Podcasts about from moses

Gari and Carla explore how God has used fire throughout Scripture to lead, purify, empower, and reveal what's false. From Moses at the burning bush to Isaiah's refining moment in God's presence, they unpack four types of fire that transform us today. SUBSCRIBE, RATE, & REVIEW the podcast to stay up to date with the latest episodes. Visit gutsyfaith.com or FOLLOW US @gutsyfaith on all social media platforms to stay connected. We're cheering you wildly!

This week, we explored the rich biblical theme of typology, where Old Testament figures and events foreshadow the greater fulfillment found in Christ. From Moses, Solomon, and the land of Canaan, we are pointed to Jesus as the ultimate Deliverer, King, and inheritance. The mysterious figure of Melchizedek highlights the eternal priesthood of Christ. Through Jesus, we are invited to draw near to God with confidence, living not as owners of our resources, but as stewards of His grace and provision.

Josh Monday joins Nephilim Death Squad to dive deep into biblical cosmology, exposing the spiritual warfare embedded in modern science. We unravel topics like the firmament, heliocentrism, and NASA's occult ties, and break down how ancient scripture challenges mainstream cosmology. From Moses' firsthand account of creation to the sun-stopping miracle of Joshua, we explore why the Bible's flat-earth model still shakes the foundations of belief. We also cover how Freemasonry, Jesuit science, and Operation Paperclip's Nazi legacy have shaped the world's understanding of “space”—all while keeping you laughing (and maybe rethinking reality). If you've ever wondered whether stars are angels, or if nukes can actually destroy Earth, this one's for you.☠️ NEPHILIM DEATH SQUAD   Skip the ads. Get early access. Tap into the hive mind of dangerous RTRDs in our private Telegram channel — only on Patreon:

This week, we're diving deep into the power of our choices—and how choosing excellence isn't about perfection, but posture. From Moses' call to “choose life” in Deuteronomy to Paul's charge to “run with purpose,” Scripture shows us that living with an excellent spirit begins in the heart. We'll explore how excellence is fueled by gratitude, shaped by discipline, driven by determination, and aligned through God's direction. Excellence means doing ordinary things extraordinarily well—not for applause, but for God's glory. God has already placed greatness in you. The question is: will you live it out?

Send us a textWhen does divine guidance become dangerous delusion? This riveting theological discussion dives deep into one of Christianity's most contentious questions: Does God still speak prophetically through individuals, or is Scripture now His complete and final revelation?The conversation begins with respectful disagreement about whether Christians can receive messages from God to deliver to others. One view firmly maintains that such claims essentially position someone as having authority equal to Scripture—"How is that any different than a Pope?" Another perspective shares powerful personal testimonies of divine communication, including hearing God's voice directing Bible reading and receiving prophetic insights about others' circumstances.Biblical evidence becomes the focal point as participants examine how God historically validated His messengers through undeniable signs and wonders. From Moses parting the Red Sea to Christ healing the blind, these weren't random spiritual experiences but divine authentication of messengers and their message. As one participant notes, "There is never a situation where somebody, just of their own accord, comes and says 'I'm God's messenger' without God validating that person through signs of some sort."The discussion takes fascinating turns through Deuteronomy's test for true prophecy, the clustering of biblical miracles during key covenant transitions, and why Paul might recommend medicine to Timothy rather than miraculous healing. Most compelling is the distinction between acknowledging spiritual experiences and discerning their source—recognizing that powerful experiences can originate from places other than God.Rather than seeking supernatural signs, the discussion ultimately points to Christ himself. At both Jesus's baptism and transfiguration, God's instruction was beautifully simple: "Hear Him." In a world filled with competing spiritual claims and counterfeit wonders, this dialogue reminds us that true faith focuses on Christ and His completed work, not on chasing supernatural experiences.What spiritual experiences have you encountered, and how did you discern their source? Join the conversation and share your perspective on hearing God's voice in today's world.The Balance of GrayGod, doubt, and proof walk into a podcast... it goes better than you'd expect!Listen on: Apple Podcasts SpotifySupport the show

Have you ever wondered what happens to our physical bodies when we stand in God's presence? Discover the transformative power of God's Glory as we journey through biblical Scenes of Glory that reveal how Moses had to wear a veil because his face literally shone after being with God! In this powerful teaching, we'll explore what "glory" truly means in Scripture - not just splendor, but God's good opinion, judgment, and view that brings honor and praise. From Moses' shining face to Jesus' transfiguration on the mountain, you'll learn how believers are being Transformed by Glory as we move from Glory to Glory in our spiritual journey. The Glory of the Believer is not just a future promise but a present reality as we understand how Jesus prayed that the Glory of God would be given to us just as the Father gave it to Him. If you're seeking a deeper understanding of what it means to live with an unveiled face, beholding the Lord's glory, this message will transform your perspective on God's presence in your life!

What if the ancient Passover meal has always been pointing to Jesus? In this powerful Communion Week message, we connect the dots between the first Passover in Egypt, the crucifixion of Jesus, and the spiritual battle still raging today. From Moses to the Upper Room, we unpack how the blood of a lamb became the ultimate rescue plan. Communion isn't just a tradition—it's a declaration of freedom, victory, and identity in Christ. Ready to see the cross through fresh eyes? Let's go there.

In this episode, we explore the profound impact of prayer in the life of a Christian leader. Leadership can be overwhelming, but history and Scripture show that the greatest leaders were those who knelt in prayer before they stood in authority. From Moses crying out for help under the burden of leadership to Nehemiah praying for boldness in the face of opposition, and even Jesus, who continually sought the Father's will—prayer was the common thread that sustained them all. Through real-life experiences and powerful Biblical narratives, we discuss how prayer provides strength, wisdom, and direction in leadership. Whether you're leading a business, a church, or your family, prayer is not a last resort—it is your first and greatest strategy. Tune in for practical steps on how to cultivate a prayerful leadership style, how to seek God's guidance in decision-making, and how to inspire a culture of prayer in your organization. Don't miss this conversation on embracing the power of prayer to lead with faith, confidence, and humility. Listen now and be encouraged to make prayer the foundation of your leadership!

Hebrews 11:23–40 continues the powerful “Hall of Faith,” highlighting men and women who trusted God in the face of danger, hardship, and uncertainty. From Moses' parents defying Pharaoh to the prophets who endured persecution, this passage celebrates those who chose faith over fear, obedience over comfort, and eternal hope over temporary safety. Some saw great victories; others suffered and died without receiving what was promised—yet all were commended for their faith. Together, their stories point beyond themselves to the greater fulfillment found in Christ.  The Rev. Nathaniel Brown, pastor of Grace Lutheran Church in Correll, MN, Trinity Lutheran Church in Bellingham, MN, and Trinity Lutheran Church in Odessa, MN, joins the Rev. Dr. Phil Booe to study Hebrews 11:23-40.  For centuries, God spoke through prophets, in visions, through fire and thunder on Mount Sinai. But now, Hebrews tells us, He has spoken fully and finally in His Son. This book isn't just another epistle—it's the key that unlocks the Old Testament, revealing how everything was always pointing to Christ. The prophets, the angels, the priesthood, the sacrifices—all find their fulfillment in Him. Over the next several weeks, we'll walk through Hebrews, uncovering its depth, its urgency, and its breathtaking vision of Jesus as the great High Priest, the perfect sacrifice, and the One who is greater than all who came before. If you've ever wondered how the Old and New Testaments connect, how the shadows become substance, this is the book to study. Thy Strong Word, hosted by Rev. Dr. Phil Booe, pastor of St. John Lutheran Church of Luverne, MN, reveals the light of our salvation in Christ through study of God's Word, breaking our darkness with His redeeming light. Each weekday, two pastors fix our eyes on Jesus by considering Holy Scripture, verse by verse, in order to be strengthened in the Word and be equipped to faithfully serve in our daily vocations. Submit comments or questions to: thystrongword@kfuo.org.

"Prayer isn't just something we do—it's how we live. Corrie ten Boom, a hero who saved hundreds during the Holocaust, said, 'Is prayer your steering wheel or your spare tire?' The Bible shows us that prayer isn't a last resort; it's the pathway to God's presence and power. From Moses to Jesus, and even today, prayer connects us directly to God—it's the power we need for strength and transformation. Let's not just pray, let's live praying lives, knowing that through prayer, heaven and earth collide." #Prayer #Faith #StrengthInPrayer

Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their labor: If either of them falls down, one can help the other up. But pity anyone who falls and has no one to help them up. — Ecclesiastes 4:9-10 Teamwork is important. There is strength and a sense of community in working together toward a common goal. Working together is essential in overcoming challenges and achieving shared objectives. Teamwork develops synergy, where individual strengths complement each other, leading to greater productivity and creativity. Through teamwork, various perspectives and skills contribute to thorough problem solving and innovation. The Bible emphasizes the values of teamwork. From Moses and Aaron leading the Israelites to Jesus sending out his disciples, cooperation and mutual support are foundational to God's work. Together we can encourage, support, and build each other up in faith and good works. Looking back, I see how teamwork has enriched my personal growth and accomplishments. It has taught me humility, patience, and the joy of celebrating collective achievements. Each team effort has strengthened relationships and fostered a sense of community and belonging. We can embrace collaboration in all areas of life, seeking opportunities to work alongside others, leveraging people's strengths for the greater good. Let's strive to imitate Christ's example of unity and service, knowing that together we can accomplish far more than we could if we worked alone. Father, guide us in working together for your glory and your kingdom. In Jesus' name, Amen.

The Glory of God (Exodus): After almost 30 weeks, our Journey to Freedom series on Exodus ends with a focus on the glory of God. From Moses' radiant face to the glory cloud filling the Tabernacle, see how God's beauty, grace, and goodness lead us to worship and reflect His light. Recorded on Mar 9, 2025, on Exodus 34-40 by Pastor David Parks. Read more...

In this message, we dive into Jesus' Sermon on the Mount, where He declares, “I didn't come to abolish the Law or the Prophets—I came to fulfill them.” What does that mean for us today? Jesus upgrades the Old Covenant, fulfilling it through His perfect life and death, freeing us from its burden (Heb. 8:13). From Moses on Mount Sinai to Jesus on the Mount, we see a shift from rules to a transformed life—His law now written on our hearts (Jer. 31:33).Explore how Jesus calls us to a righteousness that surpasses the Pharisees—not through legalism, but through His life in us (2 Cor. 5:21). His teachings (Matt. 5-7) aren't just inspiration; they're a call to action: “Everyone who hears these words and puts them into practice” builds their life on the rock (Matt. 7:24-27). Discover how Jesus' fulfillment of the Law and the destruction of the Temple (AD 70) mark the end of the old “heaven and earth,” ushering in a New Covenant of Kingdom living—resilient, Spirit-led, and free.

This last Sunday, Chris explored the link between prayer and wilderness throughout the Scriptures. From Moses, to David, to Elijah, and ultimately to Jesus - we see that God meets us in the wilderness. It's in the wilderness of prayer that our vulnerability and lack of control are exposed.  It's in this unique place where God is able to minister His Presence to us, and where we receive our true identity as friend of God.  We pray that you would venture into the wilderness of prayer, unto knowing Him and loving Him, and being known and loved by Him.   Link to Sermon Guide & Activations: 02.23.25 Sermon Guide

Ever notice how many major spiritual breakthroughs in Scripture happened during times of fasting? From Moses on the mountain to Jesus in the wilderness, there's something powerful about this ancient spiritual discipline that most of us aren't tapping into. In this episode, we're unpacking the fascinating connection between fasting and spiritual gifts - and trust us, it's way more significant than just skipping a few meals!We're breaking down specific ways fasting fuels spiritual gifts, backed by solid Scripture and practical application. Whether you're looking to grow in prophecy, seeking breakthrough in deliverance ministry, or just hungry to hear God's voice more clearly, this episode is packed with biblical wisdom you can actually use. Plus, we'll clear up some common confusion about the difference between Old and New Testament fasting (spoiler alert: Jesus changed the game!). If you're serious about growing in the gifts of the Spirit while staying grounded in the Word, you won't want to miss this one! 

From Moses at the burning bush to Solomon's temple dedication, each fiery encounter reveals a divine pattern: God's fire follows an offering. This week, we'll dive into Acts 2 and explore how the Holy Spirit empowers individuals and unites the church to spread the gospel. Let's discover how Holy Fire ignites lives, builds unity, and sends us into the streets with the love of Christ.

Today, we're diving into a powerful truth about prayer that most people miss. We're not just talking about any prayer – we're talking about prayers that literally break chains, and rewrite destinies. From Moses parting the Red Sea to prison doors flying open, history shows us that prayer isn't just a religious ritual. It's a supernatural force that changes lives. But here's the twist: when God moves mountains through prayer, He isn't interested in just rearranging landscapes. He's after something bigger – transforming people. Want to know how your prayers can reshape someone's destiny? Dive in, because this message will revolutionize your prayer life. Thank you for your generosity and for advancing the Kingdom of God! For more information on giving: sm4.org/giving Follow us on social media to stay informed and updated: Instagram - @santamariafoursquare Facebook - Santa Maria Foursquare Church Website: sm4.org

An important principle in biblical interpretation is learning the context of a statement. From Moses to Jesus, what is the context of the phrase, “An eye for an eye”?  Check out the video version of this sermon.  Check out all of the other topics we have covered in our “Is that in the Bible?” series.  Check out my blog, my other podcasts, my books, and so much more at http://linktr.ee/craigtowens  ►► Would you please prayerfully consider supporting this ministry? My Patreon supporters get behind-the-scenes access to exclusive materials. ◀︎◀︎

The Power of Shema (Parshat Va'etchanan) From Moses until October 7th, the prayer from our Parsha has played an outsized role.

From Moses onward, prophets were giving details about the Promised One, the Messiah. With so many clues, how did God's people completely miss His arrival? Listen as Julie Coleman helps us discover His Master Plan.

Welcome to today's sermon podcast! Inspired by Apostle Paul's prayer in Ephesians 6:19, this sermon aims to help you understand God's plan for your life and how to overcome the obstacles you face. Life is filled with challenges, and whether you have many resources or few, there are always barriers to overcome. Drawing from classic Old Testament stories, today's message focuses on the story of Jericho from the book of Joshua. We explore how the Israelites, led by Joshua, faced the formidable walled city of Jericho and how God's unconventional plan led them to victory. From Moses leading the Israelites out of Egypt to Joshua taking over as their leader, we see a pattern of obedience and faith that brings about God's promises. As we delve into the story, we'll uncover how communication with God, compliance with His commands, and confidence in His promises enable us to conquer life's challenges. Join us as we learn valuable lessons from Joshua chapter 6 and discover how we too can overcome our personal "Jerichos" through the power of God, trusting His plan, obeying His commands, and following His lead with confidence. May this sermon encourage you to keep your head high and your faith strong as you navigate the obstacles in your life. With Pastor Mike Curry. “Conquering Jericho: Overcoming Challenges with Faith” Joshua 6 Main Idea: We can overcome challenges by trusting God's promise, obeying His commands, and confidently following His lead. Overcoming Life's Challenges Communication: Trusting God's Promise (Joshua 6:1-2) God's Promise: “See, I have delivered Jericho into your hands...” Psalm 16:7-8 Matthew 6:33 Compliance: Obedience in Action (Joshua 6:6-7, 8, 10, 16) God's plan: March around Jericho once a day for six days, with priests carrying trumpets and the ark of the covenant. Joshua's Obedience: He complied, even when the plan seemed unconventional. James 1:22 Confidence: Shouting in Faith (Joshua 6:20-21) Faith in Action: March around Jericho seven times, then shout in glory to God. Result: The walls of Jericho fell, and victory was secured. Romans 8:31-39 Reflection Questions: “What ‘walls of Jericho' do you currently face in your life—challenges that seem insurmountable? How can you seek God's communication and trust His promise to overcome them?” “Reflect on a time when God led you to take an unconventional or unexpected step in obedience. What did you learn from that experience, and how did it impact your faith?” “Consider the promises God has given you for the future. How can you hold onto those promises and confidently move forward, even when circumstances appear difficult?”

