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Watch every episode ad-free & uncensored on Patreon: https://patreon.com/dannyjones Jon Ronson is a gonzo journalist, author, and filmmaker who famously infiltrated Bohemian Grove & the Bilderberg group. He is best known for works such as Them: Adventures with Extremists, The Men Who Stare at Goats, and The Psychopath Test. SPONSORS https://mengotomars.com - Get 50% off for life plus free shipping & 3 free gifts. https://butcherbox.com/danny - Get $20 off your first box, plus your choice of free ribeye, new york strip, or filet mignon in every box for a year. https://blueprint.bryanjohnson.com - Use code DANNY for 20% off + free shipping. https://mod.com - Use code DANNY for 10% off your first order PLUS free shipping. https://whiterabbitenergy.com/?ref=DJP - Use code DJP for 20% off. EPISODE LINKS Jon's new book - https://amzn.to/3V4g2Op https://jonronson.com *NEW* DJP MERCH https://dannyjonespodcast.com FOLLOW DANNY JONES https://www.instagram.com/dannyjones https://twitter.com/jonesdanny OUTLINE 00:00 - UK's police culture war 05:59 - The Castle & "101 Princesses" 14:04 - "Them" & learning from Islamic extremists 18:53 - The Shadow Cabal ruling the world 26:50 - Members of the Bilderberg Group 34:14 - Pizzagate was a distraction from Epstein 39:18 - Jon's visit to Uri Geller's house 41:36 - Military's Project Jedi 44:14 - Sense of being stared at & haunted houses 48:19 - UFO hunting in Nevada 49:48 - General Stubblebine & secret military tech 53:26 - Remote viewing & the Heaven's Gate connection 01:01:31 - Jon's experience with Scientologists 01:05:05 - Visiting the Broadmoor psychiatric hospital 01:08:41 - How to detect a psychopath 01:16:49 - Itzhak Bentov's theory of consciousness 01:21:05 - Eleanor Longden's schizophrenia 01:26:45 - Death of industry 01:28:27 - Attending UFC 250 at the White House 01:35:33 - Josh Hokit's comments at UFC 250 01:40:54 - Photographer behind Trump's Butler assassination attempt photo 01:46:30 - Feminization of the world vs. the Manosphere 01:52:43 - The unraveling of manhood 01:59:56 - Greg's story from blue collar worker to "Bad Baby" 02:11:07 - Free speech 02:15:31 - Infiltrating Bohemian Grove 02:26:09 - Satanic owl imagery in Bohemian Grove 02:30:00 - Dick Cheney was at Bohemian Grove 02:36:03 - The Epstein conspiracy could be "anything" 02:45:13 - The mystery of Epstein's prostate 02:50:44 - Randy Weaver & the Ruby Ridge standoff 02:59:12 - The Oklahoma City bombing conspiracy 03:03:22 - Jon's visit to Aryan Nations Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
"No data, no agent. Bad data, bad agent. Good data, good agent." Cris Mendes thinks data readiness is the number one reason the agentic enterprise fails, and he has the receipts — he ran the experiment on his own team before he sold it to anyone else.He's VP of Revenue at Momentum.io, acquired by Salesforce in large part because of the go-to-market motion he built there. Before that: Drift, Airtable, and LogMeIn. Before all of it, U.S. Navy search and rescue swimmer. I've known him almost twenty years and introduced him to LogMeIn myself, so take the enthusiasm here with whatever salt you need.His argument is that everyone is buying agents on top of a data layer that was never built. The average customer conversation moves about eight thousand words; maybe eight of them make it into the CRM. Companies don't have a first-party data layer, they have a human-input data layer — and that's what every agentic project quietly runs aground on.The story worth the listen: Momentum had a brutal drop-off after the first call. Rather than sampling a few calls and guessing at messaging or ICP, Cris pushed 800 first calls through deep research and got one answer back — the reps weren't prescribing a next step. So he had Momentum listen to the last ten minutes of every call and fire a clip into Slack whenever an AE either didn't prescribe or tried and missed. With humor, so it didn't read as surveillance. Prescription went through the roof. As he puts it: a team respects what you inspect, but you can't inspect everything — unless the inspecting is automated.WHAT WE COVER- Selling shovels in a gold rush, and why structured data was the bet- Why "not everything called an agent is an agent" — deciding vs. automating- The last ten minutes of a sales call as sacred ground, and how to enforce that at scale- Bringing AI into QBRs: "it got so real so fast" — no more recency bias and self-preservation dressed up as a forecast- 10x growth six quarters running, zero attrition, 95% of the team over quota — and why he credits hiring over product- Whether AI cuts headcount: expands capacity, thins middle management, and the ~10% of companies that are actually AI-forward are hiring hardest- Auto-advancing pipeline stages on deal milestones instead of trusting a rep's guess — "otherwise you're just buying something like Clari to miss your forecast very expensively"- His IDEC hiring model, and why he'd trade relevant experience for intrinsics every timeCONNECT WITH CRISLinkedIn: Cris Mendes — Cris with no H, Mendes with an SMomentum.io---The GOATS of Growth has two Founding Sponsor slots open — category exclusive, $1,250/mo, in front of GTM leaders and founders who don't answer their phones. Includes personal introductions where guests opt in. jay@thegoatsofgrowth.aiSubscribe, rate, and review — and send this to whoever on your team is being asked to "roll out agents" this quarter.CHAPTERS00:00 Twenty years, and a Navy rescue swimmer03:39 Selling shovels in a gold rush04:13 "No data, no agent"05:33 Is it deciding, or just automation?07:07 Running Momentum on Momentum08:33 800 first calls, one missing skill10:27 You respect what you inspect14:46 Does AI actually cut headcount?20:41 Killing hype in the QBR22:05 Zero attrition, 95% over quota25:57 8,000 words spoken, 8 reach the CRM31:43 Auto-advancing deal stages on milestones35:44 Orchestrate, or get orchestrated out38:39 IDEC: how Cris hires40:53 How to reach Cris
Get Goat Wise | Homestead Livestock, Raising Goats, Chickens, Off-grid living
Last week I gave you the field report on what we're seeing with the virtual fence in the sagebrush. Today I want to answer the question I get asked all the time: When will goats eat brush, and does season matter? What I've learned is that for goats, that question has a very different answer than most people expect. And the biology behind it is more interesting than I anticipated. Let's get to it. Mentions: 124 | Virtual Fence in Action: A NoFence Progress Report from the Sagebrush NoFence affiliate code: BradshawGraze10 (capitalization matters) for 10% off your NoFence order. Here's the link.* Leave a review on Apple Podcasts + grab your free Kidding Due Date Chart: https://www.goatwise.com/kidding-chart Join the insider email list: https://www.goatwise.com/join Email: millie@drycreekpastures.com Instagram: @drycreekpastures More from the ranch: https://www.drycreekpastures.com This podcast is for educational purposes only and is not a substitute for veterinary advice. *Some links and codes in these notes are affiliate — I earn a small commission if you use them, at no extra cost to you. Thanks for supporting Goat Wise.
This month’s Animal Law Podcast features attorney Taj Uppal, who was arrested and charged with felony grand theft after rescuing two sick baby goats from Vera Goat Dairy, a California factory farm supplying Meyenberg Goat Milk to retailers like Whole Foods and Walmart. Uppal walks through the investigation that preceded the rescue, his arrest by Kings County Sheriff’s deputies, and the…
This month’s Animal Law Podcast features attorney Taj Uppal, who was arrested and charged with felony grand theft after rescuing two sick baby goats from Vera Goat Dairy, a California factory farm supplying Meyenberg Goat Milk to retailers like Whole Foods and Walmart. Uppal walks through the investigation that preceded the rescue, his arrest by Kings County Sheriff’s deputies, and the…
Can you build a real business around one very specific animal? Deborah Niemann has spent nearly two decades doing exactly that. She runs ThriftyHomesteader.com(opens in new tab), a goat-focused media company with a podcast, a YouTube channel, six online courses, and a paid membership with 150 members. She's also taking her first overseas goat tour to Portugal this October, where some of her most loyal followers are paying to visit goat farms with her. Deborah didn't plan any of it. She moved to the country in 2002 to raise her own food, made a lot of beginner mistakes, and started teaching classes on her farm so other people wouldn't repeat them. Tune in to Episode 757 of the Side Hustle Show to learn: how Deborah stacks six different income streams in one small niche why her course sales fell and her membership kept growing how a simple ad network switch took her from $1 a month to $100 a month on video Full Show Notes: She Built a 6-Figure Business Talking About Goats New to the Show? Get your personalized money-making playlist here! Sponsors: Quo (formerly OpenPhone) — Get 20% off of your first 6 months! Shopify — Sign up for a $1 per month trial! Gusto — Get 3 months free of the leading payroll, benefits, and HR provider for modern small businesses! Indeed – Start hiring NOW with a $75 sponsored job credit to upgrade your job post! Monarch — Get an extended 30-day free trial! About The Side Hustle Show This is the entrepreneurship podcast you can actually apply! The award-winning small business show covers the best side hustles and side hustle ideas. We share how to start a business and make money online and offline, including online business, side gigs, freelancing, marketing, sales funnels, investing, and much more. Join 100,000+ listeners and get legit business ideas and passive income strategies straight to your earbuds. No BS, just actionable tips on how to start and grow your side hustle. Hosted by Nick Loper of Side Hustle Nation.
