're seeing, no matter what you think you're hearing... You're silently knowing-- only God is here, only Love is here, and I Am that.  "I will do the very thing you have asked, because I am pleased with you and I know you by name." -Exodus 33:17    I Love you, Nik nikki@curlynikki.com p.s. I = God = Love = Invisible, Formless, Faceless You = Me There's only That. ******God is afoot! I'm writing, and working on something BIG (and very useful) for your practice! I'll share #ListenerFavorite episodes until I return with new ones in Spring! Look out for announcements soon! ▶▶https://www.patreon.com/goodmornings ________________________________ Today's Quotes: "You will get a result for your hard work. Proceed with the thing, you will reach a high position. Trust me." -Maharajji "Lord, I don't want to be paralyzed with uncertainty. Help me to follow your voice even when I have questions. Please direct me as I move forward, and keep me in the middle of your will." -Chris Tiegreen "Trust in and rely confidently on the Lord with all your heart And do not rely on your own insight or understanding. In all your ways know and acknowledge and recognize Him, And He will make your paths straight and smooth [removing obstacles that block your way.]" -Proverbs 3:5-6 AMP "Doubt is an unstable state where your foot is neither on this shore nor on the other. This leads to tension. One way or the other, take a direction and regain your footing. Have you noticed that you usually doubt the things that are positive in your life? You don't doubt negative things so much. You doubt a person's honesty, and you believe in his dishonesty. When someone is angry with you, you have no doubt about his anger. But when someone says he loves you, a doubt creeps in: Does he really love me? When you are depressed, do you ever think: Am I really depressed? No, you accept your depression as a fact. Yet when you are happy, you doubt: Am I really happy; is this what I really wanted? You doubt your capability, but never your weakness. Look at this tendency to doubt the positive things in your life. Doubt the negative and put your trust in the positive. Put doubt in its proper place and doubt the doubts." -Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, A Note to a Sincere Seeker "There is a breakthrough breaking through. The atmosphere is heavy with blessings and the Lord is saying, "Any moment now! Stay in position! Prepare!" Do not back track! Deny the enemies lies and tactics. This is your time!" -@Godlywaiting "Old feelings will resurface. Old thought patterns will resurface. Things you thought you got over will come back up. But who you are in relation to them is what changes. You don't have to hold so tight like you once did. You have a greater capacity now. You have the chance in the moment of extreme discomfort, to know yourself beyond it. These things don't come back up as a punishment. It's to show you who you really are. Be still. Be gentle with yourself. You're doing amazing!! I love you!!" -@sistercody via IG "Just because 'seeming' challenges come up, does not mean that you're not Self-Realized, or Spiritually Enlightened." -Ray A. McCloud

In this deeply meditative recording from 1976, Ram Dass talks about going beyond form and intellect and then is joined by Krishna Das to chant a love song between formless and form.Today's podcast is sponsored by BetterHelp. Click to receive 10% off your first month with your own licensed professional therapist: betterhelp.com/ramdassWant to be part of the discussion about this episode of Here and Now? Join us for the SoulPod Meet-Up on February 13th at 8 pm EST.In this episode of Here and Now: In a highly meditative fashion, Ram Dass speaks about the spiritual journey and how it is a journey of the heart. The intellect, while an exquisitely powerful tool, cannot know ultimate truth.Ram Dass explores the forms we must use to get beyond the intellect, including meditative practices and chanting. He talks about the identities we create with our minds and how we were born into the illusion of separateness. But the way the dance works best is that we keep shifting forms and understand that all these forms will take us to that which has no form.Ram Dass is joined by Krishna Das to chant “Jai Radha.” Ram Dass explains how it is like a love song between formless and form.“This is like a love song between formless and form, between Father and Mother, between the cow herdsmen and the Gopi, between Radha and Govinda.” – Ram DassSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In today's podcast, Raven emphasizes the importance of understanding and embracing oneself, including our imperfections, in order to find inner silence and presence. She discusses the necessity of aligning life elements such as relationships and careers with joy, ease, pleasure, and service for true fulfillment. Raven also presents the idea of embodying silence, not as an absence of noise, but becoming capable of withstanding different situations and emotional triggers without resorting to the noisy, distracting mind. She concludes the episode by guiding us through a restorative exercise of embracing our insecurities and releasing the pressure of perfection, highlighting the beauty of authenticity and acceptance.Key takeaways from this episode:- [03:36] - The Importance of Silence and Inner Peace- [04:44] - Understanding the Concept of Worthiness- [04:59] - Exploring the Concept of Alignment- [09:55] - The Connection between Formless and Form- [16:50] - The Authentically Embodied Woman- [17:58] - Embracing Imperfections and Self-AcceptanceQuotes from Episode: "The best way you can look after yourself is to stop having an allegiance to the mind.  Devotion to the mind is misplaced and creates so much stress." "I can take you to a place of receiving what it is that you truly long for and truly want. But once you get there, if you don't know the fundamental truth of freedom and love that exists at an embodied level, you're just going to keep chasing."  Further Reading: To learn more about this subject, check out the Align Mini Course - https://embodiedawakeningacademy.com/courses/align-mini-courseLinks from Episode:- Embodied Awakening Academy: https://embodiedawakeningacademy.com- Upcoming Living Tantra Retreats: https://embodiedawakeningacademy.com/ltrglobal/