Exodus 4:1-12 God's grace is often showcased when His people are facing difficult times. God was faithful to Moses and His grace prepared the way for him to accomplish great things for the Lord. From Moses's story we learn: God's grace is with us EVEN when we have questions. Moses asked ‘what if', in Mark 9:24 the father asked ‘help my unbelief', Mary asked ‘how can this be'. God is not put off by our questions but welcomes them! Are you bringing your questions to God? God is willing to show up in miraculous ways to get us where we need to be. God is not only with you, but He is FOR you as well. Everyone has questions, but when we allow Holy Spirit to guide us, things begin to change. Romans 8:14-17 Because of God's grace, Moses was transformed from fearful and unbelieving to the deliverer of Israel! Hebrews 11:24-38 What is God doing in your life today? How is His grace changing you?? +++++++ You can find our service times on our website: https://allnationstallahassee.com/ You can find sermon highlights on Twitter here: https://mobile.twitter.com/allnationstally

The story continues as God works through Moses and his successors in Israel to fulfill a promise to redeem humankind. Ron and John survey the books of Exodus through the reign of Saul in 1 Samuel. The post Bible Survey, Part 2: From Moses to King Saul (Encore) appeared first on Orthodocs.faith.

Faith is a way of seeing, and the saints in the second half of Hebrews 11 saw two things: solidarity and resilience. From Moses through the judges, the prophets, and early Christian martyrs, faith chooses to identify with the people of God rather than the "fleeting pleasures of sin." And when suffering threatened to undo them, faith strengthened them to endure, contributing to what Augustine called the City of Man while waiting most of all for the City of God.

Pastor Brent continues in our new series, “So, What is God Like?” with this powerful message reminding us of God's mercy and compassion. From Moses and Israel to today, God is setting His people apart to be HIS reflection in the world. This is WHO HE IS!

Pastor Trevor kicks off our new series, “So, What is God Like?” with this incredible message reminding us of God's faithfulness. From Moses and Israel to today, God is setting His people apart to be HIS reflection in the world. This is WHO HE IS!

Discover the profound echoes of an ancient story that has shaped millennia, as we journey through the Passover narrative - an epic tale of faith, liberation, and divine intervention. As your guide, I'll walk you through the pivotal biblical events that forever altered the course of Jewish and Christian history. From Moses' leadership to the fateful night that marked the beginning of the Exodus, this episode is an invitation to explore the deep spiritual significance and cultural impact of these historic moments.Join us at our virtual table, where the scent of tradition and the warmth of memory blend into a feast for the soul. With insight from renowned scholars and religious leaders, we unravel the symbolism of the Passover lamb and the blood-stained doorposts, ponder the haste of a fleeing nation, and celebrate the enduring legacy of the Feast of Unleavened Bread. Together, we'll uncover the layers of meaning within the Passover Seder and reflect on the command to rest and remember, connecting ancient customs to the rhythms of our present-day lives. This episode isn't just a retelling; it's a rediscovery of a story that continues to define and enrich the identity of generations.Support the show

Today, Pastor Jack Morris is focused on clouds and no, this message isn't about the weather but how clouds have played a role in Biblical stories and God's deliverance. From Moses to Elijah to Jesus calming a deadly storm, learn how God works unexpectedly to provide peace and protection. 1 Kings 18:41-44 And Elijah said to Ahab, Go, eat and drink, for there is the sound of a heavy rain. So Ahab went off to eat and drink, but Elijah climbed to the top of Carmel, bent down to the ground and put his face between his knees. Go and look toward the sea, he told his servant. And he went up and looked. There is nothing there, he said. Seven times Elijah said, Go back. The seventh time the servant reported, A cloud as small as a man's hand is rising from the sea. So Elijah said, Go and tell Ahab, Hitch up your chariot and go down before the rain stops you.' To support this ministry financially, visit: https://www.oneplace.com/donate/1528/29

It is impossible to have an encounter with a holy God without being changed by it. We see it play out time and time again throughout the narrative of scripture. From Moses' encounter with God at the burning bush, to Isaiah's vision of Yahweh on his throne in the temple, to Paul's encounter with Jesus on the road to Damascus; it is clear that when we encounter God's presence, we walk away differently. In the second chapter of 1 John, the author of the letter speaks to the authenticity of our faith, making the bold claim that if we claim to know Jesus, but we do not walk in the way he did— if we have not been changed by an encounter with him— then we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. In this message, Brock breaks down the second chapter of 1 John, and teaches on what it means to have an authentic faith— how to keep an aroma of heaven about us, even through the changing seasons of life.

In this powerful sermon, we delve into the significance of mountaintop experiences in Scripture, focusing on the extraordinary transfiguration of Jesus. We journey to a moment when Jesus was transfigured before the eyes of his disciples, Peter, James, and John on a high mountain, unveiling his divine glory through an immense glow from his clothes, conversations with Moses and Elijah, and the audible affirmation of His divine sonship by God Himself. This episode explores how mountaintop experiences were not just moments of divine revelation, but also a preparation guide for significant missions. From Moses leading the Israelites out of Egypt to Jesus propelling His disciples into a mission of redemption, each encounter provided divine direction and equipped leaders for their upcoming tasks. We examine the influences of these moments, revealing the essence of divine presence and mission field that they encapsulate. This sermon concludes with an assuring message for the future, emphasizing that no matter what uncertainties lie ahead, we can trust that Jesus walks with us down the mountain and into the future.

God sends some someones.In Moses' story, he asks God to send someone to help him in his weakness. Someone to speak wisdom and blessing, someone to share the load, someone that is with, someone that strengthens faith, and someone to speak truth. From Moses' story, we see God's desire to send someone to help us in our loneliness, weakness, and for all of life. May we become people who see who God has placed in our lives, and faithfully lean on the gift of community.Check out the links below for ways to get connected and give to SLO City: (https://slocity.church/im-new) - Click here to fill out a connect card if you're new (https://slocity.church/this-week) - Click here to jump into community (https://subsplash.com/slocitychurch/app) - Click here to download the app and stay connected (https://slocity.church/give) - We dream of being a generous church that trusts God fully and makes a difference. If God has put it on your heart to give, click the link above.

“May I put it quite simply? If you understand these two words—‘but God'—they will save your soul. If you recall them daily and live by them, they will transform your life completely.” - James Montgomery Boice It is no surprise, then, that the human authors of the Bible use this phrase repeatedly to highlight God's grace in every aspect of salvation. From Moses to Paul and just about everywhere in between, “But God” appears time and again at many crucial junctures in the Bible. It is the perfect phrase for highlighting the grace of God against the dark backdrop of human sin. As we close out 2023 and look forward to 2024, lets be a church that looks for the "but God" stories.

Finding Strength in Weakness! "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." 2 Corinthians 12:9 In our journey toward the finish line, we often find ourselves faced with challenges and obstacles that seem insurmountable. We struggle with our own weaknesses and inadequacies, unsure of how we will ever cross the finish line. Yet, in these moments of weakness, something remarkable happens. God's strength shines through, illuminating the path before us and infusing us with the power to persevere. Throughout the pages of Scripture, we encounter countless individuals who experienced God's strength in the midst of their weaknesses. From Moses, who stuttered and doubted his ability to lead, to David, who faced giants and armies, and even Paul, who carried a thorn in his flesh, God's power was made perfect in their weakness. 1 Corinthians 2:5 says, "So that your faith would not rest on men's wisdom but on God's power." It is in our moments of weakness that we often discover the true source of our strength. We realize that we cannot rely solely on our own abilities and talents but must instead surrender to God's strength working within us. It is through our weaknesses that we learn to lean on Him, to trust in His unfailing grace and power. When we embrace our weaknesses and allow God to work through them, we begin to experience His power in unexpected ways. We start to understand that our weaknesses do not define us but instead provide a backdrop for God's strength to be displayed. It is through our weaknesses that His power is magnified, as He takes the broken pieces of our lives and transforms them into something beautiful Amen. Philippians 4:13 says, "I can do all things through him who strengthens me." Amen. Prayer for Today, May you be surrounded by blessings beyond measure, and may your soul overflow with appreciation for the endless grace that surrounds you. As you express gratitude, may the Lord continue to provide for all your needs, both seen and unseen, guiding you through each day with a heart full of thanksgiving. Amen. https://maglife.org/ --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/pastor-divineo/support

Understanding The Assignment 1 Cor 2:2 #nightlight #RTTBROS  Understanding the Assignment Verse: "For I determined not to know any thing among you, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified." - 1 Corinthians 2:2 (KJV)  In the vast tapestry of stories found within the Bible, one common thread emerges: the heroism of God. From Genesis to Revelation, we witness the protagonist of each narrative giving all glory to God for their triumph over insurmountable odds. As we delve into the depths of understanding the assignment of our faith, we come to realize that the ultimate hero is none other than our Heavenly Father.  In the verse from 1 Corinthians 2:2, the apostle Paul declares his determination to know nothing among the Corinthians except Jesus Christ and His crucifixion. This powerful statement sets the tone for our exploration of the Bible's narratives, revealing that the central focus is always on God and His redemptive plan for humanity. Throughout the Bible, we encounter countless stories of individuals facing seemingly impossible challenges. From David and Goliath to Daniel in the lion's den, we witness heroes who overcome adversity not by their own strength, but by relying on the power and intervention of God. These stories serve as reminders that true heroism lies not in human abilities, but in surrendering to God's will.  As we journey through the Scriptures, we discover that God's heroes are marked by their unwavering faith and trust in Him. They understand that their accomplishments are not a result of their own prowess, but a manifestation of God's miraculous strength, wisdom, revelation, or healing. From Moses leading the Israelites out of Egypt to Esther saving her people, each protagonist attributes their success to the power of God working through them. One of the key lessons we learn from these narratives is the importance of humility. God's heroes understand that they are merely vessels through which His glory shines. They recognize that it is not their own abilities or achievements that deserve praise, but rather the goodness and faithfulness of God. This realization leads them to give all honor and glory back to Him. In our own lives, we are called to emulate these heroes of faith. We are to embrace the understanding that our strength, wisdom, revelation, and healing come from God alone. By recognizing and acknowledging His sovereignty, we can navigate through life's challenges with unwavering trust, knowing that He is our ultimate hero. As we meditate on the biblical narratives, let us remember that understanding the assignment of our faith means recognizing that God is the hero of every story. His power, grace, and love are what enable us to overcome life's obstacles. May we, like the heroes of old, give all glory to God for His miraculous work in our lives. "Not unto us, O LORD, not unto us, but unto thy name give glory, for thy mercy, and for thy truth's sake." - Psalm 115:1 (KJV) Our Podcast, Blog and YouTube Links https://linktr.ee/rttbros Be sure to Like, Share, Follow and subscribe it helps get the word out. https://linktr.ee/rttbros

Ready to cast out fear with love? We use the beloved movie Frozen as a springboard to explore the themes of fear, love, and faith. We dissect Elsa's fear of her own powers and her self-imposed isolation, drawing parallels to our own lives and our awe, respect, and sometimes fear of the divine. We grapple with the scriptures that say "fear not" versus those that dictate "fear the Lord", finding a connection within Elsa's story. We dive into  the nature of our relationship with God. How often does it become routine rather than heartfelt? Are we listening for His guidance amidst our fear and uncertainty? Through an analysis of Elsa and Anna's relationship, we perceive a reflection of our bond with God — one that requires constant effort to keep alive despite the shadow of fear. We also turn to some biblical stories, highlighting instances where fear was overcome by faith and courage. From Moses to Jesus, we delve into how these figures handled fear and love's role in our relationship with God. So join us, as we navigate the intricate intersection of fear, love, and faith in our everyday lives.Buzzsprout - Let's get your podcast launched! Start for FREE_____________________________________________________________________________Drop us a line: contact@anilujah.comConsider Becoming a PatronFollow us:InstagramFacebookYouTubeTIkTok

In our human experience, we often rely on patterns and regularity, seeking solace in what's familiar and expected. But the God we serve, described vividly throughout the scriptures, showcases boundless creativity in His interactions with us. Matthew Adams here, and today we're diving into the myriad of ways God communicates.Scripture: "God works in different ways, but it is the same God who does the work in all of us." - 1 CORINTHIANS 12:6God's interactions in history display an array of signs and wonders. From Moses and the burning bush to Gideon's fleece, His ways of reaching out are endless. These methods, each unique and distinct, are tailored to the individual, proving the vastness of God's creative approach. The underlying message? God doesn't stick to a script; He knows us intimately and chooses the best way to speak to our individual hearts.The Power Of God's Whisper is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.Driving Point 1: Avoiding Formulas It's human nature to try and understand God by detecting a pattern, a formula, in His actions. But to say definitively, “This is how God speaks,” would be limiting the limitless. While there might be general patterns, God's methods are as varied as the stars in the sky. Embrace the unpredictability.Driving Point 2: Embracing Diversity in Experience Each person's encounter with God is deeply personal. Some might see visions, while others find Him in the silence. The beauty lies not in comparing, but in celebrating these varied experiences. As we share our stories, let's remember that God's voice resonates differently with each one of us because of our unique makeups and backgrounds.Driving Point 3: Expect the Unexpected God's methods, while rooted in His unchanging nature, often surprise us. Rather than holding onto past experiences, we should keep our hearts open, eager and excited for the new ways He might reach out. His creativity knows no bounds, and He loves to reveal Himself in unexpected ways.Conclusion: Our God is not monotonous. He is an artist, a creator, using an array of colors and brushes to paint His love and messages onto the canvas of our lives. As we journey through our faith, let's remember to celebrate the myriad ways He communicates, embracing each new method with open hearts.Call to Action: Let's challenge ourselves. This week, try to listen without expectations. Open your heart and mind, and ask God to surprise you. Share your experiences with your community, and let's revel in the countless ways God speaks to us.Prayer: Lord, thank You for Your boundless creativity. Help us to approach each day with expectation, eager for the new ways You might choose to speak to us. We worship You, not just for the messages You share, but for the beautiful and diverse ways You choose to share them. Open our minds and hearts to receive whatever You have for us. Amen.Stay blessed and always be receptive. God's voice, in its infinite creativity, is ever-present, speaking to us in ways we might never have imagined. Until next time, this is Matthew Adams, signing off. Stay connected, stay inspired.Thank you for reading The Power Of God's Whisper. This post is public so feel free to share it. Get full access to My Reasons To Believe at myr2b.substack.com/subscribe