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by Eugenio de Andrade Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
00:00 – 17:13 – Recapping a busy sports weekend, the Colts got their asses kicked against the Falcons, Fever put up historic offense against Chicago Sky last night, thoughts on the Freedom 250 event, the truly insane Dae’Quan Wright/ 17:14 – 25:27 – Morning Checkdown 25:28 - 47:23 – Colts/Falcons thoughts: the backup QB battle, backups at most positions looked atrocious for the Colts, has Spencer Shrader taken over as the favorite in the Colts kicker competition?. what the hell is going on in college sports with NFL players potentially going back to play college?, Browns’ head coach Todd Monken is just as confused 47:24 – 1:14:10 - Former Colt Tyer Goodson’s TD scamper, have any Colts actually improved their stock in camp battles?, should we expect an AR-specific packages if he remains on the roster?, where do the Colts have the most clarity?, Morning Checkdown 1:14:11 – 1:35:14 – Mike Niziolek of the Herald-Times talks all things IU with us and discusses what the hell is going on with college sports right now, can players file in the states they are seeking eligibility in?, should IU feel slighted heading into the season?, Memorial Stadium renovation plans, timeline on decisions for players fighting for eligibility 1:35:15 – 1:46:04 – We give away a spot in our fantasy league, GOATs of the Week 1:46:05 – 2:08:07 – IndyStar Colts reporter Joel A. Erickson joins us and discusses the horrific preseason viewing of Colt/Falcons, does he have clarity on QB2 or kicker?, chances Colts keep 3 QBs, this week’s practice/preseason finale/roster cuts, depth concerns, chances any real starters play in the preseason finale, his Brewers, Morning Checkdown 2:08:08 – 2:19:03 – Happy 61st birthday Reggie Miller, roster cuts and camp battles for the Colts, Indiana state fair comes to an end, Gary, Indiana still dealing with power outages, Darius Garland donates to his hometown 2:19:04 – 2:28:05 – Hot tub purchases at the Indiana State Fair, who has improved their stock in Colts camp battles, James’ travel plans for London for the Colts regular season game Support the show: https://1075thefan.com/the-wake-up-call-1075-the-fan/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
00:00 – 22:02 – Colts/Falcons thoughts: the backup QB battle, backups at most positions looked atrocious for the Colts, has Spencer Shrader taken over as the favorite in the Colts kicker competition?. what the hell is going on in college sports with NFL players potentially going back to play college?, Browns’ head coach Todd Monken is just as confused 22:03 – 31:45 – Mike Niziolek of the Herald-Times talks all things IU with us and discusses what the hell is going on with college sports right now, can players file in the states they are seeking eligibility in?, should IU feel slighted heading into the season?, Memorial Stadium renovation plans, timeline on decisions for players fighting for eligibility 31:46 – 40:55 – GOATs of the Weekend 40:56 – 53:58 - IndyStar Colts reporter Joel A. Erickson joins us and discusses the horrific preseason viewing of Colt/Falcons, does he have clarity on QB2 or kicker?, chances Colts keep 3 QBs, this week’s practice/preseason finale/roster cuts, depth concerns, chances any real starters play in the preseason finale, his BrewersSupport the show: https://1075thefan.com/the-wake-up-call-1075-the-fan/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Roman Harper Filling in for Paul on Friday's show.. welcomes in David Ubben of The Athletic during the second hour to add insight on the TOP 25 Personalities in College Football of All Time. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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The absolute GOATS are back on the pod and we get into our Burger King orders, what's still good at Mircocenters and getting duct taped on a plane.Get tickets to our Live show at iO on August 29thFollow Amir and Ivan on GOAT SAUCEAmir on the GramIvan on the GramSupport the pod and join our Patreon for bonus scenes, our entire backlog, and even more premium content!Just easing into Improv is Dead? Check out our Starter Platter and Best of Playlists on Spotify!Hosts: Damian Anaya, Tim Lyons
Missionary Evangelist and Pastor Robert Breaker speaks about the various types of animals used in the Old Testament. He further speaks about the prophetic feasts of Israel and how Jesus is the PASSOVER LAMB, while the Jews reject that and seek to offer sacrifice of GOATS for their Yom Kippur feast, which completely ignores the one sacrifice of Jesus for the sins of the whole world.
Send us Fan MailDale and Brian Karmie take a closer look at some of the Revolutionary War's most infamous “goats”—men who had the potential to be heroes but ultimately found themselves on the wrong side of history. From Charles Lee and Horatio Gates to Benjamin Franklin's loyalist son William and the infamous Benedict Arnold, they explore how ambition, selfishness, disloyalty, and poor decisions turned promising figures into cautionary tales.The conversation also examines John André, the British officer whose role in the plot with Benedict Arnold placed him on the “goat” list despite the honor and respect he demonstrated in the end. Throughout the episode, Dale and Brian reflect on a larger lesson from these stories: the difference between ambition that serves others and selfish ambition that puts self above country, relationships, and the greater good.Episode Highlights: Charles Lee's fall from favor.Horatio Gates and Saratoga.Benjamin Franklin's loyalist son.Benedict Arnold turns traitor.John André and honor in defeat.Links Mentioned in Episode/Find More on ForeverLawn:www.foreverlawn.comImpact Without Limits Instagram: @impact_withoutlimitsForeverLawn's Instagram: @foreverlawnincGet Grass Without Limits HereVisit our show notes page HERESubscribe to Our Newsletter HEREDale's Instagram: @dalekarmieBrian's Instagram: @bkarmieFind Our Shorts on the ForeverLawn YouTube ChannelThis show has been produced by Adkins Media Co.
Get Goat Wise | Homestead Livestock, Raising Goats, Chickens, Off-grid living
Last week in Episode 122 I gave you the framework: The two phases every goat herd goes through and the three strategies for building toward what you actually want. Today is the story behind why that framework matters. The show goat era, the Montana doe kids that survived a brutal winter, and the contrast that finally made everything clear. And I'll also tell you what our replacement criteria look like today, because that might help you set your replacement criteria and help you reach your herd goals faster. Let's get to it. Episode Mentions: 122 | Building a Goat Herd Strategically: Two Phases, Three Strategies, and Why Herd Growth Projections Are Almost Always Wrong 105 | Two Reasons Why People Quit Goats: Fence and Genetics Leave a review on Apple Podcasts + grab your free Kidding Due Date Chart: https://www.goatwise.com/kidding-chart Join the insider email list: https://www.goatwise.com/join Email: millie@drycreekpastures.com Instagram: @drycreekpastures More from the ranch: https://www.drycreekpastures.com This podcast is for educational purposes only and is not a substitute for veterinary advice.