TIME STAMPS 00:00 The Nature of Human Potential 05:04 The Definition of Ego 10:26 The Self as Formless and Infinite 15:39 The Western View of God 23:45 The Motivation to Be the Best Version of Yourself 31:48 The Distorted Perception of Religion 38:22 Comparing Yourself to Your Past Self 42:34 Reaching Your Potential in the Present Moment 51:45 Understanding God Through Qualities and Attributes 01:05:23 Understanding Loneliness as a Shadow 01:08:18 The Golden Buddha Statue Story and Unlearning 01:13:30 The Concept of Karma and Shadow Work 01:27:19 Relationships as Catalysts for Growth 01:33:32 Destiny, Predetermination, and Fate 01:39:01 The Journey of Self-Mastery and the Mystics 01:43:46 The Levels of Reality and the Return to Wholeness 01:54:35 Leaving Humanity with a Message 01:56:12 Bringing True Masculinity and Balanced Man into Society You can find Hootan here: https://www.instagram.com/god_in_body You can find Nick here: https://linktr.ee/nick.zei

Brandon Thorpe is the Founder of FORMLESS (https://www.formless.xyz). Backed by WAGMI Ventures, a16z Crypto CSS, & more, FORMLESS is a decentralized network and digital space that empowers individuals to connect, create, collaborate and share in a multiplayer digital economy. In this episode we talk about Brandon's background across music (signed artist) and technology (Apple, Google), his experience navigating the legacy music industry (and how lessons there flowed into creating FORMLESS), how to shift the natural processes of distribution in a creator-friendly way, interesting FORMLESS use cases thus far, advice for founders at the intersection of Web3 + creative industries, & much more.Recorded Thursday December 21, 2023.

ADZG 1151 ADZG Monday Night Dharma Talk by David Wray

Introducing The Henchdividuals: Arthusus'lglk'lglg the Formless, Purest of All Beings Scrag the Kobold Marlene the Human and Steve the Animated Skeleton The Plot... Thickens!

Every time thoughts come as to how it's going to happen, when it's going to happen, close that body's eyes... fold its hands in front of it, and go back down into that bowing, back into that Humbleness.   Bow back into God, back into your Shelter, like you're ducking under the doorframe back inside where it's quiet, where there is no world, nothing to solve, nothing to fix, nothing to think about.  That's the point.   Not good humanhood, not bad humanhood, Christhood.   Make that your mantra for a week,   and when you're saying it, you're unseeing good people, you're unseeing bad people,  you're unseeing you, the 'people' you think you are, you're unseeing all the people, all the world. Only Christhood is here, which means only this Loving Awareness is here, and you feel that Loving Awareness,  you be that Loving Awareness, Only,  Formless,  Silent,   and that heals,   that feeds,   that pays,   that's love,   that's all. I love you I am you nik  ************************ To claim your free gift, leave a review on Apple Podcasts, screenshot it and send it to me at nikki@curlynikki.com!  Join us on Patreon to support the show, and tune into and participate in live video Q&As with me!  Support the show ************************ "To completely trust in God is to be like a child who knows deeply that even if he does not call for the mother, the mother is totally aware of his condition and is looking after him." - Imam Ghazali "To get what you love, you must first be patient with what you hate." -Sufi Saying "When there were no strings to play you played to me When there was no ear to hear you sang to me " - The Grateful Dead "Quiet' doesn't mean that a person should sit like a statue. Peace means that there should be no concept or thought in mind. If thought arises in the mind, time will also arise. When the thought that produces time vanishes time also ceases to exist. Then there is true peace. Anyone can try this. Keep quiet for a single instant. Don't allow the mind to stir. For a single moment be without any thought of the past. In that moment you will see that there is no thought, no time, no world. This is what I mean by peace. In that instant everything will be peaceful. If you keep quiet you will see that the whole world is quiet. This world does not exist at all If you sit quietly for a single second you will bring peace to the world because in that moment there is no world. Then do it for the next second, and the next. This the way to bring about peace, but you have to do it yourself and see." - HWL Poonja  / Papaji "In the state of silence, a person does not shun out the ability to comprehend sound, instead he is trying to enhance his ability to hear the sounds, assimilate them discern them, analyze them and then synthesis them into a perfect whole of wisdom. Thus the observer of silence is trying to develop an ability whereby a specific sound can be heard. This is the vibrating sound of the Universe, which is called the sound of our inner soul. That sound of eternal vibration is 'OM' in our ancient scriptures." -Bhakti Ma   

The Middle-earth Mixer joins us this week to look at why Peter Jackson made some pretty big changes to 3 central characters: Sauron, Elrond, and Saruman.