In our human experience, we often rely on patterns and regularity, seeking solace in what's familiar and expected. But the God we serve, described vividly throughout the scriptures, showcases boundless creativity in His interactions with us. Matthew Adams here, and today we're diving into the myriad of ways God communicates.Scripture: "God works in different ways, but it is the same God who does the work in all of us." - 1 CORINTHIANS 12:6God's interactions in history display an array of signs and wonders. From Moses and the burning bush to Gideon's fleece, His ways of reaching out are endless. These methods, each unique and distinct, are tailored to the individual, proving the vastness of God's creative approach. The underlying message? God doesn't stick to a script; He knows us intimately and chooses the best way to speak to our individual hearts.The Power Of God's Whisper is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.Driving Point 1: Avoiding Formulas It's human nature to try and understand God by detecting a pattern, a formula, in His actions. But to say definitively, “This is how God speaks,” would be limiting the limitless. While there might be general patterns, God's methods are as varied as the stars in the sky. Embrace the unpredictability.Driving Point 2: Embracing Diversity in Experience Each person's encounter with God is deeply personal. Some might see visions, while others find Him in the silence. The beauty lies not in comparing, but in celebrating these varied experiences. As we share our stories, let's remember that God's voice resonates differently with each one of us because of our unique makeups and backgrounds.Driving Point 3: Expect the Unexpected God's methods, while rooted in His unchanging nature, often surprise us. Rather than holding onto past experiences, we should keep our hearts open, eager and excited for the new ways He might reach out. His creativity knows no bounds, and He loves to reveal Himself in unexpected ways.Conclusion: Our God is not monotonous. He is an artist, a creator, using an array of colors and brushes to paint His love and messages onto the canvas of our lives. As we journey through our faith, let's remember to celebrate the myriad ways He communicates, embracing each new method with open hearts.Call to Action: Let's challenge ourselves. This week, try to listen without expectations. Open your heart and mind, and ask God to surprise you. Share your experiences with your community, and let's revel in the countless ways God speaks to us.Prayer: Lord, thank You for Your boundless creativity. Help us to approach each day with expectation, eager for the new ways You might choose to speak to us. We worship You, not just for the messages You share, but for the beautiful and diverse ways You choose to share them. Open our minds and hearts to receive whatever You have for us. Amen.Stay blessed and always be receptive. God's voice, in its infinite creativity, is ever-present, speaking to us in ways we might never have imagined. Until next time, this is Matthew Adams, signing off. Stay connected, stay inspired.Thank you for reading The Power Of God's Whisper. This post is public so feel free to share it. Get full access to My Reasons To Believe at myr2b.substack.com/subscribe

Warriors, what's up? It's Matthew Adams here. Sometimes, in the cacophony of voices in our world, one voice stands out, calling us back to authenticity and truth. Jeremiah knew it, George Fox recognized it, and we, too, can discern God's voice amidst the noise.Scripture: "I will give you shepherds after my own heart, who will guide you with knowledge and understanding." - JEREMIAH 3:15Throughout history, God has consistently raised voices of reformation and revival. Whether prophets of the Old Testament or visionaries in the church's annals, God ensures His authentic message is delivered. When the spiritual climate grows stale, God breathes fresh life through a chosen vessel.The Power Of God's Whisper is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.Point 1: The Legacy of Corrective Voices. The Bible and church history are replete with figures whom God selected to course-correct His people. From Moses leading a rebellion-scarred Israel to George Fox's passionate proclamation, God's voice cuts through falsehoods, delivering unvarnished truth. Whenever the world grows deaf to genuine spirituality, God amplifies His voice through chosen instruments.Point 2: The Power of Individual Reformation. Often, God doesn't just change the masses; He starts with an individual. When the surrounding environment is spiritually dry, God might not direct us to greener pastures right away. Instead, He might empower us to be the reformation catalyst, echoing God's voice in a desert of spiritual mediocrity.Point 3: God's Unyielding Promise. Even when the shepherds of His people falter, God's promise remains firm. If current leaders miss the mark, God ensures a fresh wave of godly shepherds rise up. These shepherds, aligned with His heart, usher in truth and revival. Our trust should not hinge on human frailty but on God's unwavering commitment.Conclusion: God's voice, resounding through history, serves as a beacon for His people. Though the medium might change — from ancient prophets to passionate preachers — the message remains constant: a call to authentic worship and discipleship.Call to Action: Family, this week, lean into that voice. Allow God to stir within you a hunger for genuine spiritual engagement. And if you feel that nudge to be a voice of reformation in your community, don't shy away. Embrace it, and let God lead.Prayer: Father, amid the myriad voices, help us tune into Yours. When the world offers hollow echoes, let Your words resonate within our spirits. Raise us, O God, not as passive listeners but as active proclaimers of Your enduring truth. In Jesus' name. Amen.Thank you, Warriors…for journeying with me on "The Power Of God's Whisper Podcast." As we forge ahead, let's be attuned to God's authentic call in our lives, discerning His voice amidst the clamor. Until next time, let God's whisper power your steps. Stay blessed!Thank you for reading The Power Of God's Whisper. This post is public so feel free to share it. Get full access to My Reasons To Believe at myr2b.substack.com/subscribe

Warriors, what's up? It's Matthew Adams here. Sometimes, in the cacophony of voices in our world, one voice stands out, calling us back to authenticity and truth. Jeremiah knew it, George Fox recognized it, and we, too, can discern God's voice amidst the noise.Scripture: "I will give you shepherds after my own heart, who will guide you with knowledge and understanding." - JEREMIAH 3:15Throughout history, God has consistently raised voices of reformation and revival. Whether prophets of the Old Testament or visionaries in the church's annals, God ensures His authentic message is delivered. When the spiritual climate grows stale, God breathes fresh life through a chosen vessel.The Power Of God's Whisper is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.Point 1: The Legacy of Corrective Voices. The Bible and church history are replete with figures whom God selected to course-correct His people. From Moses leading a rebellion-scarred Israel to George Fox's passionate proclamation, God's voice cuts through falsehoods, delivering unvarnished truth. Whenever the world grows deaf to genuine spirituality, God amplifies His voice through chosen instruments.Point 2: The Power of Individual Reformation. Often, God doesn't just change the masses; He starts with an individual. When the surrounding environment is spiritually dry, God might not direct us to greener pastures right away. Instead, He might empower us to be the reformation catalyst, echoing God's voice in a desert of spiritual mediocrity.Point 3: God's Unyielding Promise. Even when the shepherds of His people falter, God's promise remains firm. If current leaders miss the mark, God ensures a fresh wave of godly shepherds rise up. These shepherds, aligned with His heart, usher in truth and revival. Our trust should not hinge on human frailty but on God's unwavering commitment.Conclusion: God's voice, resounding through history, serves as a beacon for His people. Though the medium might change — from ancient prophets to passionate preachers — the message remains constant: a call to authentic worship and discipleship.Call to Action: Family, this week, lean into that voice. Allow God to stir within you a hunger for genuine spiritual engagement. And if you feel that nudge to be a voice of reformation in your community, don't shy away. Embrace it, and let God lead.Prayer: Father, amid the myriad voices, help us tune into Yours. When the world offers hollow echoes, let Your words resonate within our spirits. Raise us, O God, not as passive listeners but as active proclaimers of Your enduring truth. In Jesus' name. Amen.Thank you, Warriors…for journeying with me on "The Power Of God's Whisper Podcast." As we forge ahead, let's be attuned to God's authentic call in our lives, discerning His voice amidst the clamor. Until next time, let God's whisper power your steps. Stay blessed!Thank you for reading The Power Of God's Whisper. This post is public so feel free to share it. Get full access to My Reasons To Believe at myr2b.substack.com/subscribe

The presence of God is an incredible gift that can comfort us, empower us and give us strength in difficult times. The following Bible verses about the presence of God teach us about the many benefits of being with God. From Moses to the virgin Mary, each one encountered a powerful connection with God. In Exodus 3:2-6, Moses was tending his father-in-law's flock when he saw a burning bush that was not consumed by fire. He approached it and heard God speaking to him. This experience empowered Moses as he began his mission to lead Israel out of slavery in Egypt under God's direction.  Elijah also had an incredible encounter with God in 1 Kings 19:9–13 where he met with God on Mount Horeb after fleeing from Jezebel's threat against him. While there, Elijah heard a great windstorm but then realized that “the Lord was not in the wind” and later found Him in “a still small voice." It was here that Elijah was comforted by God's presence and gained strength and courage to continue his prophetic ministry.  Mary, Jesus' mother, received an angelic visitation informing her she would become pregnant with the messiah (Luke 1:26-38). Through this experience she recognized that nothing is impossible with God. In Psalm 16:11, David states “You make known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand.” David experiences the joy of the Lord when he is in God's presence.   EVENT SATURDAY AT 6 PM  LOVE HONOR FOR Mr. "T" Tommy Boykins Mr. "T" "The Flying Clouds of Vredenburgh Alabama" LOVE HONOR FOR Mr. "T" Tommy Boykins Mr. "T" Morning Star Missionary Baptist Church 126 Angel Street Beatrice AL. 36425 Rev. Carlos Booker Pastor

Disciple Up # 299 Rethinking the Quiet Time By Louie Marsh, 3-22-2023   Intro. Sorry for mix up and briefly posting Sunday's sermon on this feed! State of the podcast, what about next week? We're hitting number 300! That's quite a run. What would you like to hear on that one?   https://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2023/april/quit-quiet-time-devotions-bible-literacy-reading-scripture.html   Is It Time to Quit ‘Quiet Time'? Effective biblical engagement must be about more than one's personal experience with Scripture. DRU JOHNSON AND CELINA DURGIN | MARCH 13, 2023   I began to realize that their poor grasp of Scripture wasn't necessarily due to a lack of reading, although that's also a large problem in the US. From 2021 to 2022, Bible engagement—scored on frequency of use, spiritual impact, and moral importance in day-to-day life—fell 21 percent among American adult Bible users. It was the American Bible Society's largest recorded one-year drop in its annual State of the Bible study. And almost 1 in 5 churchgoers said they never read the Bible.   But for my students, many of whom read the Bible daily and have chosen to attend a Christian college, their poor grasp on and application of Scripture seems to be due to the way they engage with it. It is a way many American Christians have been reading the Bible for decades: through “daily devotions” or “quiet time.”   The way daily quiet time is typically practiced today is unlikely to yield the fluency required to understand and apply biblical teaching. Only when devotional time is situated within a matrix of Scripture study habits can it regain its power to transform our thinking and our communities.   How could my students be reading the Bible so much yet have so little understanding of the Torah, pay almost no attention to its focus on the new heavens and new earth, and be confused over concepts like salvation and evil? CT previously discussed the Lifeway Research statistics that reveal this trend of Bible illiteracy among the wider population. Their daily devotion to Scripture seemed to distance them from understanding key parts of it.   My students were not Bible literate. They didn't really know the stories, characters, ideas, and themes in the Bible, much less how the literature itself fits together and argues for a particular view of the world. And as Christians, we must aim beyond basic literacy. We hope to know and practice the thinking and instruction of Scripture fluently, extending its wisdom into all the areas of life that it doesn't directly address.   Johnson traces the modern practice of quiet time to the 1870s, when American evangelicals merged two previously separate Puritan devotional practices: private prayer and private Bible study. This fusion of prayer and Bible study morphed into “morning watch,” which emphasized intercessory prayer. From there it became “quiet time,” which deemphasized intercessory prayer in favor of quiet listening or meditation. This new emphasis on individuals receiving daily insights from God transformed the nature of the Bible engagement taught to generations of American Christians.   Daily devotions have been characteristically solitary and have not usually involved rigorous study of Scripture. Instead, readers often focus on one chapter or even a few verses per session, from which they may expect to receive God's guidance for their personal life in that moment. Daily devotions typically include a period of prayerful “listening” for God's voice, which is believed to manifest either in the verses read that session or via direct communication to the mind of the listener.   Though this listening may be expectant, it is essentially passive. It's often guided by a tacit belief that God's Word speaks and transforms through sudden insights directed at individual readers, rather than through sustained study and active questioning in community.   In contrast to sermons and group Bible study, daily devotions became exercises in inward, individual formation, sharing tendencies with the secular modernism of the era. Quiet-time advocates began identifying the main benefit of daily devotions as “a transformed self rather than a transformed world,” Johnson writes in his dissertation.   While personal character formation is essential, in isolation it aligns better with modernist tendencies than with the biblical focus on character formation through habits, rituals, and guidance from the community. This inward focus can also cast the formation of justice in communities and systems—a primary concern of the biblical authors—as adhering to individualistic ethical principles.   Today, daily quiet time often doesn't involve Scripture at all. As CT has noted elsewhere, 2023 Lifeway Research revealed that although 65 percent of Protestant churchgoers spend time alone with God daily, only 39 percent read the Bible during that time. If this statistic means that Christians are trading hurried and fragmented devotional reading for holistic group Bible study, then perhaps so much the better. But the drop in overall Bible engagement in the ABS study suggests that more Christians simply aren't reading it.   The danger is clear: Listening for God's insights from Scripture and in prayer without communal accountability can produce a tenuous understanding of Christianity.   If Bible literacy is declining, even for those who read devotionally every day, then what is the way forward? Most of the parachurch ministries we talked to reported that they have been considering methods that provide a wider perspective of Scripture. These include ancient Scripture reading rituals that many evangelical churches have rarely practiced (such as lectio divina, the Daily Office from The Book of Common Prayer, and so on). But the practice most mentioned by ministry leaders was the public, or communal, reading of Scripture.   In some ways, this form of Bible engagement is the opposite of quiet time. Rather than reading, communities listen to long stretches of Scripture together—sometimes 30 minutes to an hour long—either using audio Bibles or having people read aloud. Bible professors have long noted that the natural habitat of Scripture is in the ears of gathered Christians, not the eyes of individuals. The effects of long-form Scripture engagement on Bible literacy are all anecdotal at this point.   From Moses to Josiah to Nehemiah, communal Bible reading was normal at key points of Israel's history. Public reading of Scripture occurs at Sinai (Ex. 19:7), during Josiah's reforms (2 Kings 23:1–2), and for all the returnees to Judah in Ezra's day (Neh. 8), among other instances. And the synagogue practice of reading the Torah and Prophets every Sabbath (Luke 4:16–17; Acts 13:14–15) emerged around the third century prior to Jesus.  

Christians used to be known as "people of the book." Do we lose something big if we become the "people of the screen"? From Moses to Gutenberg to YouVersion App, we're talking the digital bible with our guest John Dyer. Chris talks with John about his newest book People of the Screen. We explore how evangelicals created the digital Bible and how it is shaping Christians interpretation of scripture today. In his research, John found that people read print and digital Bibles at different times depending on where they are and what they're doing. We cover a lot of ground: How digital reading influence our Bible interpretation The history of the Bible technologies, from Moses to Gutenberg The four eras of the digital Bible, from universities to YouVersion How Christians can better understand digital's influence on their own Bible reading If your Bible reading ever leaves you feeling judged or confused, John's research illuminates some surprising reasons why that might be the case.  What's the future of print Bibles? Find out what John thinks will happen as the Christians go deeper into digital. Plus, hear about John's latest Bible project: the Y'all Version.  ABOUT JOHN John Dyer is Vice President for Enrollment Services and Educational Technologies & Assistant Professor of Theological Studies at Dallas Theological Seminary.  LINKS Visit John Dyer's website From the Garden to the City: The Place of Technology in the Story of God People of the Screen: How Evangelicals Created the Digital Bible and How It Shapes Their Reading of Scripture Y'all Version—putting the “y'all” back in the Bible where it belongs Follow John on Twitter REACH OUT TO ADAM & CHRIS Reach out to Device & Virtue on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook. Talk back to Chris and Adam on Twitter Support Device & Virtue. Learn how. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

From Moses to Joshua, the transition of God's leadership went like clockwork!