00:00 – 14:54 – We’re back from the weekend, storm damage in the area, Marc recaps his bachelor party weekend, Daniel Jones’ rough weekend in practice, other thoughts from Colts practices 14:55 – 21:26 – Morning Checkdown 21:27 – 48:46 – Colts work out a trio of veteran WRs over the weekend but none will get you overly excited, the absence of Alec Pierce is starting to be felt, Shane Steichen’s short and ominous update on Pierce’s status for joint practices against the Falcons, Brian Mason’s multiple torn ligaments, could starters play in preseason finale against Lions?, Fever’s strong weekend, is Caitlin Clark building an MVP case?, Curt Cignetti’s suggestion for a future IU-Notre Dame schedule 48:47 – 1:11:51 – Wild weather around the state, the kicking competition at Westfield is heavily in favor of Blake Grupe right now but is Spencer Shrader’s preseason game performance going to keep him in the hunt?, Daniel Jones’ rough outing over the weekend, Morning Checkdown 1:11:52 – 1:25:30 – IndyStar Colts reporter Nathan Brown joins us and discusses what he’s seen out at Colts camp, his thoughts on Daniel Jones, the kicking competition between Spencer Shrader and Blake Grupe, will Anthony Richardson stay with the Colts through the season?, IndyCar in DC this weekend and the most unique location he can recall 1:25:31 – 1:35:21 – GOATs of the Week 1:35:22 - 2:02:13 – Fantasy football punishments, Circle City Spin’s Tony East joins us and discusses fantasy football punishments, Fever thoughts as they near the FIBA World Cup break, his biggest takeaways from the Pacers schedule release, Anthony Richardson vs. J.J. McCarthy, Morning Checkdown 2:02:14 - 2:10:27 – Colts thoughts: Is Anthony Richardson going to remain a Colt throughout the season?, 2:10:28 - 2:18:00 – Kevin is late back from break, winding down at Grand Park, RIP Hayden Panettiere Support the show: https://1075thefan.com/the-wake-up-call-1075-the-fan/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
00:00 – 27:24 – Colts work out a trio of veteran WRs over the weekend but none will get you overly excited, the absence of Alec Pierce is starting to be felt, Shane Steichen’s short and ominous update on Pierce’s status for joint practices against the Falcons, Brian Mason’s multiple torn ligaments, could starters play in preseason finale against Lions?, Fever’s strong weekend, is Caitlin Clark building an MVP case?, Curt Cignetti’s suggestion for a future IU-Notre Dame schedule 27:23 – 40:05 - IndyStar Colts reporter Nathan Brown joins us and discusses what he’s seen out at Colts camp, his thoughts on Daniel Jones, the kicking competition between Spencer Shrader and Blake Grupe, will Anthony Richardson stay with the Colts through the season?, IndyCar in DC this weekend and the most unique location he can recall 40:06 – 49:18 – GOATs of the Week 49:19 - 1:01:14 - Circle City Spin’s Tony East joins us and discusses fantasy football punishments, Fever thoughts as they near the FIBA World Cup break, his biggest takeaways from the Pacers schedule release, Anthony Richardson vs. J.J. McCarthySupport the show: https://1075thefan.com/the-wake-up-call-1075-the-fan/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Matthew 25:31-46
This episode I talk about my plan in the hobby for the next year that also aligns with what i'm seeing in the card market.. "flight to Quality" a shift in the hobby with many people liquidating ultra modern inventory and re-investing in GOATS, HOF's, Vintage, and rare & scarce cards. I also share a few rare pickups. SCL S9E7
With some new Flock cameras showing up locally, Chaz and AJ had to rant about the CEO's of these cameras for just blatantly lying about what they are doing. (0:00) In Dumb Ass News, a list of the strangest things police officers have discovered in the trunks of cars. The man with a live goat really took home the gold. (7:55) Guess the sound! Chaz and AJ played an audio sample for the Tribe to guess what is happening. It was actually a failed flip by a fifth grader for the first day of school. (10:33) Last week, Scot Haney encouraged Chaz and AJ to call him while he was on vacation. Today, they tested that invitation by cold-calling him right as they started the segment. (14:47) Felipe Esparza was in studio with Chaz and AJ this morning, to talk about him breaking his vegan lifestyle the last time he visited because Pepe's Pizza was in studio. (22:31) Hard to look professional while driving an ambulance without any clothes on. This woman tried to convince police she belonged behind the wheel, even though she was naked and used the police radio to ask for food. (29:47) Commander Keith was in studio for his Top 5, which was all about the new things everyone complains about. First, some audio of Daron from System of a Down ripping one of Keith's favorite bands on stage in London. (36:05)
Freestyle legend K7 of TKA sits down for an intimate, no-holds-barred conversation about the music, memories, heartbreak and hustle behind a career spanning four decades. K7 opens up about his childhood and the life-changing move from Ponce, PR to Spanish Harlem, New York, where he reunited with his mother and eventually found his path to music. He takes us back to the beginning of TKA, from performing at neighborhood parties to landing a record deal with Tommy Boy Records, becoming one of freestyle music’s most influential groups, and ultimately reveals why the original TKA broke up. K7 also takes us inside the stories behind the music, including the FULL backstory of the TKA classic 'Maria' revealing that the song was actually inspired by two women he dated. He explains how writing became his way of expressing emotions he couldn’t always say out loud and how that pen helped establish him as one of freestyle music’s GOATs. We also get into K7’s transition from freestyle into hip-hop, his massive solo success with records like 'Come Baby Come' and how he managed to evolve while building a career that has lasted nearly 40 years. K7 shares stories about his relationships with fellow Latino music icons La India, Marc Anthony and Ivy Queen, giving us a rare look at who La India and Ivy Queen really are when the cameras are off. He also revisits the early days of Lisa Lisa and Full Force, and his role in connecting the pieces that helped launch one of the most important careers of the freestyle era. But this conversation goes far beyond music. K7 gets deeply personal about his wife’s battle with cancer, what it means to stand beside your spouse through sickness, and delivers a powerful message to men about showing up, becoming a true caretaker and honoring the commitment you made to your partner. He also reflects on his unexpected chapter in radio, why he ultimately walked away from it, the price of longevity, and what four decades in the entertainment business have taught him about friendship, family, love, loyalty and survival. From Ponce to Spanish Harlem, TKA to K7, freestyle to hip-hop, this is the story behind the hits and the man who wrote them.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
We're down to two contenders for best roadside attraction on Vancouver Island: the goats on the roof at Old Country Market in Coombs, or Cathedral Grove. The winner will stay alive in CBC British Columbia's search for the best roadside attraction in B.C. We talk to CBC reporter Justin McElroy, who is running the competition, about what makes a good roadside attraction, why he thinks summer competitions like this are silly fun but also an interesting way to interpret our province, and why places along highway 4 seem to get a lot of votes in CBC's annual summer bracket competitions. Learn more about the competition, and how to vote, here.
T.J. Mousetis joins this episode and tells us one of the funniest stories the pod has ever heard. We also do the shmores of GOATs! Check out Cozy Earth and get 20% off site wide with this link: http://www.cozyearth.com/ghostrunners Check out Good Ranchers and use code GRKC http://bit.ly/3KV86YU Check out Main Street Roasters and use code GRKC at check out for a 10% discount! https://mainstreetroasters.com Ghostrunners merch: https://bit.ly/399MXFu Become a Patron and get exclusive content from Jake & Brad: https://bit.ly/2XJ1h3y Follow us on Instagram: http://bit.ly/33WAq4P Leave us a voice memo and ask a question: https://anchor.fm/jake-triplett/message Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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On this week's episode, the Nashville Kats are your 2026 AF1 Arena Crown Champions, the St. Joseph Goats are your Arena Mania III champions in The Arena League and Detroit Lions RB Jamir Gibs, Gets Paid! Follow us on: Facebook: facebook.com/TWOFKalamazoo X (Formally known as Twitter): twitter.com/@TWOFKalamazoo Instagram: Instagram.com/TWOFKalamazoo Threads: threads.com/twofkalamazoo YouTube: The World of Football Kalamazoo or www.youtube.com/@theworldoffootball E-Mail us: info@theworldoffootball.com Official Website: www.theworldoffootball.com Our Royal Retros link - - https://www.royalretros.com/?aff=80 #NFL #CFL #ARENAFOOTBALL #INDOORFOOTBALL #FOOTBALL #PODCAST #CIF #COLLEGEFOOTBALL #collegefootball
Jacob comes up with a plan to finally get free of his father-in-law by... making sheep and goats stare at striped rods. Based on Genesis 30:25-31:16. Show notes have been posted at retellingthebible.wordpress.com. Media in this Episode The following Creative Commons music was used for this media project: “AhDah” Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License “Sheep May Safely Graze – BWV 208” Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ Support Retelling the Bible If you would like to support the work that I do creating these stories, go to patreon.com/retellingthebible and choose a level of support! Contact me on Social Media! Reddit Bluesky Facebook
Darrell Daniel, UVM Program Manager at SMUD, joins Trees & Lines to break down how his team built the only right-of-way stewardship accredited program at a public power utility. Darrell walks through the growth mindset that's driven a decade of improvement, how SMUD separates real AI capability from vendor hype, the goat grazing program that's become a community favorite, and the biggest misconception utility leadership has about vegetation management: that once you clear it, you're done. Subscribe now to stay updated: https://linktr.ee/treesandlinespodcast #UtilityVegetationManagement #RightOfWay #UtilityForestry #PublicPower #TreesAndLines Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Stone & Wood Presents - Kelly Slater has caused heads to explode with NEAR PERFECTION on a day when men became Gods and Goats became Cone Aliens from Other Realms! Special Guest analysis with Chopes Bandit and Chang Lord Lennox Smith!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Three stories from Oregon and Northern California explore a tribal business dispute, cultural connections inside prison and the future of wildfire goat grazing.