Dustin is a martial artist and podcast co-host who has studied multiple styles over the years. He is married with 3 kids and martial arts is a full family affair. He also loves classic cars and plays guitar. He is currently the co-host of the Formless Podcast! Please enjoy his story. The Formless Podcast on ... Dustin Salsi – Formless Podcast – Ep138

Mike Erre - This week we talk about the pictures of pre-creation: darkness, wilderness and deep waters and see how the rest of Genesis 1 overcomes those obstacles.

On this episode of DIOTALK, I'm joined by Dustin Salsi. Dustin Salsi is One-half host of the amazing podcast called: The Formless Podcast where they talk about their journey mastering the martial art style Wu Ying Tao and are most often joined by other martial arts practitioners to share their stories. Contact & Follow The Formless Podcast: Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5ONZoWvXIrRR4SOFJFyaHG?si=fcf9b0b6a91e4e79 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theformlesspodcast/ Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1597224037344875 Twitter: https://twitter.com/formless_the Email: theformlesspodcast@gmail.comFollow Us:Instagram: @mr.dreaminspireobtain @dreaminspireobtain @diotalkpodcastApple podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/d-i-o-talk-podcast/id1562933810?uo=4Spotify:https://open.spotify.com/show/54SDtx0CFJ58FfpDoSg4BzGoogle podcast:https://www.google.com/podcasts?feed=aHR0cHM6Ly9hbmNob3IuZm0vcy82NmI3MTVjYy9wb2RjYXN0L3Jzcw==Anchor F.M. Podcast:https://anchor.fm/s/66b715cc/podcast/rss

In 2016, Akash was connected to the essence of Guruji, the Avatar of Hinduism's Lord Shiva, in a formless relationship.  Guruji guided him to study A Course in Miracles which is dictated by Jesus.  This study lead to the existence of the book, Introducing You to Your Own Perfection, which is the subject of this podcast. Introducing You to Your Own Perfection was written under challenging circumstances.  It was if it came out of nowhere or now-here.  The book began during the Coronavirus Lockdown, as the writer had an 18 month-old baby, a pregnant wife expecting another, a full time career outside of writing and a normal householder life.  To ensure the message of this work was not lost, it was written during the toddler's naptimes on the weekends and during the week after hours until late at night.  The intense force inside to get the words down and arrange this material was "overwhelming" as Akash wanted to extend his experience and introduce you to your own perfection. To connect with Akash and the bright light which joins humanity, please see:  https://www.johnhuntpublishing.com/o-books/authors/akash-sky FB:  https://www.facebook.com/akashsky.awakening IG:  https://www.instagram.com/akashsky.awakening/ YouTube:  https://www.youtube.com/@akashsky.awakening This podcast is available on your favorite podcast platform, or here:  https://endoftheroad.libsyn.com/episode-261-akash-sky-formless-relationship-with-essencelord-shivajesusinner-perfection Have a blessed weekend!

Faith. It's a loaded and troubling word for many people, but having faith in your true self is a wonderful thing to uncover on anyone's alcohol-free journey. This week we have the most amazing heartfelt story to share with you. Michael Leeser is a 'This Naked Mind' coach and academic whose passion lies in pointing people to the beauty of who they really are. This is an incredible conversation!

The blue print to building wealth hasn't changed in 5000 years. You own a business, invest in business or real estate. Pick one, or pick all three but you have to pick at least one of them to get YOURSELF RICH. http://www.GeraldPeters.info