From Moses to Jesus we hear our call to love people. Overcome the obstacles and step into God's call to whom He is calling and where he is calling.==============Join us for service every Sunday at 10:30am (CST).If you said "Yes" to Jesus today, let us know at www.redeemermn.org/nextstepsWe would love to hear how God is transforming your life through this ministry!  Tell us your story by emailing bethechurch@redeemermn.org! If you need prayer, let us know at www.redeemermn.org/prayerIf you would like to support Redeemer financially you can give online at www.redeemermn.org/giveFor more information about Redeemer Church, visit www.redeemermn.org===============FOLLOW Redeemer:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/redeemermn_...Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/redeemermnSupport the show

Throughout the pages of Scripture, God sends and His people go. From Moses to Matthew or Jonah to John, God sends those who have a relationship with Him. So, where is He sending you? Today we begin our newest message series, Send Me: When God Calls Us to Go. Over the next three weeks, we'll look to Isaiah 6 for a glimpse of the way God calls and compels us to go! Through our study, we'll come face-to-face with what's keeping us from answering as Isaiah did: “Send me.” Listen along with our first message of this series, The Glory of Going, and witness how God's holiness compels us to tell others about Him!

Throughout the pages of Scripture, God sends and His people go. From Moses to Matthew or Jonah to John, God sends those who have a relationship with Him. So, where is He sending you? Today we begin our newest message series, Send Me: When God Calls Us to Go. Over the next three weeks, we'll look to Isaiah 6 for a glimpse of the way God calls and compels us to go! Through our study, we'll come face-to-face with what's keeping us from answering as Isaiah did: “Send me.” Listen along with our first message of this series, The Glory of Going, and witness how God's holiness compels us to tell others about Him!

Throughout the pages of Scripture, God sends and His people go. From Moses to Matthew or Jonah to John, God sends those who have a relationship with Him. So, where is He sending you? Today we begin our newest message series, Send Me: When God Calls Us to Go. Over the next three weeks, we'll look to Isaiah 6 for a glimpse of the way God calls and compels us to go! Through our study, we'll come face-to-face with what's keeping us from answering as Isaiah did: “Send me.” Listen along with our first message of this series, The Glory of Going, and witness how God's holiness compels us to tell others about Him!

Throughout the pages of Scripture, God sends and His people go. From Moses to Matthew or Jonah to John, God sends those who have a relationship with Him. So, where is He sending you? Today we begin our newest message series, Send Me: When God Calls Us to Go. Over the next three weeks, we'll look to Isaiah 6 for a glimpse of the way God calls and compels us to go! Through our study, we'll come face-to-face with what's keeping us from answering as Isaiah did: “Send me.” Listen along with our first message of this series, The Glory of Going, and witness how God's holiness compels us to tell others about Him!

Throughout the pages of Scripture, God sends and His people go. From Moses to Matthew or Jonah to John, God sends those who have a relationship with Him. So, where is He sending you? Today we begin our newest message series, Send Me: When God Calls Us to Go. Over the next three weeks, we'll look to Isaiah 6 for a glimpse of the way God calls and compels us to go! Through our study, we'll come face-to-face with what's keeping us from answering as Isaiah did: “Send me.” Listen along with our first message of this series, The Glory of Going, and witness how God's holiness compels us to tell others about Him!

Throughout the pages of Scripture, God sends and His people go. From Moses to Matthew or Jonah to John, God sends those who have a relationship with Him. So, where is He sending you? Today we begin our newest message series, Send Me: When God Calls Us to Go. Over the next three weeks, we'll look to Isaiah 6 for a glimpse of the way God calls and compels us to go! Through our study, we'll come face-to-face with what's keeping us from answering as Isaiah did: “Send me.” Listen along with our first message of this series, The Glory of Going, and witness how God's holiness compels us to tell others about Him!

Throughout the pages of Scripture, God sends and His people go. From Moses to Matthew or Jonah to John, God sends those who have a relationship with Him. So, where is He sending you? Today we begin our newest message series, Send Me: When God Calls Us to Go. Over the next three weeks, we'll look to Isaiah 6 for a glimpse of the way God calls and compels us to go! Through our study, we'll come face-to-face with what's keeping us from answering as Isaiah did: “Send me.” Listen along with our first message of this series, The Glory of Going, and witness how God's holiness compels us to tell others about Him!

Throughout the pages of Scripture, God sends and His people go. From Moses to Matthew or Jonah to John, God sends those who have a relationship with Him. So, where is He sending you? Today we begin our newest message series, Send Me: When God Calls Us to Go. Over the next three weeks, we'll look to Isaiah 6 for a glimpse of the way God calls and compels us to go! Through our study, we'll come face-to-face with what's keeping us from answering as Isaiah did: “Send me.” Listen along with our first message of this series, The Glory of Going, and witness how God's holiness compels us to tell others about Him!

Throughout the pages of Scripture, God sends and His people go. From Moses to Matthew or Jonah to John, God sends those who have a relationship with Him. So, where is He sending you? Today we begin our newest message series, Send Me: When God Calls Us to Go. Over the next three weeks, we'll look to Isaiah 6 for a glimpse of the way God calls and compels us to go! Through our study, we'll come face-to-face with what's keeping us from answering as Isaiah did: “Send me.” Listen along with our first message of this series, The Glory of Going, and witness how God's holiness compels us to tell others about Him!

Pharaoh still will not bend. So God promises to send a plague of locusts unlike anything Egypt has ever seen. This drives Pharaoh to try and compromise with the Lord, and send the adult men to hold a feast to the Lord. Moses says no; they will take everyone and everything out of Egypt when they go. From Moses' answer we learn a principle about true worship: true worship involves all that we are and have, being brought into submission to the will of the Lord in humble adoration. - Pastor Kevin

This week Amy and Mike talk with New York Times best-selling author Joshua Cooley about his book Heroes of the Bible Devotional. Ask any 12-year-old kid to describe a hero, and you will get some of the following answers: a superstar athlete, a soldier on the front lines, or a guy in a cape who can jump over buildings. Most of our “heroes” are related to human achievement and glory, but the Bible has a very different concept. The list of people who were great in God's eyes might shock you. This devotional book is about their stories. The 90 devotions feature the qualities of Bible characters that made them heroic. From Moses to Esther to Jesus, kids will learn more about how these Bible people pleased God. They will know that qualities like courage, worshiping God, and being a true friend are heroic actions. The devotional features line drawings of the Bible characters to further help youth identify with and learn about the people in the Bible. Joshua Cooley is a New York Times bestselling author, a freelance writer/editor, and has 14 years of experience as a fulltime children's minister. He has authored or contributed to 14 books, including many devotionals for children and youth such as the Heroes of the Bible Devotional; Creator, Father, King: A One Year Journey With God; and The One Year Devotions With Jesus. In 2018, he teamed with Super Bowl LII MVP Nick Foles to co-author the star quarterback's bestselling memoir, Believe It: My Journey of Success, Failure, and Overcoming the Odds. Josh lives in Durham, N.C. You can visit his website at http://www.joshuacooleyauthor.com.  

Welcome to Unexpected with Hannah Love, a brand new podcast show on the That Sounds Fun Network! Have you ever spent much time thinking about the events that led you to where you are? Have you ever noticed, too, that some of the most unexpected moments are very ones that God used in the biggest ways? I have. Not only did I notice this theme in my own life but I also saw it all over the Bible. From Moses and Gideon, to David and Esther and Nehemiah, God seems to call the most unqualified people to do the most unexpected things. When God put this podcast on my heart, He gave me the name and I knew this was a universal theme that He has used from the beginning of time. My hope is that as you listen to stories - both biblical and present day - and to the lives of some incredible guests along the way, we all gain a new perspective of how God loves us enough to call us to the things we couldn't have imagined for ourselves . This is Unexpected. Hannah Love Mooney formerly held the title of Miss Arkansas USA in 2013. She has years of experience as a freelance writer for online publications and has been featured in national magazines, music videos, and podcasts. Hannah is a seasoned painter and writer. She is now married to Shay Mooney of country duo Dan + Shay. The couple have two sweet boys. ... Thank you to our sponsor! Anchor: Download the free Anchor app or go to Anchor.fm to get started.

Jesus said in his word "Don't assume that I came to bring peace on earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword." Matthew 10:34 Being a troublemaker in Christ is not for the faint of heart. From Moses to the Apostles, being one of God's troublemakers is a necessary job. Join Kristal and Tanisha as they discuss what troublemakers do and why they proudly declare themselves #troublemaker. This episode is sponsored by Anchor & Spotify. Follow us on all social media platforms www.facebook.com/shelaughspodcast @shelaughspodcast and find the #troublesometwosome @iamkristalcharmaine and @sheistanishaj Have topics you want to hear us talk about? Email us at shelaughspodcast@gmail.com with feedback, questions, or prayer request. Be sure to share, rate, and review this podcast! #shelaughspodcast #thereisastandard --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/shelaughs/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/shelaughs/support

The Bible is filled with songs and hymns and spiritual songs. From Moses, to David, to Paul and Silas...we are all exhorted to sing unto the Lord. But Zephaniah 3:17 hits a little different. Listen in as I speak to this verse and invite you to join us this Saturday, December 4 @ 6pm for a night of worship at La Quinta Park.

What is really behind that gnawing insecurity, that inner questioning of “am I enough?” Even if on the outside you seem “all together” Erica Wiggenhorn says that nagging voice of self-doubt can be hindering our faith walk. Erica joins Ken and Deb to talk about her study on the life of Moses. From Moses' struggle with self-doubt, Erica shows us that there is a way to break the chains of self- reliance to trust in the One who is truly enough! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

From Moses we learned that God looks through our identity crisis, personal weakness and limitation. If he calls us out, it is not because of what we can do or who we are but more because of who He is.

Moses Kagan (https://www.kagansblog.com/) has been buying, renovating and managing apartment buildings in Los Angeles since 2008. His company, Adaptive Realty (https://www.adaptiverealty.com/), along with its investor-partners, owns approximately $200MM worth of high-quality buildings in interesting neighborhoods. Unusually for a real estate private equity firm, Adaptive and its partners do not fix and flip; instead, they act as permanent holders and stewards of the assets under their control. Standout Quotes: * "Rich families that own good assets generally don't look to sell them to maximize Pre-tax IRR" - [Moses] * "If you do not lose the building, the rents will recover" - [Moses] * "When you start to think about things indefinitely, and you're not in a rush, it kind of opens up other possibilities in terms of structure and strategy" - [Moses] * "It's very hard to go from zero to something… and it takes an entirely different set of skills to go from something to something much larger" - [Moses] * "I do not believe that we as individuals live our lives for ourselves" - [Moses] Key Takeaways: * Moses has been buying, renovating, and managing apartment buildings in Los Angeles since 2008, through his company, Adaptive Realty, alongside investor partners. He focuses on sub-institutional deals. * The most important part of the strategy is that rather than buy, fix and sell buildings to maximize pretax IRR, they buy properties, make them high-quality assets, manage and refinance them to get higher returns. The strategy was born from his family values as they had always been involved in Real Estate but never engaged particularly in sales of property. * There are two reasons why people sell; firstly investors have a mindset too focused on Pretax IRR, and secondly, the sponsor gets their money after selling. If you just hold on and keep the building, the rents will recover. * The initial funds for the business came from friends and family of Moses, and later from another family office who partnered with them. This partnership helped them build a track record that encouraged other investors to feel comfortable with them. * The structure for the business model is not to buy, renovate and sell like the typical model with PEs, but rather they partner with wealthy families with the explicit assumption to hold on to the property not sell, however, liquidation rights goes to the family that put up all the capital. The primary strategy has been to refinance the property to pull the capital out and give it back to the investors who still retain ownership and cash flow from rents. Adaptive Realty only gets fees for their work but not cash flow from rents, sales or refinance until the investors have got their capital. * Describing his family history, Moses shares how his first building was bought with capital from the family money dating back 4 generations. The wealth he enjoyed from his family was mostly in form of basic needs being met and, particularly education. * When starting a business with a partner, it is critical to have a decision-maker or tie-breaker irrespective of how profits are split. The relationship between Moses and his partner in terms of how earnings are split is quite stable even for the coming generation but open to discussions if need be. * There is currently no long-term family structure for his family, however, Moses spends a lot of time with his kids, to instill the values of passing on to the next generation what was done for them. * Discussing Storytelling, Moses emphasizes that your forebearers are a living part of your life, and tries to make those people present for his children even though they will never meet them. * Gaining exposure and immense assistance from his friends to succeed, Moses was also motivated to start finding ways to help people who didn't have the kind of opportunities he had. * Advice from Moses to those aspiring for multigenerational success: Don't put yourself in a position where one investor can wake up one day and force you to restart your career. This involves having different capital providers rather than being completely dependent on one. * From Moses to his kids: We owe everything to those who came before us, however, we can't repay them. We can only try to do for those coming after us what has been done for us, if not more. Episode Timeline: * [00:48] Meet today's guest, Moses Kagan. * [01:53] About the business, Adaptive Realty. * [13:50] How do you get investors to join you with your strategy of holding properties permanently? * [16:45] How have you structured Adaptive Realty to be different from the typical P.E model? * [21:55] Moses shares his family background. * [32:36] What's your perspective on multigenerational wealth? * [38:28] What does the future look like in terms of the next generation? * [41:07] Do you expect your children to get involved in the business? * [46:15] Is there any form of family governance structure? * [48:18] Moses shares his approach to storytelling as a method to pass on values. * [52:55] How Moses works to help others who haven't had the same privileges he enjoyed. * [57:06] Advice from Moses to listeners aspiring to build generational legacies. * [01:00:33] From Moses to his kids. For more episodes go to BusinessOfFamily.net (https://www.businessoffamily.net/) Sign up for The Business of Family Newsletter (https://www.businessoffamily.net/newsletter) Follow Mike on Twitter @MikeBoyd (https://twitter.com/MikeBoyd) If you feel it's appropriate, I'd so appreciate you taking 30 seconds to Leave a Review on iTunes (http://getpodcast.reviews/id/1525326745), I receive a notification of each review. Thank you! Special Guest: Moses Kagan.

We have been given some pretty amazing gifts to the body to prepare us for our works of service. This causes us to reflect on the gift that God gives us by placing us in God-ordained teams. Whether called into the five-fold or called to be a pillar that supports the body, rest assured that you don't have to do this alone! It's so re-assuring the in God's ordained timing, he builds God-ordained teams that help us carry God-ordained burdens. Brothers Justin Linton and Abimbola Daramola encourage us to continue the line of building God-ordained teams because it is the biblical pattern. From Moses and Aaron, to Matthias and the twelve, all the way to the book of revelation we see this unassailable truth throughout scripture. Have faith in God's ordained timing as he builds his house!