Send us Fan Mailhave you left a review of our podcast yet? It's free... help your favorite podcast out!This week Danielle and Jon talk fair season. How the judge isn't the only one judging your goats. The public walking the barns is also judging your animals. Are you being a good agvocate? Are you showing off your animals in the best light? Find out how you can help change the perception of dairy goats at a county fair, this episode on RINGSIDE!WE HAVE MERCH
00:00 – 21:28 – Colts joint practices with the Patriots get underway ahead of their preseason game on Thursday, the guys break down how the Colts looked out at camp over the weekend, the offensive struggles, Adam Vinatieri takes a shot at Bill Belichick during his Hall of Fame speech over the weekend, Colts sign WR DJ Montgomery, kicking competition, Titans guard Peter Skoronski gets a huge payday and could mean even more dollars for Quenton Nelson, is AR on the chopping block? 21:29 – 33:24 – – IndyStar Colts reporter Joel A. Erickson joins us and discusses his plans heading to Boston, his hot spots for food, DeForest Buckner starting to look like himself again, the wide receiver room without Alec Pierce and Josh Downs, Riley Leonard positives, the better likelihood the Cubs catch the Brewers or Anthony Richardson remains on the Colts roster after cut downs 33:25 – 40:49 – GOATs of the Week 40:50 – 49:35 - Boston Herald Patriots reporter Doug Kyed joins us to discuss the biggest strengths/weaknesses he’s seen from New England in training camp so far, Vinatieri goes into the Pro Football Hall of Fame: what’s his relationship with the Patriots these days?, expectations for the Patriots after being runner-up in the Super Bowl, Belichick was a fan of AR back in the daySupport the show: https://1075thefan.com/the-wake-up-call-1075-the-fan/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
00:00 – 13:48 – The guys are back and recap the weekend that was, Colts training camp thoughts and takeaways, Fever dust-up with the Sky, Sophie Cunningham vs. Djonai Carrington, Caitlin Clark’s technical foul gets rescinded, the latest on the Colts kicking competition and why it seems to decided barring a 180 performance 13:49 – 21:39 – Morning Checkdown 21:40 – 43:02 – Colts joint practices with the Patriots get underway ahead of their preseason game on Thursday, the guys break down how the Colts looked out at camp over the weekend, the offensive struggles, Adam Vinatieri takes a shot at Bill Belichick during his Hall of Fame speech over the weekend, Colts sign WR DJ Montgomery, kicking competition, Titans guard Peter Skoronski gets a huge payday and could mean even more dollars for Quenton Nelson, is AR on the chopping block? 43:03 -1:09:09 – IndyStar Colts reporter Joel A. Erickson joins us and discusses his plans heading to Boston, his hot spots for food, DeForest Buckner starting to look like himself again, the wide receiver room without Alec Pierce and Josh Downs, Riley Leonard positives, the better likelihood the Cubs catch the Brewers or Anthony Richardson remains on the Colts roster after cut downs, are the Colts going to make another move at WR?, Albert Breer’s concerning note about Alec Pierce, how concerning is the Colts WR room?, Morning Checkdown 1:09:10 – 1:18:24 – Purdue AD says his IU “joke” was equivalent to hitting it in the water on the first hole, Colts CB Cam Taylor-Britt suspended for the first game of the season for violating the NFL’s personal conduct policy 1:18:25 – 1:29:49 – The Fever over the weekend, Kelsey Mitchell continues to dominate, what is her future with the team after this season?, GOATs of the Week 1:29:50 – 1:51:51 – Tucker Barnhart texts the show and tells an Ichiro/California Pizza Kitchen story, the Colts linebacker group, Anthony Richardson’s comments over the weekend about his trade request and if he expects to remain with the Colts, Morning Checkdown 1:51:52 – 2:01:51 – Boston Herald Patriots reporter Doug Kyed joins us to discuss the biggest strengths/weaknesses he’s seen from New England in training camp so far, Vinatieri goes into the Pro Football Hall of Fame: what’s his relationship with the Patriots these days?, expectations for the Patriots after being runner-up in the Super Bowl, Belichick was a fan of AR back in the day 2:01:52 – 2:09:59 – The guys wrap the show with some state fair talk as James gets ready to hit the airport and recall hearing a couple of listeners shout out Marc at Colts camp Support the show: https://1075thefan.com/the-wake-up-call-1075-the-fan/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Education takes center-stage at the Wisconsin Goat Products booth. Amanda Fischer is the main organizer of the booth. She explains that there's more to goats than what people traditionally see on the internet. She invites everyone to come experience the many products produced by the Wisconsin goat industry.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Finally back to the refencing project, Acorn sees the light at the end of the tunnel. Less than two weeks to get the project completed before Blind Hog's cataract surgery. Heat, cold, rain and heavy dew have not been kind to the goats but "we see this..." Acorn calls it "summer pneumonia" and it can take a goat in less than 48 hrs. Good news is that the majority of the herd look great. If Acorn could just clone the 12 or so who look superb...Tomatoes coming in splendidly, purple martins have fledged and fled, hummingbirds drinking more than 1/2 gallon of syrup a day now.Guinea keets growing like weeds and the first of the second batch are hatching. Not a bad week at the farm!
Originally aired on August 8, 2026. On this episode, Doug talks about Frankensteinian baits, cups of water being poured from the sky, and a toe sack of empty golf holes. All of this and much more, on The Doug Pike Show.
Goats have become a critical tool for wildfire mitigation in California. But grazing companies warn their businesses are at risk now that wage requirements for herders have increased. Reporter: Laura Fitzgerald, CapRadio A federal judge in Oakland has given the Trump administration until today, August 7th, to reimburse legal non-profits representing more than 20,000 immigrant children. That's after it stopped paying them in December. Reporter: Tyche Hendricks, KQED The Salinas City Council has unanimously approved extending a moratorium on new tobacco retailer licenses into 2027. Reporter: Katie Brown, KAZU Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Links to sites mentioned in this episode:Stocked.farm: https://Stocked.farmGoats On The Go®: https://GoatsOnTheGo.comFarm Dog is presented by Goats On The Go® and hosted by its founder, Aaron Steele. Questions, comments, or topic suggestions? Let us know at FarmDogPodcast.com, and buy some branded merch while you're there to support us!Get the audio book, Goats for Good: Making Goats Profitable for Your Farm, Your Community, and the World at GoatsForGood.com.Creative Commons Music by Jason Shaw on Audionautix.com.
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Nick and Joseph address the media crowning GOATs too early.
Greg Minnaar is one of the greatest downhill mountain bikers of all time. From winning his first UCI World Cup at 19 to becoming World Champion just weeks before his 40th birthday, he spent more than two decades at the top of the sport. In this episode, Greg looks back on the defining moments of his career, from growing up racing motocross in South Africa to helping build Honda's iconic downhill MTB program.We dive into the Sam Hill era, how Aaron Gwin changed downhill racing, the development of Honda's legendary bike, and what it really took to stay at the top for over 20 years. Greg also opens up about nearly quitting at 20, living with ADHD as a professional athlete, the sacrifices required to keep winning, and the pressure of racing in front of a home crowd.If you're a fan of downhill mountain biking, motocross, or high-performance athletes, this is an inside look at the mindset, rivalries, and legacy of one of the sport's true GOATs.CHAPTERS:0:00 Intro4:23 Welcome Greg Minnaar11:54 Greg's Motocross Background18:46 From Motocross to Downhill MTB21:11 Jack Miller Has No Fear26:31 Competing Against Sam Hill35:17 How Aaron Gwin Changed Downhill MTB43:52 The Loic Bruni Era47:57 Greg's First World Cup Win51:44 AG1 Ad52:47 The Path to the World Cup58:51 Greg Minnaar Almost Quit1:09:54 Team Orange Circa1:18:04 Living With ADHD1:33:51 Dislocated Shoulder1:40:21 When Honda Took Over Downhill1:45:22 How Good Was the Honda MTB?1:47:07 The 2027 Honda CRF 450R1:50:06 Riding for Syndicate1:56:00 Being Teammates with Steve Peat1:58:27 Running the Norco Adidas MTB Team2:05:45 Destination Yamaha Ad2:07:03 The Selfishness of Winning2:10:10 Managing Your Ego2:13:11 How to Enjoy the Wins2:21:13 Greg Minnaar's Greatest Career Wins2:26:03 The Pressure of Racing at Home2:33:50 ClosingSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
It's infiltration time! The party is having a helluva time trying to sneak their way into this fortress... in the dark! And what for?? Fish hooks, a lantern... and the goats!?Game:Special thanks to Dungeons and Dragons: https://www.dungeonsanddragons.com/Beadle and Grimm's: https://beadleandgrimms.com/Kraken Dice: https://krakendice.com/Music: Monument Studios: https://www.monumentstudios.net/Alexander Nakarada at Creator Chords: https://creatorchords.com/ https://www.patreon.com/cw/anakaradaChiptunes by Will O Wisp Productions: https://www.willowispproductions.com/Join the Adventuring Party!!Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3sMTVnBHLqAOoM0aC0C0OE?si=2b7f78176b1544bdApple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/same-crit-different-day/id1526948092Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/samecritdifferentday/Discord: https://discord.gg/nfFsbMzNJDThanks so much for supporting indie creators! If you give it a listen, we'd love to hear what you think! Email at samecritpodcast@gmail.com*Shoutout to the people of https://www.reddit.com/r/rimeofthefrostmaiden/ I have definitely borrowed/stolen some of the great ideas there and of course the people of https://eventyrgames.com/category/icewind-dale/ for the wonderful material and ideas!Send us a hello, NPC Suggestion, Critical Hit/Miss suggestions and... well, anything else!New episodes every Monday! Subscribe and leave a 5-star if you enjoyed the show!#dndpodcast #DND5E #DungeonsAndDragons #ActualPlay #TTRPGPodcast #DND #SameCritDifferentDay
Get Goat Wise | Homestead Livestock, Raising Goats, Chickens, Off-grid living
I know this is a goat podcast. But I would be doing you a disservice if I didn't tell you what we're doing with our cattle herd, because it's part of the same system, and the philosophy behind the decision is exactly the same philosophy that shaped our goat herd. Today I want to talk about why we're switching to Dexter cattle, how we got here, what we were actually evaluating when we looked at breeds, and why multispecies grazing is central to what we're building at Dry Creek. Let's get to it. Episode Mentions: 107 | Goats vs. Cattle: The Financial Comparison Nobody's Doing Leave a review on Apple Podcasts + grab your free Kidding Due Date Chart: https://www.goatwise.com/kidding-chart Join the insider email list: https://www.goatwise.com/join Email: millie@drycreekpastures.com Instagram: @drycreekpastures More from the ranch: https://www.drycreekpastures.com This podcast is for educational purposes only and is not a substitute for veterinary advice.