Why are you so tired, when 'I' perform(s) that which is given you to do?It's My responsibility,My battle, not yours. That's My meeting. That's My commute.  That's Me stirring in you. Love stirring. That's why I gave you this day-- to pray ceaselessly, to feel My Love constantly,no matter what you think you're feeling,no matter what you think you're seeing,no matter what you think you're hearing...You're silently knowing-- only God is here, only Love is here,and I Am that.    "I will do the very thing you have asked, because I am pleased with you and I know you by name."-Exodus 33:17   I Love you, Niknikki@curlynikki.comp.s. I = God = Love = Invisible, Formless, Faceless You = MeThere's only That. Please help me keep the show ad free + Get Merch!▶▶https://www.patreon.com/goodmornings________________________________Today's Quotes:"You will get a result for your hard work. Proceed with the thing, you will reach a high position. Trust me."-Maharajji "Lord, I don't want to be paralyzed with uncertainty.Help me to follow your voice even when I have questions.Please direct me as I move forward, and keep me in the middle of your will."-Chris Tiegreen "Trust in and rely confidently on the Lord with all your heart And do not rely on your own insight or understanding. In all your ways know and acknowledge and recognize Him, And He will make your paths straight and smooth [removing obstacles that block your way.]"-Proverbs 3:5-6 AMP"Doubt is an unstable state where your foot is neither on this shore nor on the other. This leads to tension. One way or the other, take a direction and regain your footing.Have you noticed that you usually doubt the things that are positive in your life? You don't doubt negative things so much. You doubt a person's honesty, and you believe in his dishonesty. When someone is angry with you, you have no doubt about his anger. But when someone says he loves you, a doubt creeps in: Does he really love me? When you are depressed, do you ever think: Am I really depressed? No, you accept your depression as a fact. Yet when you are happy, you doubt: Am I really happy; is this what I really wanted? You doubt your capability, but never your weakness.Look at this tendency to doubt the positive things in your life.Doubt the negative and put your trust in the positive.Put doubt in its proper place and doubt the doubts."-Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, A Note to a Sincere Seeker "There is a breakthrough breaking through. The atmosphere is heavy with blessings and the Lord is saying, "Any moment now! Stay in position! Prepare!" Do not back track! Deny the enemies lies and tactics. This is your time!"-@Godlywaiting"Old feelings will resurface. Old thought patterns will resurface. Things you thought you got over will come back up. But who you are in relation to them is what changes. You don't have to hold so tight like you once did. You have a greater capacity now. You have the chance in the moment of extreme discomfort, to know yourself beyond it. These things don't come back up as a punishment. It's to show you who you really are. Be still. Be gentle with yourself. You're doing amazing!! I love you!!"-@sistercody via IG "Just because 'seeming' challenges come up, does not mean that you're not Self-Realized, or Spiritually Enlightened."-Ray A. McCloud"When you lost your way into your passionWhen you become unsure of your callingWhen you start to doubt your strengths and giftsTurn to the One who called you qualified."-@joenasandiego via IGSupport the show

Feel God saying- 'that thorn in your side (that job, that illness, that person),is to bring you closer to Me,to lock you inside of Me, inside of My Love,inside of My Healing, inside of My Will,  so that you'll stop leaving. Don't let the appearance of this world make you forget that you're in Me. That I'm all around you. Just listen,when the noise becomes too much,listen for Me. When you listen to sound, the very listening is Me.The Silence and Sound are not separate.The Formless and Form are not separate.I Am not separate from you.Surrender.Soften.   Relax into Me-- the fulfillment of your greatest Desire.' I Love you, Niknikki@curlynikki.comPlease help me keep the show ad free + Get Merch!▶▶https://www.patreon.com/goodmornings________________________________Today's Quotes:"Whatever we put our attention on will grow stronger in our lives. Put your attention on the highest."-Maharishi Mahesh Yogi "I am love; if you come close to me, something will start dancing in your heart. Allow it."-Osho "Am I not here? I who am your Mother? Are you not under my shadow and protection? Am I t the source of your Joy? Are you not in the hollow of my mantle, in the crossing of my arms? Do you need something more? Let nothing else worry you, disturb you."-Virgin of Guadalupe to Juan Diego, December 12, 1531-From the Original Nican Mopohua recorded by Antonio Valeriano."Jesus is the beginning, the means and the end of all desires.As I was concerned about the state of my soul, all of a sudden my adorable Jesus came and told me:"My daughter, do not be concerned, for I alone am the beginning, the means and the end of all your desires." With these words I calmed myself in Jesus. May everything be for the glory of God, and may His Holy Name be blessed."-Luisa Piccarreta, Book of Heaven "The path is simple: organize your heart around love and your mind around truth.  This how we live a divine life."-Isha Das "When you listen to soundthe very listening is thesilence. Silence and soundare not separate."-J Krishnamurti "If it's from God, it'll come with His Peace."-IG @faithfulfootprints"It is by God's Grace that we think of God."-Ramana Maharshi "Do not fear anything; nothing will happen to you against My Will."-Jesus to St. Faustina in Her Dairy "Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. 9 But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me. 10 That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong."-2 Corinthians 12 Support the show