We have been given some pretty amazing gifts to the body to prepare us for our works of service. This causes us to reflect on the gift that God gives us by placing us in God-ordained teams. Whether called into the five-fold or called to be a pillar that supports the body, rest assured that you don't have to do this alone! It's so re-assuring the in God's ordained timing, he builds God-ordained teams that help us carry God-ordained burdens. Brothers Justin Linton and Abimbola Daramola encourage us to continue the line of building God-ordained teams because it is the biblical pattern. From Moses and Aaron, to Matthias and the twelve, all the way to the book of revelation we see this unassailable truth throughout scripture. Have faith in God's ordained timing as he builds his house!

We have been given some pretty amazing gifts to the body to prepare us for our works of service. This causes us to reflect on the gift that God gives us by placing us in God-ordained teams. Whether called into the five-fold or called to be a pillar that supports the body, rest assured that you don't have to do this alone! It's so re-assuring the in God's ordained timing, he builds God-ordained teams that help us carry God-ordained burdens. Brothers Justin Linton and Abimbola Daramola encourage us to continue the line of building God-ordained teams because it is the biblical pattern. From Moses and Aaron, to Matthias and the twelve, all the way to the book of revelation we see this unassailable truth throughout scripture. Have faith in God's ordained timing as he builds his house!

Good morning, Five Minute Families. Jojo is our youngest son, and he loves to put on the whole armor of God. As we sit together preparing this week's Five Minute Family devotion, memories of our older boys dressed in plastic silver armor, standing tall, and explaining each part of the armor fill our thoughts. We are recording at Clear View Retreat in Lancing, Tennessee, a family ministry which was born out of the knowledge, wisdom, and encouragement that others passed down to us and that God illuminated as we committed to grow closer to Him. Now, we have the blessed opportunity to lead a ministry that encourages families in Christ to connect deeply with Him and each other. We are finishing our Key Truths for Families series through the 6th chapter of Ephesians with the focus on the whole armor of God. We started in verse 10 and are wrapping up with our passage for today: Ephesians 6:18 “With every prayer and request, pray at all times in the Spirit, and with this in view, be alert with all perseverance and every request for all the saints” Prayer. What a great way to complete this series. Paul, as inspired by the Holy Spirit, knew exactly what we need as soldiers for Christ. The armor is protection, giving us action and preparation for life around us while prayer is connection to the source of everything. Yes, everything. The King of the universe. Lord of lords. Mighty God is He! And we can converse with Him. Praying can look many different ways, and people throughout the ages have encouraged prayer in diverse traditions. Reminders and plans can be very helpful to get the conversation started. Please remember that prayer is about relationship, not rote repetition. We can see from James chapter 4 starting at the end of verse 2 and going on to verse 3 that we don't have because we simply don't ask or we ask with the wrong motives. “You do not have because you do not ask. You ask and do not receive, because you ask with the wrong motives, so that you may spend what you request on your pleasures.” So, how can families pray? 1. Spend time reading and discussing instances of prayers in the Bible. From Moses and King David to Jesus and His followers - we can see what they said to God and often God's response. The Bible does not encourage us to say the same exact words they did, but follow their examples, the faith of their words, and their perspective on prayer. 2. Take time to actually pray together following different examples you recently learned about in your study together. Nehemiah is a great example. In chapter 1 Nehemiah pours out his heart through a prayer that touches upon many aspects of prayer: praise, petition, confession, humility, remembrance, and asking. The Lord's prayer in Matthew 6:9-13 and Luke 11:2-4, of course, is another great example. 3. Encourage each other to pray in the Spirit. Praying in the spirit is allowing God to influence your prayer. It's open eyes to the heart of God. It's approaching the Lord seeking His perspectives. Can we allow God to use us even in prayer? 4. Pray for other family members and saints. While there are definitely personal prayer times, praying as a family and being an example of seeking God in prayer is powerful. That does not mean we are puffed up in ourselves or praying for the audience around you. Praying out loud with your family can be humbling to do. But remember, the focus should be on God, especially in prayer. 5. Be alert and persevere. Of the several points throughout this series, the one that jumps out the most to us is actually that of being active. We must take action and be ready. Several passages in the Bible say: be strong and courageous. Be courageous in your prayers with your family. Be active in your prayer life, and persevere in praying together even through the storms of life. In closing, Five Minute Families, we know it would be easy to seek our own comfort, loosen our armor, set down the sword, and forget to pray. And, that would start...

Ethan Linder - Exodus 1:22, 2:1-10. From Moses' life, we learn that the world is littered with possibilities of divine intervention (burning bushes, plagues on enemies, waters parted, God's people delivered). But if we zoom in on Moses' first days, we learn from another figure (Moses' mother) that sometimes, God doesn't remove suffering or give clear direction, and we're left to make the most of a desperate circumstance. This sermon will meet us in that space, helping us to learn to lean into the Spirit, even when God doesn't offer clarity or relief.

The Hero’s Journey is a narrative motif through which many mythologies fairytales and adventure stories follow. From Moses to Homer’s Iliad, to Lord of The Rings, to The Avengers it is a lens to see the stages of the journey of the hero. However, if you are not a cisgender white male you are often not represented as the hero of some of the pay enduring stories.Cedric and Sanchez discuss the Hero’s Journey motif, which has often been used as a lens to see our personal journey’s, and ponder what the journey looks like if you’re not a straight white male.

From Moses and his stone tablets to Elon Musk revealing his plans to colonize Mars, people have been leveraging the persuasive power of presentations for thousands of years. But while the basic elements of a great pitch have remained the same, today’s most successful presenters employ a host of hi-tech tools to drive sales like never before. James Ontra from Shufflrr shares how AI, cloud storage, and machine learning are changing the presentation paradigm — all while saving time, increasing productivity, and helping businesses put their best foot forward. With over 30 million PowerPoint presentations created every day, it’s no surprise that the internal presentation situation at most companies is a tangled morass of out-of-date, redundant slides. It doesn’t have to be this way. James also explores how top companies are cleaning up the quagmire and reclaiming their digital assets. Movie theaters. Marriage. Mayonnaise. These are just a few of the things millennials have been accused of killing. Here’s one more thing you can add to the list: old-fashioned PowerPoint presentations. In their place, a new generation of spontaneous, interactive presentations are infiltrating the business world — James  reveals how to take advantage of this emerging trend to reach a valuable new audience.

The origins of Israel’s royal priesthood are anything but glamorous. From Moses rejecting God five times to Aaron creating an idol while God is instructing Moses about priests, the Levitical priesthood seems doomed from the start. In this episode, discover just how important the failed priesthood is to the story of the Bible.View full show notes from this episode →Timestamps Part one (0:00-15:00)Part two (15:00-24:00)Part three (24:00-35:00)Part four (35:00-end)Show Music “Defender (Instrumental)” by TENTS“Aarigod” by Forest LoreShow produced by Dan Gummel. Show notes by Lindsey Ponder.Powered and distributed by Simplecast.

The story continues as God works through Moses and his successors in Israel to fulfill a promise to redeem humankind. Ron and John survey the books of Exodus through the reign of Saul in 1 Samuel. The post Bible Survey (Part 2): From Moses to King Saul appeared first on Orthodocs.faith.

It's no secret that women have faced immense barriers when it comes to leadership in the church. In today's interview with Rev. Diane Weible, the conference minister for the Northern California Nevada Conference of the UCC, we dive into what these barriers are and then lift up all of the powerful women of the church who have truly built what we have today. From Moses' mother to our current day mentors in ministry, women have been part of the framework and foundation of the church. Throughout this interview, we have the gift of hearing how Rev. Diane made her path, what helped her get to where she is today, and what she is doing to ensure that she is continuing to forge a path for other women to carry on beyond her. In Rev. Diane's own words, her guiding forces in ministry are two values that were also at the heart of Christ's ministry: justice and relationship....Rev. Dr. Diane Lynn Weible is the Conference Minister of the Northern California Nevada Conference in the United Church of Christ. grew up in St. Louis, Mo., attended Drury College in Springfield, Mo., and Eden Theological Seminary in St. Louis. She was ordained by the St. Louis Association of the former Missouri Conference of the United Church of Christ in May 1991.Rev. Diane served as a missionary in Japan for 12 years. In 2004, Diane and her family moved to Hawaii where she became the Associate Pastor at Kailua Christian Church (UCC). Two years later Diane became the Minister of Communication of the Hawaii Conference of the UCC. From 2008 to 2015 she served as the Associate Conference Minister in Hawaii.In 2015, Diane was called to be the Conference Minister in the Northern California Nevada Conference of the UCC. In 2019 she completed her Doctor of Ministry at Chicago Theological Seminary where her area of study was dismantling White Privilege. She is the mother of three adult children. She lives in the California East Bay and is a member at First Congregational Church of Berkeley (UCC).

From Moses to Jesus to . . . us?

Stand here and see the great things that the Lord is about to do! - 1 Sam 12:16Pastors Brandon and Heidi share how God works in the lives of those that retreat to Him. From Moses and David to Jehoshaphat and Jesus - God will fight for you and take the care of anything the enemy has standing in your way.We meet every Sunday at 11 am. in the Rogers 18 Theatre. Our Kid's Ministry is currently open for ages 3-grade 5. For more information, visit us at lwcc.org/northwest. To give a financial gift, simply text LWNW and your donation amount to the number 28950. (ei. LWNW 50)

From Moses to Joshua. Number 27 & Deuteronomy 34

Today we look at more Old Testament prophecies that tell of Jesus' crucifixion, death and burial. From Moses, to prophets, to psalms, Jesus is predicted all through the Old Testament. He was the Passover Lamb. Read Exodus 12 - the story of the first Passover. Why don't today's Jews accept Jesus as their Messiah when it's so clearly explained in the Old Testament? Bible Verses in this Episode: Zechariah 12:10 Psalms 34:20 Numbers 9:12 Psalm 69:21 Psalm 31:5 Deuteronomy 21:23 2 Corinthians 3:7-18 Ask Jesus to lift the veil from your eyes and open your heart to accept Him as your Savior and Messiah. “Dear Lord Jesus, I know I am a sinner. I believe You died for my sins. Please forgive me. Right now, I turn from my sins and open the door of my heart and life to you. I confess You as my personal Lord and Savior. I will follow you for the rest of my life. Thank You for saving me. Amen.” Believe. Repent. Be Baptized. Receive the Holy Spirit. Soli Deo Gloria -- to God Alone be the Glory! --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/seek-the-truth/message

From Moses to the Masoretes to Me - January 19, 2020 PM - Derek Williams

Did Nike Get it From Moses?? by Gila Ross

I have several favorite Bible teachers, all of whom run large ministries or churches. Although they all differ in their delivery style of the Gospel, one thing they agree upon, the Word of God is best taught and studied line upon line and precept upon precept. I believe it was what Paul was telling Timothy in his second letter, study and know, not just head knowledge - but also heart knowledge, the Word, the Good News of Jesus Christ. It is the same for us, study so the student of the Word need not be ashamed, but is approved by God.The writer of Psalm 119 states, “How can a young man cleanse his way? By taking heed according to Your Word; with my whole heart I have sought You, oh let me not wander from Your commandments! Your Word I have hidden in my heart that I might not sin against You.” (Psalm 119:9-11 NKJV). And later he pens, “Thy Word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path.” (Psalm 119:105 KJV)When the LORD God led the Israelites out of bondage from Egypt, He established His ordinances, His Law, His best way to live. We know them as the Ten Commandments. After the children of Israel finished the forty years of wandering, again Moses gave them the Torah, as the generation who heard it before them, had perished during those forty years. From Moses to Joshua the leadership shifted and under Joshua, the people followed God’s ways, because Joshua knew the Torah. Because of following His ways and His Word, the people would enter their promised land and receive blessings, albeit not without struggle.Likewise, it is the same for us today. When we immerse ourselves into the study, memorization and application of God’s Word, our lives will be blessed. I’m not saying our lives won’t be without challenges or struggles, but there are blessings for God’s children who study, know and heed His Word.Read the full devotion at https://devotableapp.com/daily-devotion-2-timothy-2-15-study-the-word

From Moses to Mary we see God calling individuals to specific tasks and special vocations through peculiar and powerful events. This can leave us awestruck and distraught at the same time, wondering what our calling may be and if we have missed our calling. In Christ we discover that we are all called and our calling is more about who are becoming than what we are specifically doing.

From Moses to Mary we see God calling individuals to specific tasks and special vocations through peculiar and powerful events. This can leave us awestruck and distraught at the same time, wondering what our calling may be and if we have missed our...

All three of the lectionary reading for today tell stories of God's outrageous grace. From Moses interceding for his people in the desert, to Paul's conversion, to the parables of a God who pursues us when we get lost on our way, each point to a depth of love in a different way.

Some might say this story should have been released in October, not June. But at Odyssey, we believe that there's never a bad time for a ghost story. And after all it was originally told in October 2016, at the Natural show...only this tale is more unnatural than anything else. What happened when Moses Thompson started digging for answers in his own back yard? You'll have to listen to find out... From Moses' Odyssey bio: Moses Thompson, an educator of 15 years, got his feet wet with school gardens at Manzo Elementary using gardening as a counseling tool with his students. Today, Thompson works with the UA Community and School Garden Program and the Tucson Unified School District to spread the Manzo school garden model across the region. This episode was performed and recorded in front of a live audience at The Screening Room in Tucson, AZ, on October 6th, 2016, and was curated by Tony Paniagua. For more information about Odyssey Storytelling, please visit www.odysseystorytelling.com

From Moses’ face shining after conversing with God to Jesus’ glory being revealed on the mount of transfiguration, Pastor Ken calls us too to shine with the love of God that we might draw the world into his life.

It is common today to hear those who are hostile to traditional religion accuse the pious of unwarranted certainty about the truths of the universe. Yet, in the Jewish tradition, one finds something else altogether. Jewish texts often tell the stories of men and women who strive for knowledge, divine and human, amidst a great deal of uncertainty. From Moses—who could not see the face of God—to Job—who was rebuked by the Lord for presuming to know too much—even the biblical figures who have the most intimate relationships with God demonstrate the limits of human knowledge. The notion that some measure of ignorance is intrinsic to the human condition has been shared by many thinkers throughout history. In the 20th century, there was perhaps no better articulator of the idea than Friedrich Hayek, the Austrian economist and social theorist. He wrote frequently about the limits of what any one individual can know and criticized those economists and technocrats who exhibited what he derisively called “the pretence of knowledge.” For Hayek, true knowledge is dispersed and built up over many years and embodied in price signals, social customs, and traditions that have stood the test of time. Hayek wrote and thought in the context of the social sciences, but do his insights about knowledge and ignorance point to understandings shared by the Jewish tradition? In this podcast, Tikvah Senior Director Jonathan Silver is joined by economist Russ Roberts to tackle this question. Roberts, host of the popular EconTalk podcast, is himself an observant Jew, and he helps us think through what Hayek’s epistemology has in common with the Jewish tradition as well as how they differ. As he does so, we will see how ancient Jewish philosophy and modern social thought can help bring each other into clearer focus. Musical selections in this podcast are drawn from the Quintet for Clarinet and Strings, op. 31a, composed by Paul Ben-Haim and performed by the ARC Ensemble as well as “Baruch Habah,” performed by the choir of Congregation Shearith Israel.