Pastor Nate breaks down the parable of the sheep and the goats. This is a picture of whatever happens during parts of the End Times. It is incredible how God links all these parables and prophesies together. He is preaching this parable, on the actual Mount of Olives, during his “Olivet Discourse”, to the disciples. Where will he return at the End Times and set up his “Vally of Decision”? Could it be the same place He is preaching this message? Listen through this message to find out! Welcome to the Liberty Church online experience!_If you would like more information about Liberty, get on our email list or just simply want to get better connected, text "INFO" to 478.217.7563 _Have you made a decision to follow Jesus? You may be wondering what's next on your journey. We want to help or answer any questions you may have. Let us guide you to your next steps in your walk with Christ: https://lbcdublin.ccbchurch.com/goto/forms/133/responses/new_Looking for a place to serve and partner with us? Click here: https://lbcdublin.com/serve_Want to give online or set up automatic giving? Click here: https://lbcdublin.com/give#Endtimes #parables #church #revelation #Jesus
All lines provided by Hard Rock Bet. Nick Wright answers listener questions during a mailbag segment. Who belongs in the conversation for the GOAT of GOATs? Nick breaks down who has the best cases among Argentinian soccer star Lionel Messi, new Philadelphia 76ers star LeBron James, Chicago Bulls legend Michael Jordan, Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt, American swimmer Michael Phelps, New England Patriots and Tampa Bay Buccaneers QB Tom Brady, and other legends. Later, one listener makes the case for how LeBron James could one day run for president. #VolumeSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Reformed Brotherhood | Sound Doctrine, Systematic Theology, and Brotherly Love
In this episode of The Reformed Brotherhood, Tony Arsenal delivers a rich expository sermon on James 5:1–6, one of the most striking prophetic passages in the New Testament epistles. Drawing on the Jewish literary and cultural context of James's original audience — Jewish Christians scattered from Jerusalem by persecution — Tony unpacks why this text is not a blanket condemnation of wealth, but a devastating judgment oracle against those who hoard riches and oppress the vulnerable. Along the way, he explores the eschatological weight of accumulated wealth, the theology of God's omniscient justice, and the stunning comfort available to the suffering believer. The episode closes by returning to James's thesis: that trials of every kind, including economic oppression, can be counted as joy because of who God is and what He has done in Christ. Key Takeaways James is a deeply Jewish book written to a specific audience — Jewish Christians dispersed from Jerusalem by Saul's persecution, not a general audience of wealthy or Gentile believers. The prophetic "Come now" signals a judgment oracle, not a direct address — James is not rebuking wealthy members of his congregation, but pronouncing eschatological judgment on oppressive landowners using a technique common in Amos, Malachi, and Micah. Hoarding wealth is not morally neutral — it is self-condemning — The corroded gold and moth-eaten garments are not just symbols of decay; they serve as legal evidence against those who refused to use their wealth for God's glory and the good of others. Withholding wages from laborers constitutes a form of murder — In the ancient world, depriving workers of their wages could literally cost them their lives. James draws on Old Testament law to frame predatory economic exploitation as a capital sin. God sees and hears the cries of the oppressed — The wages of defrauded workers "cry out" to the Lord of Hosts, echoing the blood of Abel in Genesis 4. God's justice is not passive or delayed out of ignorance — it is certain and coming. Matthew 25 reframes Christian mercy as care for the body of Christ — The sheep-and-goats judgment is not a general humanitarian mandate, but a specific call to care for persecuted brothers and sisters — and to recognize that mistreating them is mistreating Christ Himself. Trials are counted as joy through the doctrine of imputation — Suffering is not stripped of its pain, but it can be moved from the loss ledger to the profit column because God uses adversity as the instrument of sanctification and glorification. Key Concepts The Prophetic Address: Who Is James Actually Talking To? One of the most common misreadings of James 5:1–6 is assuming James is directly rebuking wealthy Christians in his own congregation. Tony Arsenal corrects this by grounding the passage in its literary and historical context. James employs a well-established prophetic technique — seen in Amos, Malachi, and Micah — of addressing an absent party in order to pronounce judgment on them, while simultaneously comforting those who overhear the oracle. His audience is the dispersed, impoverished Jewish Christians who fled Jerusalem under Saul's persecution. There were almost certainly no wealthy landowners in the room. The "Come now, you rich" is a judgment declaration directed outward, designed to assure the suffering poor that God has seen their oppressor and will act. Far from being a proof-text for radical poverty, the passage is a pastoral comfort wrapped in prophetic fire. Corroded Gold as Legal Evidence Against the Soul James's claim that gold and silver have "corroded" is deliberately shocking — and theologically precise. Gold, uniquely among metals in the ancient world, does not corrode. By saying it has already corroded, James is not making a metallurgical claim but a moral and eschatological one. The accumulated, hoarded wealth of the oppressor has lost its purpose. It sits idle while workers starve, and in doing so it becomes evidence — a legal witness — against its owner in the court of divine justice. Tony draws a direct line between this image and Jesus's teaching in the Sermon on the Mount about treasures stored on earth being subject to moth and rust. Both brothers — Jesus and James — appear to be drawing on the same shared wisdom, likely rooted in the same household and the same mother's instruction. Unused wealth does not just fail to help others; it actively indicts its holder. Counting It All Joy: The Accounting Logic of Sanctification Tony closes the sermon by returning to James 1:2 — the thesis statement of the entire letter — and unpacking the word "count" as an accounting term, directly related to the doctrine of imputation. Just as righteousness is reckoned to the believer in justification, so suffering can be reckoned as joy in sanctification. This is not a call to pretend pain isn't real, or to perform contentment. It is a theological reframing: what belongs in the loss column of the ledger can, by faith, be moved to the profit side — not because the trial was pleasant, but because God is sovereign, good, and working all things toward the believer's conformity to the image of Christ. The oppressor means their wickedness for evil. God means it for glory. The supreme example is the cross itself — the only truly innocent man, suffering the worst evil ever committed, for the redemption of His people. Memorable Quotes The corrosion of that gold serves as evidence for the condemnation of those who are harming you — and the corrosion of this wealth is an indication of the corrosion of their very souls. He sees your pain. He sees your suffering. He sees your victories even when no one else is celebrating them. He sees you — and that should be a great source of comfort. Imputation is an accounting term. And when we count it all joy, we're taking what should be a red line in the loss ledger — what should be an expense — and we're able to move it to the profit. Not because it didn't hurt, and not because we wanted it to happen, but because our God is good enough to not rob us of the chance to be sanctified. Full Transcript Tony Arsenal: Come now, you rich, weep and howl for the miseries that are coming upon you. Your riches have rotted and your garments are moth-eaten. Your gold and silver have corroded, and their corrosion will be evidence against you and will eat your flesh like fire. You have laid up treasure in the last days. Behold, the wages of the laborers who mowed your fields, which you kept back by fraud, are crying out against you, and the cries of the harvesters have reached the ears of the Lord of hosts. You have lived on the earth in luxury and in self-indulgence. You have fattened your hearts in the day of slaughter. You have condemned and murdered the righteous person. He does not resist you." It's always a little, uh, strange to sort of jump into the middle of a series, and, um, you know, Wes is one of the most competent preachers that I know personally, so I trust that he has given you a good and satisfying overview. Uh, but I don't feel like I would be doing my responsibility if I didn't at least touch on a few things, uh, related to the, the intro to James that I think is relevant for this particular passage in a way that maybe is not relevant for the rest of the book. So some of this I hope is review, I, I anticipate is review, but I think it's worth, uh, touching on. James, as you know, is the, the half brother of Jesus. He was the leader of the Jerusalem church, and specifically he was sort of the figurehead of the Jewish church as a whole. Um, the Jewish church was the only church for the very early part of the church's growth. There were always, uh, Gentile believers. Even in the Old Testament, there were Gentiles who trusted in the Lord of Israel and the God of Israel. They were often called God-fearers. They rarely converted all the way to Judaism, but they were sort of seen as an attachment to the Jewish people. They didn't participate in all of the blessings of the Jewish people, but they did participate in most. They often had the same kind of protection. They were in a form of covenant with God. Um, they were able to worship and offer sacrifices. The temple itself had a whole portion of the temple dedicated called the Court of Gentiles, specifically for these Jewish worshipers. And as the church spread, primarily through persecution, which we'll touch base on here in a minute, as the church spread out from Jerusalem into Judea and Samaria, and ultimately to the ends of the earth, it took on a, an increasingly Gentile Greek flavor. As more and more primarily initially Greek converts came into the church, and then of course, as it spread to other sort of non-Hellenistic lands, other, other types of people, other nations, other