Emmanuel, God With Us (Week 1) Throughout history, God has been reminding us that He is with us. From Moses and Joshua to Elijah, He repeatedly proclaims the comfort and peace of His presence in our life. Sadly, His presence is often one of the most ignored things in our life. We seek Him in the big flashy things, but His presence is often found in the silence and the whisper. (Matt. 1:18-23, Isaiah 7:14, I Kings 19:3-13) 

From Moses to Moses there was no one like Moses! 

There are many instances throughout the Bible where there was a moment in time that would never be forgotten. From Moses leading God’s chosen people out of the bondage of Egypt to when Joseph laid his eyes upon his brothers for the first time in decades. From the day Job was restored to the day a giant fell at the feet of David. In today’s message we jump into a scene where Jesus’ disciples were still unsure of what was going to be taking place, even though the Lord explained it to them, just hours from now. Take your Bible and turn to the Book of Mark and in the 14th chapter as we embrace, “A Night to Remember.”

From Moses to Einstein, this week we take a tour of Jewish thought throughout the ages, and try to pick up on themes that we have been grappling with throughout time.

There are many prayers recorded in Scripture. From Moses, to David, to Jehoshaphat, to Daniel - we’re exposed to powerful, earth shaking prayers, but the prayer of the church at Antioch show us that God DOES pay attention.

In this episode of Hebrew Voices, Orthodox Jew Who Sights the New Moon, Nehemia Gordon delves deep into Rosh Chodesh with Dr. Roy Hoffman, founder of the Israeli New Moon Society. From Moses, to Hillel the Younger, to Maimonides, Hoffman explains Orthodox … Continue reading → The post Hebrew Voices #7 – Orthodox Jew Who Sights the New Moon appeared first on Nehemia's Wall.

God’s Plan throughout the Ages -God has always sought for a people He could fellowship with and be glorified through. 1. In Innocence -From Adam to the fall of man in sin 2. With a Conscience -From Garden of Eden to the flood 3. Through Human Government -From Noah to the tower of Babel 4. Through Promise -From Abraham to bondage in Egypt. 5. Through the Law -From Moses to the Messiah 6. In the Church -From Christ to the rapture of believers. 7. 1000 year reign of Christ and Eternity -From rapture through eternity. The message through all this is: 1. History is “His story” 2. God unwaveringly pursues fellowship with us. 3. God’s chosen vehicle today is the church

From Moses' encounter with God, leading to the accepting of his calling, Terry Snow proclaims the truth concerning our need to totally surrender to the will of the Lord, by giving Him what we have available.

From Moses' encounter with God, leading to the accepting of his calling, Terry Snow proclaims the truth concerning our need to totally surrender to the will of the Lord, by giving Him what we have available.

Evolution of the God Concept Among the Hebrews (1062.1) 97:0.1 THE spiritual leaders of the Hebrews did what no others before them had ever succeeded in doing — they deanthropomorphized their God concept without converting it into an abstraction of Deity comprehensible only to philosophers. Even common people were able to regard the matured concept of Yahweh as a Father, if not of the individual, at least of the race. (1062.2) 97:0.2 The concept of the personality of God, while clearly taught at Salem in the days of Melchizedek, was vague and hazy at the time of the flight from Egypt and only gradually evolved in the Hebraic mind from generation to generation in response to the teaching of the spiritual leaders. The perception of Yahweh’s personality was much more continuous in its progressive evolution than was that of many other of the Deity attributes. From Moses to Malachi there occurred an almost unbroken ideational growth of the personality of God in the Hebrew mind, and this concept was eventually heightened and glorified by the teachings of Jesus about the Father in heaven. 1. Samuel — First of the Hebrew Prophets (1062.3) 97:1.1 Hostile pressure of the surrounding peoples in Palestine soon taught the Hebrew sheiks they could not hope to survive unless they confederated their tribal organizations into a centralized government. And this centralization of administrative authority afforded a better opportunity for Samuel to function as a teacher and reformer. (1062.4) 97:1.2 Samuel sprang from a long line of the Salem teachers who had persisted in maintaining the truths of Melchizedek as a part of their worship forms. This teacher was a virile and resolute man. Only his great devotion, coupled with his extraordinary determination, enabled him to withstand the almost universal opposition which he encountered when he started out to turn all Israel back to the worship of the supreme Yahweh of Mosaic times. And even then he was only partially successful; he won back to the service of the higher concept of Yahweh only the more intelligent half of the Hebrews; the other half continued in the worship of the tribal gods of the country and in the baser conception of Yahweh. (1062.5) 97:1.3 Samuel was a rough-and-ready type of man, a practical reformer who could go out in one day with his associates and overthrow a score of Baal sites. The progress he made was by sheer force of compulsion; he did little preaching, less teaching, but he did act. One day he was mocking the priest of Baal; the next, chopping in pieces a captive king. He devotedly believed in the one God, and he had a clear concept of that one God as creator of heaven and earth: “The pillars of the earth are the Lord’s, and he has set the world upon them.” (1063.1) 97:1.4 But the great contribution which Samuel made to the development of the concept of Deity was his ringing pronouncement that Yahweh was changeless, forever the same embodiment of unerring perfection and divinity. In these times Yahweh was conceived to be a fitful God of jealous whims, always regretting that he had done thus and so; but now, for the first time since the Hebrews sallied forth from Egypt, they heard these startling words, “The Strength of Israel will not lie nor repent, for he is not a man, that he should repent.” Stability in dealing with Divinity was proclaimed. Samuel reiterated the Melchizedek covenant with Abraham and declared that the Lord God of Israel was the source of all truth, stability, and constancy. Always had the Hebrews looked upon their God as a man, a superman, an exalted spirit of unknown origin; but now they heard the onetime spirit of Horeb exalted as an unchanging God of creator perfection. Samuel was aiding the evolving God concept to ascend to heights above the changing state of men’s minds and the vicissitudes of mortal existence. Under his teaching, the God of the Hebrews was beginning the ascent from an idea on the order of the tribal gods to the ideal of an all-powerful and changeless Creator and Supervisor of all creation. (1063.2) 97:1.5 And he preached anew the story of God’s sincerity, his covenant-keeping reliability. Said Samuel: “The Lord will not forsake his people.” “He has made with us an everlasting covenant, ordered in all things and sure.” And so, throughout all Palestine there sounded the call back to the worship of the supreme Yahweh. Ever this energetic teacher proclaimed, “You are great, O Lord God, for there is none like you, neither is there any God beside you.” (1063.3) 97:1.6 Theretofore the Hebrews had regarded the favor of Yahweh mainly in terms of material prosperity. It was a great shock to Israel, and almost cost Samuel his life, when he dared to proclaim: “The Lord enriches and impoverishes; he debases and exalts. He raises the poor out of the dust and lifts up the beggars to set them among princes to make them inherit the throne of glory.” Not since Moses had such comforting promises for the humble and the less fortunate been proclaimed, and thousands of despairing among the poor began to take hope that they could improve their spiritual status. (1063.4) 97:1.7 But Samuel did not progress very far beyond the concept of a tribal god. He proclaimed a Yahweh who made all men but was occupied chiefly with the Hebrews, his chosen people. Even so, as in the days of Moses, once more the God concept portrayed a Deity who is holy and upright. “There is none as holy as the Lord. Who can be compared to this holy Lord God?” (1063.5) 97:1.8 As the years passed, the grizzled old leader progressed in the understanding of God, for he declared: “The Lord is a God of knowledge, and actions are weighed by him. The Lord will judge the ends of the earth, showing mercy to the merciful, and with the upright man he will also be upright.” Even here is the dawn of mercy, albeit it is limited to those who are merciful. Later he went one step further when, in their adversity, he exhorted his people: “Let us fall now into the hands of the Lord, for his mercies are great.” “There is no restraint upon the Lord to save many or few.” (1063.6) 97:1.9 And this gradual development of the concept of the character of Yahweh continued under the ministry of Samuel’s successors. They attempted to present Yahweh as a covenant-keeping God but hardly maintained the pace set by Samuel; they failed to develop the idea of the mercy of God as Samuel had later conceived it. There was a steady drift back toward the recognition of other gods, despite the maintenance that Yahweh was above all. “Yours is the kingdom, O Lord, and you are exalted as head above all.” (1064.1) 97:1.10 The keynote of this era was divine power; the prophets of this age preached a religion designed to foster the king upon the Hebrew throne. “Yours, O Lord, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the victory and the majesty. In your hand is power and might, and you are able to make great and to give strength to all.” And this was the status of the God concept during the time of Samuel and his immediate successors. 2. Elijah and Elisha (1064.2) 97:2.1 In the tenth century before Christ the Hebrew nation became divided into two kingdoms. In both of these political divisions many truth teachers endeavored to stem the reactionary tide of spiritual decadence that had set in, and which continued disastrously after the war of separation. But these efforts to advance the Hebraic religion did not prosper until that determined and fearless warrior for righteousness, Elijah, began his teaching. Elijah restored to the northern kingdom a concept of God comparable with that held in the days of Samuel. Elijah had little opportunity to present an advanced concept of God; he was kept busy, as Samuel had been before him, overthrowing the altars of Baal and demolishing the idols of false gods. And he carried forward his reforms in the face of the opposition of an idolatrous monarch; his task was even more gigantic and difficult than that which Samuel had faced. (1064.3) 97:2.2 When Elijah was called away, Elisha, his faithful associate, took up his work and, with the invaluable assistance of the little-known Micaiah, kept the light of truth alive in Palestine. (1064.4) 97:2.3 But these were not times of progress in the concept of Deity. Not yet had the Hebrews ascended even to the Mosaic ideal. The era of Elijah and Elisha closed with the better classes returning to the worship of the supreme Yahweh and witnessed the restoration of the idea of the Universal Creator to about that place where Samuel had left it. 3. Yahweh and Baal (1064.5) 97:3.1 The long-drawn-out controversy between the believers in Yahweh and the followers of Baal was a socioeconomic clash of ideologies rather than a difference in religious beliefs. (1064.6) 97:3.2 The inhabitants of Palestine differed in their attitude toward private ownership of land. The southern or wandering Arabian tribes (the Yahwehites) looked upon land as an inalienable — as a gift of Deity to the clan. They held that land could not be sold or mortgaged. “Yahweh spoke, saying, ‘The land shall not be sold, for the land is mine.’” (1064.7) 97:3.3 The northern and more settled Canaanites (the Baalites) freely bought, sold, and mortgaged their lands. The word Baal means owner. The Baal cult was founded on two major doctrines: First, the validation of property exchange, contracts, and covenants — the right to buy and sell land. Second, Baal was supposed to send rain — he was a god of fertility of the soil. Good crops depended on the favor of Baal. The cult was largely concerned with land, its ownership and fertility. (1065.1) 97:3.4 In general, the Baalites owned houses, lands, and slaves. They were the aristocratic landlords and lived in the cities. Each Baal had a sacred place, a priesthood, and the “holy women,” the ritual prostitutes. (1065.2) 97:3.5 Out of this basic difference in the regard for land, there evolved the bitter antagonisms of social, economic, moral, and religious attitudes exhibited by the Canaanites and the Hebrews. This socioeconomic controversy did not become a definite religious issue until the times of Elijah. From the days of this aggressive prophet the issue was fought out on more strictly religious lines — Yahweh vs. Baal — and it ended in the triumph of Yahweh and the subsequent drive toward monotheism. (1065.3) 97:3.6 Elijah shifted the Yahweh-Baal controversy from the land issue to the religious aspect of Hebrew and Canaanite ideologies. When Ahab murdered the Naboths in the intrigue to get possession of their land, Elijah made a moral issue out of the olden land mores and launched his vigorous campaign against the Baalites. This was also a fight of the country folk against domination by the cities. It was chiefly under Elijah that Yahweh became Elohim. The prophet began as an agrarian reformer and ended up by exalting Deity. Baals were many, Yahweh was one — monotheism won over polytheism. 4. Amos and Hosea (1065.4) 97:4.1 A great step in the transition of the tribal god — the god who had so long been served with sacrifices and ceremonies, the Yahweh of the earlier Hebrews — to a God who would punish crime and immorality among even his own people, was taken by Amos, who appeared from among the southern hills to denounce the criminality, drunkenness, oppression, and immorality of the northern tribes. Not since the times of Moses had such ringing truths been proclaimed in Palestine. (1065.5) 97:4.2 Amos was not merely a restorer or reformer; he was a discoverer of new concepts of Deity. He proclaimed much about God that had been announced by his predecessors and courageously attacked the belief in a Divine Being who would countenance sin among his so-called chosen people. For the first time since the days of Melchizedek the ears of man heard the denunciation of the double standard of national justice and morality. For the first time in their history Hebrew ears heard that their own God, Yahweh, would no more tolerate crime and sin in their lives than he would among any other people. Amos envisioned the stern and just God of Samuel and Elijah, but he also saw a God who thought no differently of the Hebrews than of any other nation when it came to the punishment of wrongdoing. This was a direct attack on the egoistic doctrine of the “chosen people,” and many Hebrews of those days bitterly resented it. (1065.6) 97:4.3 Said Amos: “He who formed the mountains and created the wind, seek him who formed the seven stars and Orion, who turns the shadow of death into the morning and makes the day dark as night.” And in denouncing his half-religious, timeserving, and sometimes immoral fellows, he sought to portray the inexorable justice of an unchanging Yahweh when he said of the evildoers: “Though they dig into hell, thence shall I take them; though they climb up to heaven, thence will I bring them down.” “And though they go into captivity before their enemies, thence will I direct the sword of justice, and it shall slay them.” Amos further startled his hearers when, pointing a reproving and accusing finger at them, he declared in the name of Yahweh: “Surely I will never forget any of your works.” “And I will sift the house of Israel among all nations as wheat is sifted in a sieve.” (1066.1) 97:4.4 Amos proclaimed Yahweh the “God of all nations” and warned the Israelites that ritual must not take the place of righteousness. And before this courageous teacher was stoned to death, he had spread enough leaven of truth to save the doctrine of the supreme Yahweh; he had insured the further evolution of the Melchizedek revelation. (1066.2) 97:4.5 Hosea followed Amos and his doctrine of a universal God of justice by the resurrection of the Mosaic concept of a God of love. Hosea preached forgiveness through repentance, not by sacrifice. He proclaimed a gospel of loving-kindness and divine mercy, saying: “I will betroth you to me forever; yes, I will betroth you to me in righteousness and judgment and in loving-kindness and in mercies. I will even betroth you to me in faithfulness.” “I will love them freely, for my anger is turned away.” (1066.3) 97:4.6 Hosea faithfully continued the moral warnings of Amos, saying of God, “It is my desire that I chastise them.” But the Israelites regarded it as cruelty bordering on treason when he said: “I will say to those who were not my people, ‘you are my people’; and they will say, ‘you are our God.’” He continued to preach repentance and forgiveness, saying, “I will heal their backsliding; I will love them freely, for my anger is turned away.” Always Hosea proclaimed hope and forgiveness. The burden of his message ever was: “I will have mercy upon my people. They shall know no God but me, for there is no savior beside me.” (1066.4) 97:4.7 Amos quickened the national conscience of the Hebrews to the recognition that Yahweh would not condone crime and sin among them because they were supposedly the chosen people, while Hosea struck the opening notes in the later merciful chords of divine compassion and loving-kindness which were so exquisitely sung by Isaiah and his associates. 5. The First Isaiah (1066.5) 97:5.1 These were the times when some were proclaiming threatenings of punishment against personal sins and national crime among the northern clans while others predicted calamity in retribution for the transgressions of the southern kingdom. It was in the wake of this arousal of conscience and consciousness in the Hebrew nations that the first Isaiah made his appearance. (1066.6) 97:5.2 Isaiah went on to preach the eternal nature of God, his infinite wisdom, his unchanging perfection of reliability. He represented the God of Israel as saying: “Judgment also will I lay to the line and righteousness to the plummet.” “The Lord will give you rest from your sorrow and from your fear and from the hard bondage wherein man has been made to serve.” “And your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, ‘this is the way, walk in it.’” “Behold God is my salvation; I will trust and not be afraid, for the Lord is my strength and my song.” “‘Come now and let us reason together,’ says the Lord, ‘though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like the crimson, they shall be as wool.’” (1066.7) 97:5.3 Speaking to the fear-ridden and soul-hungry Hebrews, this prophet said: “Arise and shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you.” “The spirit of the Lord is upon me because he has anointed me to preach good tidings to the meek; he has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives and the opening of the prison to those who are bound.” “I will greatly rejoice in the Lord, my soul shall be joyful in my God, for he has clothed me with the garments of salvation and has covered me with his robe of righteousness.” “In all their afflictions he was afflicted, and the angel of his presence saved them. In his love and in his pity he redeemed them.” (1067.1) 97:5.4 This Isaiah was followed by Micah and Obadiah, who confirmed and embellished his soul-satisfying gospel. And these two brave messengers boldly denounced the priest-ridden ritual of the Hebrews and fearlessly attacked the whole sacrificial system. (1067.2) 97:5.5 Micah denounced “the rulers who judge for reward and the priests who teach for hire and the prophets who divine for money.” He taught of a day of freedom from superstition and priestcraft, saying: “But every man shall sit under his own vine, and no one shall make him afraid, for all people will live, each one according to his understanding of God.” (1067.3) 97:5.6 Ever the burden of Micah’s message was: “Shall I come before God with burnt offerings? Will the Lord be pleased with a thousand rams or with ten thousand rivers of oil? Shall I give my first-born for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul? He has shown me, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.” And it was a great age; these were indeed stirring times when mortal man heard, and some even believed, such emancipating messages more than two and a half millenniums ago. And but for the stubborn resistance of the priests, these teachers would have overthrown the whole bloody ceremonial of the Hebrew ritual of worship. 6. Jeremiah the Fearless (1067.4) 97:6.1 While several teachers continued to expound the gospel of Isaiah, it remained for Jeremiah to take the next bold step in the internationalization of Yahweh, God of the Hebrews. (1067.5) 97:6.2 Jeremiah fearlessly declared that Yahweh was not on the side of the Hebrews in their military struggles with other nations. He asserted that Yahweh was God of all the earth, of all nations and of all peoples. Jeremiah’s teaching was the crescendo of the rising wave of the internationalization of the God of Israel; finally and forever did this intrepid preacher proclaim that Yahweh was God of all nations, and that there was no Osiris for the Egyptians, Bel for the Babylonians, Ashur for the Assyrians, or Dagon for the Philistines. And thus did the religion of the Hebrews share in that renaissance of monotheism throughout the world at about and following this time; at last the concept of Yahweh had ascended to a Deity level of planetary and even cosmic dignity. But many of Jeremiah’s associates found it difficult to conceive of Yahweh apart from the Hebrew nation. (1067.6) 97:6.3 Jeremiah also preached of the just and loving God described by Isaiah, declaring: “Yes, I have loved you with an everlasting love; therefore with loving-kindness have I drawn you.” “For he does not afflict willingly the children of men.” (1067.7) 97:6.4 Said this fearless prophet: “Righteous is our Lord, great in counsel and mighty in work. His eyes are open upon all the ways of all the sons of men, to give every one according to his ways and according to the fruit of his doings.” But it was considered blasphemous treason when, during the siege of Jerusalem, he said: “And now have I given these lands into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon, my servant.” And when Jeremiah counseled the surrender of the city, the priests and civil rulers cast him into the miry pit of a dismal dungeon. 7. The Second Isaiah (1068.1) 97:7.1 The destruction of the Hebrew nation and their captivity in Mesopotamia would have proved of great benefit to their expanding theology had it not been for the determined action of their priesthood. Their nation had fallen before the armies of Babylon, and their nationalistic Yahweh had suffered from the international preachments of the spiritual leaders. It was resentment of the loss of their national god that led the Jewish priests to go to such lengths in the invention of fables and the multiplication of miraculous appearing events in Hebrew history in an effort to restore the Jews as the chosen people of even the new and expanded idea of an internationalized God of all nations. (1068.2) 97:7.2 During the captivity the Jews were much influenced by Babylonian traditions and legends, although it should be noted that they unfailingly improved the moral tone and spiritual significance of the Chaldean stories which they adopted, notwithstanding that they invariably distorted these legends to reflect honor and glory upon the ancestry and history of Israel. (1068.3) 97:7.3 These Hebrew priests and scribes had a single idea in their minds, and that was the rehabilitation of the Jewish nation, the glorification of Hebrew traditions, and the exaltation of their racial history. If there is resentment of the fact that these priests have fastened their erroneous ideas upon such a large part of the Occidental world, it should be remembered that they did not intentionally do this; they did not claim to be writing by inspiration; they made no profession to be writing a sacred book. They were merely preparing a textbook designed to bolster up the dwindling courage of their fellows in captivity. They were definitely aiming at improving the national spirit and morale of their compatriots. It remained for later-day men to assemble these and other writings into a guide book of supposedly infallible teachings. (1068.4) 97:7.4 The Jewish priesthood made liberal use of these writings subsequent to the captivity, but they were greatly hindered in their influence over their fellow captives by the presence of a young and indomitable prophet, Isaiah the second, who was a full convert to the elder Isaiah’s God of justice, love, righteousness, and mercy. He also believed with Jeremiah that Yahweh had become the God of all nations. He preached these theories of the nature of God with such telling effect that he made converts equally among the Jews and their captors. And this young preacher left on record his teachings, which the hostile and unforgiving priests sought to divorce from all association with him, although sheer respect for their beauty and grandeur led to their incorporation among the writings of the earlier Isaiah. And thus may be found the writings of this second Isaiah in the book of that name, embracing chapters forty to fifty-five inclusive. (1068.5) 97:7.5 No prophet or religious teacher from Machiventa to the time of Jesus attained the high concept of God that Isaiah the second proclaimed during these days of the captivity. It was no small, anthropomorphic, man-made God that this spiritual leader proclaimed. “Behold he takes up the isles as a very little thing.” “And as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts higher than your thoughts.” (1069.1) 97:7.6 At last Machiventa Melchizedek beheld human teachers proclaiming a real God to mortal man. Like Isaiah the first, this leader preached a God of universal creation and upholding. “I have made the earth and put man upon it. I have created it not in vain; I formed it to be inhabited.” “I am the first and the last; there is no God beside me.” Speaking for the Lord God of Israel, this new prophet said: “The heavens may vanish and the earth wax old, but my righteousness shall endure forever and my salvation from generation to generation.” “Fear you not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God.” “There is no God beside me — a just God and a Savior.” (1069.2) 97:7.7 And it comforted the Jewish captives, as it has thousands upon thousands ever since, to hear such words as: “Thus says the Lord, ‘I have created you, I have redeemed you, I have called you by your name; you are mine.’” “When you pass through the waters, I will be with you since you are precious in my sight.” “Can a woman forget her suckling child that she should not have compassion on her son? Yes, she may forget, yet will I not forget my children, for behold I have graven them upon the palms of my hands; I have even covered them with the shadow of my hands.” “Let the wicked forsake his ways and the unrighteous man his thoughts, and let him return to the Lord, and he will have mercy upon him, and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.” (1069.3) 97:7.8 Listen again to the gospel of this new revelation of the God of Salem: “He shall feed his flock like a shepherd; he shall gather the lambs in his arms and carry them in his bosom. He gives power to the faint, and to those who have no might he increases strength. Those who wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.” (1069.4) 97:7.9 This Isaiah conducted a far-flung propaganda of the gospel of the enlarging concept of a supreme Yahweh. He vied with Moses in the eloquence with which he portrayed the Lord God of Israel as the Universal Creator. He was poetic in his portrayal of the infinite attributes of the Universal Father. No more beautiful pronouncements about the heavenly Father have ever been made. Like the Psalms, the writings of Isaiah are among the most sublime and true presentations of the spiritual concept of God ever to greet the ears of mortal man prior to the arrival of Michael on Urantia. Listen to his portrayal of Deity: “I am the high and lofty one who inhabits eternity.” “I am the first and the last, and beside me there is no other God.” “And the Lord’s hand is not shortened that it cannot save, neither his ear heavy that it cannot hear.” And it was a new doctrine in Jewry when this benign but commanding prophet persisted in the preachment of divine constancy, God’s faithfulness. He declared that “God would not forget, would not forsake.” (1069.5) 97:7.10 This daring teacher proclaimed that man was very closely related to God, saying: “Every one who is called by my name I have created for my glory, and they shall show forth my praise. I, even I, am he who blots out their transgressions for my own sake, and I will not remember their sins.” (1069.6) 97:7.11 Hear this great Hebrew demolish the concept of a national God while in glory he proclaims the divinity of the Universal Father, of whom he says, “The heavens are my throne, and the earth is my footstool.” And Isaiah’s God was none the less holy, majestic, just, and unsearchable. The concept of the angry, vengeful, and jealous Yahweh of the desert Bedouins has almost vanished. A new concept of the supreme and universal Yahweh has appeared in the mind of mortal man, never to be lost to human view. The realization of divine justice has begun the destruction of primitive magic and biologic fear. At last, man is introduced to a universe of law and order and to a universal God of dependable and final attributes. (1070.1) 97:7.12 And this preacher of a supernal God never ceased to proclaim this God of love. “I dwell in the high and holy place, also with him who is of a contrite and humble spirit.” And still further words of comfort did this great teacher speak to his contemporaries: “And the Lord will guide you continually and satisfy your soul. You shall be like a watered garden and like a spring whose waters fail not. And if the enemy shall come in like a flood, the spirit of the Lord will lift up a defense against him.” And once again did the fear-destroying gospel of Melchizedek and the trust-breeding religion of Salem shine forth for the blessing of mankind. (1070.2) 97:7.13 The farseeing and courageous Isaiah effectively eclipsed the nationalistic Yahweh by his sublime portraiture of the majesty and universal omnipotence of the supreme Yahweh, God of love, ruler of the universe, and affectionate Father of all mankind. Ever since those eventful days the highest God concept in the Occident has embraced universal justice, divine mercy, and eternal righteousness. In superb language and with matchless grace this great teacher portrayed the all-powerful Creator as the all-loving Father. (1070.3) 97:7.14 This prophet of the captivity preached to his people and to those of many nations as they listened by the river in Babylon. And this second Isaiah did much to counteract the many wrong and racially egoistic concepts of the mission of the promised Messiah. But in this effort he was not wholly successful. Had the priests not dedicated themselves to the work of building up a misconceived nationalism, the teachings of the two Isaiahs would have prepared the way for the recognition and reception of the promised Messiah. 