people groups joined the church, the scriptures which-- the New Testament we receive primarily from Paul, at least in terms of the epistles, um, also began to take on a more Gentile flavor. Not because Paul was a Gentile, but because Paul was ministering primarily to Gentiles What we'll see here is that James is a very Jewish book. I'm sure that along the way there's been several kinds of things pointed out to you to show that, but I wanna show a couple things that not only establish James as the author, James the brother of, of Jesus, but also root the, not only the author, but the audience in a distinctly Jewish Christian, uh, context. So you don't have to turn there, I'll read this, but in Acts, uh, 15, which is the, the great Jerusalem Council, uh, we read this. It says, "With the following letter..." So the, the council meets, they make a decision about what k- what parts of the Jewish law were going to be commended to and recommended, uh, and required for the Christian believers, the Gentile Christian believers, and when they're done, they send this letter to all of, all of the churches. And it says, "With the following letter, the brothers, both apostles and the elders, to the brothers who are at, of the Gentiles in Antioch and Syria and Cilicia, greetings." Now, I don't know about you, but I always sign my emails the same way, right? I've got, like, my work signature that I have to use, that the, the hospital makes me use with all the proper formatting and colors and fonts, but I always have the same signature. Mine is very simple. I just say, "Thanks," right? I just sign it as, "Thanks," above my signature, and I'm sure you all have that sort of characteristic way you sign a s- sign an email, or maybe it's the way you say goodbye at the end of a phone call. My father-in-law always says, "So long," which is a phrase you don't hear very often, so it's very distinct to him. We all have these little tells in our communication that sort of tip off who they're from. If you turn quickly back over to James 1, so just flip the page, uh, to the left here, he starts his letter by saying, "James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, to the 12 tribes in the dispersion, greetings." It's the only two letters in the New Testament that we have where the author identifies himself, sends to a sort of generalized audience, and then signs it, "Greetings." Now, James, the brother of Jesus, was the leader of the Jerusalem Church. He was the leader of the Jewish ch- the Jewish Church in general, and he signed the letter coming from the Acts Council as sort of the presiding minister. If, if we were, y- you might call them, like, the moderator of your business meeting, or we would call them the moderator of our presbytery or our session in the Presbyterian context I come from. He was the one who sort of, like, presided over there, and so the letter that went out to the churches was signed in his name and written, drafted by him. So we see this characteristic way that the letter is addressed with this final word, "Greetings," which is not used frequently in the New Testament We also see when we look at the language carefully that the audience of this, uh, of this letter, it's debated and there are good arguments, but i- in my opinion, it's very clear that the audience of this letter is not Jewish Christians in general or, uh, Jews who have not yet converted. There are some people who would say that 'cause they're called the 12 tribes. But instead it is the Jewish Christians who originally dwelled in Jerusalem and were sent out into the countryside after the persecution that was started primarily by Saul. If you look at Acts, Acts 1 which is, uh, the passage where Saul begins to persecute the church or where Saul kinda comes on the scene as the persecutor of the church, there's a couple distinct, um, distinct linguistic markers we should touch base on. Starting in verse one it says, "And p- Saul approved of his execution. And there arose a day-- that day a great persecution against the church in Jerusalem. They were all scattered throughout the region of Judea and Samaria, except the apostles. Devout men buried Stephen and made a great lamentation over him. But Saul was ravaging the church and entered the house after house. He dragged off men and women and committed them to prison." When we look at this and we compare it to that, uh, again, that first verse of James where he says to the ones who are scattered, we see that there's a pretty strong linguistic parallel that tells us that the people he has in mind for this letter, the people he's addressing, are the same people who were dispersed or scattered out of Jerusalem in the persecution. When he says to the 12 tribes in the dispersion, that word dispersion is not really a translation. It's what we call a transliteration. So it's not like we've taken a word and sort of given it an English word. We've just changed the word, the letters over to English letters. In Greek, the word is diaspora, dispersion, and in, uh, Acts 1, the verb used to, to sort of describe this scattering of them is diaspero. And it is a picture of scattering seed. This is what a farmer would do. So it's not even the normal word we would use when someone is fleeing persecution. It's this idea that God has scattered Christians out into the world, in this case by persecution. He scattered them out into the world to be planted. A lot of this is where we get phrases from Tertullian about the blood of the martyrs is the seed of the church. Now, why does this matter? As I mentioned, we often think in Gentile categories when we're reading the New Testament, and for good reason. One, we're all, all Gentiles, I'm presuming. I, I don't, I don't think-- I think I mentioned this last time, and no one came up and corrected me. I don't think anyone here is ethnically Jewish with ancestry that they're directly aware of, you know, where they trace their lineage directly back. Europe is a, a big amalgamation of just about everything, so most of us probably have a smattering of different ethnicities. But none of us are ethnically Jewish to the idea that we would, uh, identify as such in the same way. And even if we were, we've been raised and grown up in a Gentile context. We live in the West. We have-- We think in different categories. And what's more is most of the New Testament is written primarily to Gentiles by someone who is ministering to Gentiles. So Paul uses a fair amount of, of Hebraisms or things that are related to the Old Testament. Of course, he's explaining the Old Testament, and he makes ample reference to the Old Testament because that is the word of God, and it is profitable for our teaching, our correction, our reproof, and ultimately for our, our sanctification. But he uses metaphors and language in a way that is not common to the Israel context that Jesus and James and Peter and the other apostles were raised in. We don't have time to go there, but there's even some metaphors that Paul uses that are actually used the opposite way in, uh, in the more Hebraic Jewish, uh, epistles we have. One example that comes to mind is, um, Paul looks at the concept of milk, and that's not necessarily a good thing, right? It's not a bad thing, but it's what immature believers use, right? They can't handle the meat of the Bible. They have to be given the milk of the gospel before they can progress to the meat. In the Book of Hebrews, which I don't think was written by Paul, and in other places, Peter uses milk as a way to talk about nourishment, right? We think of the land flowing with milk and honey. Milk was not seen as some sort of substandard food that was only for babies. It was seen as, like, the richest, best thing that you could eat. We all have a linguistic environment that we grow up in. We all have a shared vernacular. You know, if I say something like, "You can't get there from here," everyone knows what that means. Obviously, you can get there from here, but you have to take this circuitous route. We know what that means. I think if we went around the room, we probably would find that there is this shared language. And then if we took individual families, we'd find that even within those families, there's further narrowing down of sort of like inside jokes and words that are used in ways that are not necessarily the same as others So when we read James, or when we read the letters of Peter or the letters of John, we should default to thinking more along the lines of comparing them to the words of Christ in the Gospel, first and foremost, and then to the Old Testament before we start to think about them necessarily comparing them to Ja-- or to Paul or to other kind of first century Hellenistic literature. That's not, of course, to say that Paul and James contradict. I'm sure that we went through a long explanation with much detail when you got to James chapter two, which is, of course, the most famous example. Paul uses the word justification or justify in a legal sense to make or to declare someone to be righteous. It's the verdict that the judge delivers, and it communicates the status. It actually performs what it says. When the judge says, "I find you not guilty," it changes your status from being potentially guilty to being cleared of all charges. Paul uses it slightly differently. He's not using it in the sense of to make someone righteous or to declare them righteous. He's using it to say they've been shown to be righteous. They've been validated. They've been vindicated. And if we get that mixed up, that's the source of all sorts of confusion. So when we come to this passage, and we'll get there, I promise, when we come to this passage, we have to understand some of the metaphors and the language that's being used draws from an existing body of shared cultural language that is foreign to us and is in some ways foreign to the rest of the New Testament, apart from what we see in the Gospels And it's important to remember, and this is why it's so key to land, that the audience of this letter is the persecuted, poor Jewish Christians who probably had a fairly comfortable life, relatively speaking, living in Jerusalem. These are city folks. These are people that live in Jerusalem or farm into the fields immediately around Jerusalem. They were established. They owned land. They probably had family that they had to leave, and now they're scattered out into the country with nothing. They're sent out into the world with no jobs, no family connections, no social welfare. Because they've left the Jewish faith, at least from the perspective of the Jews, they can't even go to their Jewish brothers and sisters and rely on the hospitality that's required in the law of Moses This is so important when we think about how James opens the letter and delivers what I think is his thesis statement. "Count it all joy, my brothers, when you face trials of every kind." Trials like not knowing where the next meal is gonna come from, not knowing where the next roof over your head is, not being sure you can feed your children. We all face real trials and tribulations in our life. Some of them are related to our faith, and some is just the fallen human condition in the fallen world we live in. But we're talking here about a totally different category of, uh, trial and persecution than most of us hopefully will ever experience That brings us to our actual passage now. James opens up this section with a linguistic marker that signifies this is a change in topic. He says, "Come now," or another way to translate it might be, "Now listen. Listen up." When my son is doing something that, uh, I need him to stop or I need to give him instructions, I hold him by his shoulders and I say, "Look at my eyes. I want your eyes right here. Look at my eyes." That's what Paul is doing. He's stopping and he's interrupting the flow of language. This shows us this is a new topic and a new audience. James is not speaking to rich Christians in his audience. First, 'cause there likely weren't any rich Christians directly in his audience. Remember, these are the, the poor Christians scattered out into the Judean countryside, into Samaria He's using a technique that's really common in the prophets. It's common in Jesus, where he's addressing the people who are not really listening as a way to establish that they will be judged, to hold them accountable, but also to comfort those who are hearing the message. This is a form of prophetic address. We see this in Amos, where he's chastising the Jewish leaders. Uh, in Malachi and Micah, this happens. Malachi is primarily, at least initially, is primarily, uh, a book that is railing against the rich leaders in Jerusalem who had oppressed their own brothers and sisters. The chances that those Jewish cr- uh, Jewish leaders were reading his prophecy or hearing his prophecy is pretty slim. So he was addressing a different group to establish the judgment that he was proclaiming on another party. Jesus does this when he says like, "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees." There were probably scribes and Pharisees in the audience there, but he wasn't just talking to the people in front of them. He was pronouncing a judgment oracle, a judgment prophecy on all people who fit that category, and James is doing the same thing here James is not opposing wealth generally. Sometimes James is used as kind of a New Testament example to justify the idea that we should all be poor and wear shabby clothing and walk around barefoot and dirty all the time. Right? This is a key passage that's used, uh, in parts of the church that really emphasize sort of a poverty-based lifestyle. Think of like the wandering monks of the Middle Ages or the, the, um, sort of more radical exclusionists that exist even in our day. I remember when I was in college, I was really enamored with this figure named Shane Claiborne. Some of you have probably heard of him, and I remember I was so impressed because he, he didn't buy new shoes. He just cut new shoes out of duct tape and put them back together. Now, there's some, you know, there's some rugged, uh, rugged get-it-done-ness that, uh, I think us, uh, New Englanders can appreciate, but God does not call us to wear duct tape shoes, at least not universally. I'm not gonna comment on whether he calls Shane Claiborne to do that. I also don't think Shane Claiborne does that anymore. Um, some of us he may call to a lifestyle of poverty in association with a mission field or in association with a specific calling. He does not call us generally to be poor or to not gain wealth What he is opposing here is the refusal to use wealth appropriately for God's glory and the accumulation of wealth just for wealth's sake We'll see that as we unpack the language here a little bit. He establishes that he's not just talking about the earthly hoarding of wealth, as though somehow the very act of accumulating wealth was itself the problem. What he's doing is he's pronouncing an eschatological judgment on those who hoard wealth and use it to oppress others. We see here he says, "Come now, you rich, and weep and howl for the miseries that are coming upon you." Th- that word weep and howl, those are li-- those are words that are most commonly used in prophetic literature to describe the final cry of anguish. Think about the weeping and gnashing of teeth that Jesus talks about. This is the language he's using. He's talking about the final estate of those who refuse to submit their wealth to God He says, "Your riches have rotted and your garments are moth-eaten. Your gold and silver have corroded, and their corrosion will be the evidence against you and will eat your flesh like fire. You have laid up treasures in the last days." Now, remember what we said. We, we should read this not in light of some general wisdom, although it is general wisdom that if we accumulate wealth, it tends to not actually go well for us if we're not utilizing it in God-honoring ways. But we should read this in light of the most obvious connection, his big brother, Jesus, who taught his people, "Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasure in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will also be." To maybe land this linguistic, uh, this linguistic connection a little more, I don't know, vibrantly, I'm gonna speculate a little bit. So if you don't like it, then you can disregard it. This is not God's Word. This is a speculation. I can just imagine little Jesus, little nine-year-old Jesus, and probably little six or seven-year-old James and the rest of their siblings, and there's quite a few of them. And we have Joseph, uh, who maybe at this time was still living, although probably not. We know he was living until Jesus was later, you know, 12, he was still around, but we don't know exactly when he left the picture. But he was a carpenter, and he was not, probably not overly wealthy. Uh, they had had to pick up and move, you know, cross-country anyways. They-- We don't know exactly where they were from initially, but they went to Bethlehem, and then they returned to Nazareth. They probably didn't have a lot. There were a lot of mouths to feed and only one business. They didn't have a farm. They didn't own livestock that we know of. I can just imagine a time when little J- little James or one of his sisters was frustrated about the fact that they didn't have anything. And I could picture Mary getting down and going, "Do not store up treasures in, in, uh, in heaven or on Earth. It's all gonna waste away." The same way we might tell our children kind of a, a moral kind of story. Sometimes we have this picture, last time I was here I, I spoke on Philippians 2, we have this idea that Jesus was somehow like Superman, that he, he was just pretending to be a normal human most of the time. As it touches his humanity, as, as we think about Jesus as a human, he had a, his own human set of thinking faculties, his own human knowledge. He grew in wisdom and stature is what Luke teaches us. Well, where did he get some of this wisdom? There's a good reasonable argument to be made that some of the pr- more proverbial type sayings that we see in Christ, that they actually come from the wisdom of his mother and father. And a really good reason to believe that is James relies on the same exact, uh, sort of proverbial wisdom to l- land his point. He doesn't create his own metaphor, he goes back to, at the very least we can say he goes back to the words of Christ. That's a very safe position to take. But this is the shared linguistic context that they both grew up in And he says, "You've done this in the last days." Now, the, the phrase last days in the Bible, uh, in the New Testament generally refers to the time period from Christ's resurrection to his return. We, for a lot of reasons, think about it as kind of like that climactic end period in time. Depending on your, your persuasion, maybe this is when the Antichrist comes, or maybe this is before or after, or maybe during the time when the church is raptured. But in either case, we think of that sort of last period in time before Christ finally comes back. But the New Testament writers are really talking about the entire duration, from Christ's resurrection to his return is what they're referring to. But it does have in view this idea that we are in the last times. The, the final judgment is not necessarily strictly something that's out there in the future. We are living in the last days now, and so what we do and what we say and, and how we worship and if we worship is eschatology. It is the theology of the last times He also positions this as though this is a universal thing going on with those who hoard wealth. This is a very shocking image. Um, we have very good ways to preserve things in our modern world, right? We have ways to m- to make, uh, stainless steel that won't rust, or at least won't rust quickly. But most things in the ancient world, even most precious metals, corroded. Um, I remember when I was growing up, there was this project in my hometown. I lived in a, a little town called White Bear Lake in, in, um, Minnesota, although little is relative. It's pretty big compared to most of what we have out here. And I remember when I was maybe 12 or 13 years old, they had this big building project to build this brand-new, beautiful lakeside pavilion in the center of town, and it w- just gleamed in the sun. It was so gorgeous, and it was made of copper, and everybody loved it, and two years later, it was bright green. I think it's still bright green. I think they figured out it wasn't worth repairing, so they, they just, they just make sure it doesn't keep getting worse, and at some point, I'm sure they either have or will tear it down. But the one metal in the ancient world that didn't do this was gold. It's part of why gold is such a durable measurement of wealth is because it doesn't wear out. It doesn't corrode. It's very soft. It's very easy to damage it, which is why we don't build statues out of it, or we don't build, uh, buildings out of it usually, but it didn't corrode. So when James says here, "Not only your silver, which tarnishes and corrodes, but your silver and gold have corroded." Not are corroding, but have corroded. The rich