8. Sacred and Profane History (1070.4) 97:8.1 The custom of looking upon the record of the experiences of the Hebrews as sacred history and upon the transactions of the rest of the world as profane history is responsible for much of the confusion existing in the human mind as to the interpretation of history. And this difficulty arises because there is no secular history of the Jews. After the priests of the Babylonian exile had prepared their new record of God’s supposedly miraculous dealings with the Hebrews, the sacred history of Israel as portrayed in the Old Testament, they carefully and completely destroyed the existing records of Hebrew affairs — such books as “The Doings of the Kings of Israel” and “The Doings of the Kings of Judah,” together with several other more or less accurate records of Hebrew history. (1070.5) 97:8.2 In order to understand how the devastating pressure and the inescapable coercion of secular history so terrorized the captive and alien-ruled Jews that they attempted the complete rewriting and recasting of their history, we should briefly survey the record of their perplexing national experience. It must be remembered that the Jews failed to evolve an adequate nontheologic philosophy of life. They struggled with their original and Egyptian concept of divine rewards for righteousness coupled with dire punishments for sin. The drama of Job was something of a protest against this erroneous philosophy. The frank pessimism of Ecclesiastes was a worldly wise reaction to these overoptimistic beliefs in Providence. (1071.1) 97:8.3 But five hundred years of the overlordship of alien rulers was too much for even the patient and long-suffering Jews. The prophets and priests began to cry: “How long, O Lord, how long?” As the honest Jew searched the Scriptures, his confusion became worse confounded. An olden seer promised that God would protect and deliver his “chosen people.” Amos had threatened that God would abandon Israel unless they re-established their standards of national righteousness. The scribe of Deuteronomy had portrayed the Great Choice — as between the good and the evil, the blessing and the curse. Isaiah the first had preached a beneficent king-deliverer. Jeremiah had proclaimed an era of inner righteousness — the covenant written on the tablets of the heart. The second Isaiah talked about salvation by sacrifice and redemption. Ezekiel proclaimed deliverance through the service of devotion, and Ezra promised prosperity by adherence to the law. But in spite of all this they lingered on in bondage, and deliverance was deferred. Then Daniel presented the drama of the impending “crisis” — the smiting of the great image and the immediate establishment of the everlasting reign of righteousness, the Messianic kingdom. (1071.2) 97:8.4 And all of this false hope led to such a degree of racial disappointment and frustration that the leaders of the Jews were so confused they failed to recognize and accept the mission and ministry of a divine Son of Paradise when he presently came to them in the likeness of mortal flesh — incarnated as the Son of Man. (1071.3) 97:8.5 All modern religions have seriously blundered in the attempt to put a miraculous interpretation on certain epochs of human history. While it is true that God has many times thrust a Father’s hand of providential intervention into the stream of human affairs, it is a mistake to regard theologic dogmas and religious superstition as a supernatural sedimentation appearing by miraculous action in this stream of human history. The fact that the “Most Highs rule in the kingdoms of men” does not convert secular history into so-called sacred history. (1071.4) 97:8.6 New Testament authors and later Christian writers further complicated the distortion of Hebrew history by their well-meant attempts to transcendentalize the Jewish prophets. Thus has Hebrew history been disastrously exploited by both Jewish and Christian writers. Secular Hebrew history has been thoroughly dogmatized. It has been converted into a fiction of sacred history and has become inextricably bound up with the moral concepts and religious teachings of the so-called Christian nations. (1071.5) 97:8.7 A brief recital of the high points in Hebrew history will illustrate how the facts of the record were so altered in Babylon by the Jewish priests as to turn the everyday secular history of their people into a fictitious and sacred history. 9. Hebrew History (1071.6) 97:9.1 There never were twelve tribes of the Israelites — only three or four tribes settled in Palestine. The Hebrew nation came into being as the result of the union of the so-called Israelites and the Canaanites. “And the children of Israel dwelt among the Canaanites. And they took their daughters to be their wives and gave their daughters to the sons of the Canaanites.” The Hebrews never drove the Canaanites out of Palestine, notwithstanding that the priests’ record of these things unhesitatingly declared that they did. (1071.7) 97:9.2 The Israelitish consciousness took origin in the hill country of Ephraim; the later Jewish consciousness originated in the southern clan of Judah. The Jews (Judahites) always sought to defame and blacken the record of the northern Israelites (Ephraimites). (1072.1) 97:9.3 Pretentious Hebrew history begins with Saul’s rallying the northern clans to withstand an attack by the Ammonites upon their fellow tribesmen — the Gileadites — east of the Jordan. With an army of a little more than three thousand he defeated the enemy, and it was this exploit that led the hill tribes to make him king. When the exiled priests rewrote this story, they raised Saul’s army to 330,000 and added “Judah” to the list of tribes participating in the battle. (1072.2) 97:9.4 Immediately following the defeat of the Ammonites, Saul was made king by popular election by his troops. No priest or prophet participated in this affair. But the priests later on put it in the record that Saul was crowned king by the prophet Samuel in accordance with divine directions. This they did in order to establish a “divine line of descent” for David’s Judahite kingship. (1072.3) 97:9.5 The greatest of all distortions of Jewish history had to do with David. After Saul’s victory over the Ammonites (which he ascribed to Yahweh) the Philistines became alarmed and began attacks on the northern clans. David and Saul never could agree. David with six hundred men entered into a Philistine alliance and marched up the coast to Esdraelon. At Gath the Philistines ordered David off the field; they feared he might go over to Saul. David retired; the Philistines attacked and defeated Saul. They could not have done this had David been loyal to Israel. David’s army was a polyglot assortment of malcontents, being for the most part made up of social misfits and fugitives from justice. (1072.4) 97:9.6 Saul’s tragic defeat at Gilboa by the Philistines brought Yahweh to a low point among the gods in the eyes of the surrounding Canaanites. Ordinarily, Saul’s defeat would have been ascribed to apostasy from Yahweh, but this time the Judahite editors attributed it to ritual errors. They required the tradition of Saul and Samuel as a background for the kingship of David. (1072.5) 97:9.7 David with his small army made his headquarters at the non-Hebrew city of Hebron. Presently his compatriots proclaimed him king of the new kingdom of Judah. Judah was made up mostly of non-Hebrew elements — Kenites, Calebites, Jebusites, and other Canaanites. They were nomads — herders — and so were devoted to the Hebrew idea of land ownership. They held the ideologies of the desert clans. (1072.6) 97:9.8 The difference between sacred and profane history is well illustrated by the two differing stories concerning making David king as they are found in the Old Testament. A part of the secular story of how his immediate followers (his army) made him king was inadvertently left in the record by the priests who subsequently prepared the lengthy and prosaic account of the sacred history wherein is depicted how the prophet Samuel, by divine direction, selected David from among his brethren and proceeded formally and by elaborate and solemn ceremonies to anoint him king over the Hebrews and then to proclaim him Saul’s successor. (1072.7) 97:9.9 So many times did the priests, after preparing their fictitious narratives of God’s miraculous dealings with Israel, fail fully to delete the plain and matter-of-fact statements which already rested in the records. (1072.8) 97:9.10 David sought to build himself up politically by first marrying Saul’s daughter, then the widow of Nabal the rich Edomite, and then the daughter of Talmai, the king of Geshur. He took six wives from the women of Jebus, not to mention Bathsheba, the wife of the Hittite. (1073.1) 97:9.11 And it was by such methods and out of such people that David built up the fiction of a divine kingdom of Judah as the successor of the heritage and traditions of the vanishing northern kingdom of Ephraimite Israel. David’s cosmopolitan tribe of Judah was more gentile than Jewish; nevertheless the oppressed elders of Ephraim came down and “anointed him king of Israel.” After a military threat, David then made a compact with the Jebusites and established his capital of the united kingdom at Jebus (Jerusalem), which was a strong-walled city midway between Judah and Israel. The Philistines were aroused and soon attacked David. After a fierce battle they were defeated, and once more Yahweh was established as “The Lord God of Hosts.” (1073.2) 97:9.12 But Yahweh must, perforce, share some of this glory with the Canaanite gods, for the bulk of David’s army was non-Hebrew. And so there appears in your record (overlooked by the Judahite editors) this telltale statement: “Yahweh has broken my enemies before me. Therefore he called the name of the place Baal-Perazim.” And they did this because eighty per cent of David’s soldiers were Baalites. (1073.3) 97:9.13 David explained Saul’s defeat at Gilboa by pointing out that Saul had attacked a Canaanite city, Gibeon, whose people had a peace treaty with the Ephraimites. Because of this, Yahweh forsook him. Even in Saul’s time David had defended the Canaanite city of Keilah against the Philistines, and then he located his capital in a Canaanite city. In keeping with the policy of compromise with the Canaanites, David turned seven of Saul’s descendants over to the Gibeonites to be hanged. (1073.4) 97:9.14 After the defeat of the Philistines, David gained possession of the “ark of Yahweh,” brought it to Jerusalem, and made the worship of Yahweh official for his kingdom. He next laid heavy tribute on the neighboring tribes — the Edomites, Moabites, Ammonites, and Syrians. (1073.5) 97:9.15 David’s corrupt political machine began to get personal possession of land in the north in violation of the Hebrew mores and presently gained control of the caravan tariffs formerly collected by the Philistines. And then came a series of atrocities climaxed by the murder of Uriah. All judicial appeals were adjudicated at Jerusalem; no longer could “the elders” mete out justice. No wonder rebellion broke out. Today, Absalom might be called a demagogue; his mother was a Canaanite. There were a half dozen contenders for the throne besides the son of Bathsheba — Solomon. (1073.6) 97:9.16 After David’s death Solomon purged the political machine of all northern influences but continued all of the tyranny and taxation of his father’s regime. Solomon bankrupted the nation by his lavish court and by his elaborate building program: There was the house of Lebanon, the palace of Pharaoh’s daughter, the temple of Yahweh, the king’s palace, and the restoration of the walls of many cities. Solomon created a vast Hebrew navy, operated by Syrian sailors and trading with all the world. His harem numbered almost one thousand. (1073.7) 97:9.17 By this time Yahweh’s temple at Shiloh was discredited, and all the worship of the nation was centered at Jebus in the gorgeous royal chapel. The northern kingdom returned more to the worship of Elohim. They enjoyed the favor of the Pharaohs, who later enslaved Judah, putting the southern kingdom under tribute. (1073.8) 97:9.18 There were ups and downs — wars between Israel and Judah. After four years of civil war and three dynasties, Israel fell under the rule of city despots who began to trade in land. Even King Omri attempted to buy Shemer’s estate. But the end drew on apace when Shalmaneser III decided to control the Mediterranean coast. King Ahab of Ephraim gathered ten other groups and resisted at Karkar; the battle was a draw. The Assyrian was stopped but the allies were decimated. This great fight is not even mentioned in the Old Testament. (1074.1) 97:9.19 New trouble started when King Ahab tried to buy land from Naboth. His Phoenician wife forged Ahab’s name to papers directing that Naboth’s land be confiscated on the charge that he had blasphemed the names of “Elohim and the king.” He and his sons were promptly executed. The vigorous Elijah appeared on the scene denouncing Ahab for the murder of the Naboths. Thus Elijah, one of the greatest of the prophets, began his teaching as a defender of the old land mores as against the land-selling attitude of the Baalim, against the attempt of the cities to dominate the country. But the reform did not succeed until the country landlord Jehu joined forces with the gypsy chieftain Jehonadab to destroy the prophets (real estate agents) of Baal at Samaria. (1074.2) 97:9.20 New life appeared as Jehoash and his son Jeroboam delivered Israel from its enemies. But by this time there ruled in Samaria a gangster-nobility whose depredations rivaled those of the Davidic dynasty of olden days. State and church went along hand in hand. The attempt to suppress freedom of speech led Elijah, Amos, and Hosea to begin their secret writing, and this was the real beginning of the Jewish and Christian Bibles. (1074.3) 97:9.21 But the northern kingdom did not vanish from history until the king of Israel conspired with the king of Egypt and refused to pay further tribute to Assyria. Then began the three years’ siege followed by the total dispersion of the northern kingdom. Ephraim (Israel) thus vanished. Judah — the Jews, the “remnant of Israel” — had begun the concentration of land in the hands of the few, as Isaiah said, “Adding house to house and field to field.” Presently there was in Jerusalem a temple of Baal alongside the temple of Yahweh. This reign of terror was ended by a monotheistic revolt led by the boy king Joash, who crusaded for Yahweh for thirty-five years. (1074.4) 97:9.22 The next king, Amaziah, had trouble with the revolting tax-paying Edomites and their neighbors. After a signal victory he turned to attack his northern neighbors and was just as signally defeated. Then the rural folk revolted; they assassinated the king and put his sixteen-year-old son on the throne. This was Azariah, called Uzziah by Isaiah. After Uzziah, things went from bad to worse, and Judah existed for a hundred years by paying tribute to the kings of Assyria. Isaiah the first told them that Jerusalem, being the city of Yahweh, would never fall. But Jeremiah did not hesitate to proclaim its downfall. (1074.5) 97:9.23 The real undoing of Judah was effected by a corrupt and rich ring of politicians operating under the rule of a boy king, Manasseh. The changing economy favored the return of the worship of Baal, whose private land dealings were against the ideology of Yahweh. The fall of Assyria and the ascendancy of Egypt brought deliverance to Judah for a time, and the country folk took over. Under Josiah they destroyed the Jerusalem ring of corrupt politicians.* (1074.6) 97:9.24 But this era came to a tragic end when Josiah presumed to go out to intercept Necho’s mighty army as it moved up the coast from Egypt for the aid of Assyria against Babylon. He was wiped out, and Judah went under tribute to Egypt. The Baal political party returned to power in Jerusalem, and thus began the real Egyptian bondage. Then ensued a period in which the Baalim politicians controlled both the courts and the priesthood. Baal worship was an economic and social system dealing with property rights as well as having to do with soil fertility. (1075.1) 97:9.25 With the overthrow of Necho by Nebuchadnezzar, Judah fell under the rule of Babylon and was given ten years of grace, but soon rebelled. When Nebuchadnezzar came against them, the Judahites started social reforms, such as releasing slaves, to influence Yahweh. When the Babylonian army temporarily withdrew, the Hebrews rejoiced that their magic of reform had delivered them. It was during this period that Jeremiah told them of the impending doom, and presently Nebuchadnezzar returned. (1075.2) 97:9.26 And so the end of Judah came suddenly. The city was destroyed, and the people were carried away into Babylon. The Yahweh-Baal struggle ended with the captivity. And the captivity shocked the remnant of Israel into monotheism. (1075.3) 97:9.27 In Babylon the Jews arrived at the conclusion that they could not exist as a small group in Palestine, having their own peculiar social and economic customs, and that, if their ideologies were to prevail, they must convert the gentiles. Thus originated their new concept of destiny — the idea that the Jews must become the chosen servants of Yahweh. The Jewish religion of the Old Testament really evolved in Babylon during the captivity. (1075.4) 97:9.28 The doctrine of immortality also took form at Babylon. The Jews had thought that the idea of the future life detracted from the emphasis of their gospel of social justice. Now for the first time theology displaced sociology and economics. Religion was taking shape as a system of human thought and conduct more and more to be separated from politics, sociology, and economics. (1075.5) 97:9.29 And so does the truth about the Jewish people disclose that much which has been regarded as sacred history turns out to be little more than the chronicle of ordinary profane history. Judaism was the soil out of which Christianity grew, but the Jews were not a miraculous people. 10. The Hebrew Religion (1075.6) 97:10.1 Their leaders had taught the Israelites that they were a chosen people, not for special indulgence and monopoly of divine favor, but for the special service of carrying the truth of the one God over all to every nation. And they had promised the Jews that, if they would fulfill this destiny, they would become the spiritual leaders of all peoples, and that the coming Messiah would reign over them and all the world as the Prince of Peace. (1075.7) 97:10.2 When the Jews had been freed by the Persians, they returned to Palestine only to fall into bondage to their own priest-ridden code of laws, sacrifices, and rituals. And as the Hebrew clans rejected the wonderful story of God presented in the farewell oration of Moses for the rituals of sacrifice and penance, so did these remnants of the Hebrew nation reject the magnificent concept of the second Isaiah for the rules, regulations, and rituals of their growing priesthood. (1075.8) 97:10.3 National egotism, false faith in a misconceived promised Messiah, and the increasing bondage and tyranny of the priesthood forever silenced the voices of the spiritual leaders (excepting Daniel, Ezekiel, Haggai, and Malachi); and from that day to the time of John the Baptist all Israel experienced an increasing spiritual retrogression. But the Jews never lost the concept of the Universal Father; even to the twentieth century after Christ they have continued to follow this Deity conception. (1076.1) 97:10.4 From Moses to John the Baptist there extended an unbroken line of faithful teachers who passed the monotheistic torch of light from one generation to another while they unceasingly rebuked unscrupulous rulers, denounced commercializing priests, and ever exhorted the people to adhere to the worship of the supreme Yahweh, the Lord God of Israel. (1076.2) 97:10.5 As a nation the Jews eventually lost their political identity, but the Hebrew religion of sincere belief in the one and universal God continues to live in the hearts of the scattered exiles. And this religion survives because it has effectively functioned to conserve the highest values of its followers. The Jewish religion did preserve the ideals of a people, but it failed to foster progress and encourage philosophic creative discovery in the realms of truth. The Jewish religion had many faults — it was deficient in philosophy and almost devoid of aesthetic qualities — but it did conserve moral values; therefore it persisted. The supreme Yahweh, as compared with other concepts of Deity, was clear-cut, vivid, personal, and moral. (1076.3) 97:10.6 The Jews loved justice, wisdom, truth, and righteousness as have few peoples, but they contributed least of all peoples to the intellectual comprehension and to the spiritual understanding of these divine qualities. Though Hebrew theology refused to expand, it played an important part in the development of two other world religions, Christianity and Mohammedanism. (1076.4) 97:10.7 The Jewish religion persisted also because of its institutions. It is difficult for religion to survive as the private practice of isolated individuals. This has ever been the error of the religious leaders: Seeing the evils of institutionalized religion, they seek to destroy the technique of group functioning. In place of destroying all ritual, they would do better to reform it. In this respect Ezekiel was wiser than his contemporaries; though he joined with them in insisting on personal moral responsibility, he also set about to establish the faithful observance of a superior and purified ritual. (1076.5) 97:10.8 And thus the successive teachers of Israel accomplished the greatest feat in the evolution of religion ever to be effected on Urantia: the gradual but continuous transformation of the barbaric concept of the savage demon Yahweh, the jealous and cruel spirit god of the fulminating Sinai volcano, to the later exalted and supernal concept of the supreme Yahweh, creator of all things and the loving and merciful Father of all mankind. And this Hebraic concept of God was the highest human visualization of the Universal Father up to that time when it was further enlarged and so exquisitely amplified by the personal teachings and life example of his Son, Michael of Nebadon. (1076.6) 97:10.9 [Presented by a Melchizedek of Nebadon.]

Moses was the adopted son of Egypt and Pharaoh. Malcolm too was an adopted son of sorts. Both spoke truth to power. There are many figures of justice throughout the Qur’an and in Muslim history: Moses, Jesus, Abraham, Dhu’l Qarnayn, Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم, Umar bin al-Khattab, Nana Asmau, Muhammad ‘Ali, and El Hajj Malcolm … Continue reading "From Moses to Malcolm – Islam in America, A Khutbah"