hearer of this is probably, you know, sitting around like Scrooge McDuck with a pile of gold coins thinking, "Ah, it looks pretty good to me." And what James is saying is, "No, no, no. No, it's corroded. It's eating away at your heart. It's lost its value because you refuse to use it, and so it sits in a pile doing nothing for no one, except serving to further your own condemnation." This is such a crazy, shocking situation that the insanity of not using your wealth, period, the insanity of sitting on your wealth in the ancient world is going to serve as a form of evidence justifying the condemnation of these wicked fools And further, the corrosion of this wealth is an indication of the corrosion of their very souls. There's something about money. I was-- When I was here a couple times before, I preached one of the wealth passages out of Ecclesiastes, and there's something about money that has a unique way of really, really wrecking us. Either we don't have it and we want it, or we have it and we don't wanna lose it, or we have it and we don't spend it wisely. It seems like there's an infinite number of ways to screw it up. And we landed last time that the gospel is good news because with the nearly infinite ways of screwing it up, we're going to screw it up. But the one way that he talks about screwing it up here is hoarding it and sitting on it and not using it Moving on into verses four and five, James moves us now to a more sort of temporal register. He starts out by talking about what wealth is and what it's doing and how it will ultimately affect the entire life and eternity of those in his targeted audience, those he's proclaiming this prophetic, uh, judgment against. But in verse four, he moves back to the behaviors that are being, uh, being engaged in to show the state of these people's souls. He says, "Behold, the wages of the laborers you, who mowed your fields, which you kept back by fraud, are crying out against you, and the cries of the harvesters have reached the ears of the Lord of Hosts. You have lived on the earth in luxury and in self-indulgence. You have fattened your hearts in a day of slaughter." James here points at the, at the behaviors that show this hoarding behavior, and he does it for a number of reasons. One, he needs to call out sin. That's part of the role of a Christian, and especially a leader or a minister in the church, is, um, to not only call out sin in the body of, of Christ, but in a, I think a very particular way, and there's all sorts of, uh, all sorts of theological controversies flying on around about Christian nationalism and other associated things. Some of it is just the spirit of the age. Um, post-COVID, there's a, a real strong sense that our government has failed us and we need to replace it with something else. But there is a, a true way, and I, I think some of those things are a little misguided, but there's a true way that the church, particularly her leaders, should be speaking to the culture around us, and yes, even to the government, to proclaim the truth of God into a wicked and godless culture. This might take the form o- of a m- minister who goes to a town hall meeting to speak out against a gambling association that's going to be forming, or a, an elder in the church or a deacon in the church who goes to speak to, uh, to the city hall or to the state legislature about the wickedness of abortion and about what we see it does to women's lives when they are fooled into thinking that this is the right thing for them. Again, the church is not the state, and the state is not the church, and we should be very careful not to cross those lines for all sorts of reasons. But we as a culture, as a Christian culture, in the United States particularly, have lost sight of our responsibility to speak truth in all circumstances to those in power So James is doing that, of course. But even more so, this is a way that he establishes for his direct audience, for the Jewish poor Christians who have been scattered in this diaspora, in this dispersion. He looks at them in a sense and says, "I see you. I see what's happening to you." And as God's representative, as his chosen voice for this message, as his inspired author, God sees you too This goes back again, the first two chapters of James serve as kind of a thesis statement and table of contents for the whole book. We get an idea of what may have been happening, the actual, uh, acts that were being engaged in, in, in chapter two verse six, he says, "You have insulted the poor. Is it not the rich who are exploiting you? Are they not the ones who are dragging you into court? Are they not the ones who are slandering the noble name of him to whom you belong?" James has in mind here a form of predatory land purchasing, where the rich were sort of sweeping up property. They were sweeping it up, and then they were charging probably exorbitant prices to those who would lease the land to try to eke out a living. Does that sound at all like any of our current context, right? When's the last time any of us have tried to buy a house and found anything reasonable? Well, a large part of that is that there are big companies that are scooping up all the land and buying all the, the developments. Now, I'm not commenting on those particular situations. I don't know those people. I don't know their hearts, and some of those things actually are doing good things for the community. But we're familiar with this idea of someone who will purchase a resource, who will then jack the price up in order to turn a profit on it. I'm not opposed to turning a profit. Y- y- yeah, it takes money to run a business, and you have to, you have to recuperate those funds if your business is going to survive. But there's a, there's a way that that can be done that is a predatory act These rich landowners were getting fat on those that they were victimizing In our, in our modern world, we tend to think of someone who is overweight as unhealthy, for good reason, right? Too much weight, and I say that with someone with a little too much padding around the middle, so no, no judgment on this, but too much weight is not healthy, right? We hear that from our doctors, that there's a healthy weight range and there's an unhealthy weight range. In the ancient world, obesity was not the concern, right? Malnutrition was the concern. And so when you see, uh, a king in the Old Testament who's, who's noted to be fat, that's not always negative. Sometimes it is, but he's noted to be fat or he's noted to be large. Even the word for glory, I'm sure you've heard this before, the word for glory in the Old Testament has to do with being heavy. So this idea of weightiness or, um, being able to eat enough to actually gain weight instead of being thin was seen as a good thing, but not when you use it as a way to victimize other people. A person who gathers wealth honestly and enjoys it, that's, that's Proverbs right there. That's the Book of Ecclesiastes in its sort of positive sense, is that we, when we accumulate wealth and we use it for God's glory, it's perfectly okay for us to also use it for our enjoyment. God wants us to enjoy the fruit of our labor. But when we accumulate wealth and use it as a way to gain power over someone and to abuse them, that is what James is railing against here And ultimately, with the audience that James is writing to, this is a form of murder. This is why he says, "You have fattened your hearts in the day of slaughter." Because a person who can't feed their family in the Old Testament or in the New Testament era was likely to see them die. There are not a ton of people in modern America that are starving to death on the streets. It's not to say it doesn't happen. It's not to say that there's not things like food insecurity or malnutrition, but there are, there are plenty of places people can go to get their basic food needs met. It was not like that-- It's not like that in most of the world now, and it certainly was not like that in the ancient world. And so a, a landowner who again refuses, we're talking about the Jewish landowners, refuses to obey the Jewish law to leave some leftovers for the poor, and instead gleans all the way to the corner so that they can turn a little bit of extra pro-profit, is not only sinning against the Old Testament law, but is committing murder in the strictest sense by refusing to preserve the life of these poor, uh, Christians who are destitute And again, James is encouraging his readers here that the Lord has not ignored their plight. We can think back to the Book of Habakkuk, where Habakkuk basically lodges a lawsuit against God, saying, "You are not paying attention. You're not doing your thing. You're not being faithful to your covenant." And God says, "Let me show you how faithful to my covenant I am. The Chaldeans are on the way." And Habakkuk is like, "Whoa, wait a second here. That's not what I had in mind." God sees the oppression of the poor. He knows when His people are targeted. He knows when children are abused or when widows are ignored. He knows when the government does something to shut down a church, or when the medical institution refuses to acknowledge your personal rights. He sees those things, and He's not ignorant, and He's not static. He's not sleeping on those things. The purpose here is to comfort the oppressed by showing that God is not ignorant of what has happened to them. Just two quick Old Testament examples that use similar language. In Genesis 4, we read of Cain and his murder of Abel, and in verse eight it says, "Cain spoke to Abel his brother, and when they were in the field, Cain rose up against his brother Abel and killed him. Then the Lord said to Cain, 'Where is Abel your brother?' He said, 'I don't know. Am I my brother's keeper?' And the Lord said, 'What have you done? The voice of your brother's blood is crying out to me from the ground.'" Numbers, uh, 35 verses 30 says, "If anyone kills a person, the murderer shall be put to death on the evidence of witnesses, but no person shall be put to death on the testimony of one witness. Moreover, you shall accept no ransom for the life of a murderer who is guilty of death, but he shall be put to death. And you shall accept no ransom from him who has fled to the city of refuge, that he may return to dwell in the land before the death of the high priest. You shall not pollute the land in which you live, for blood pollutes the land, and no atonement can be made for the land except for the blood that is shed in it, except by the blood of the one who shed it." There's a rich history in the Old Testament of language of inanimate things, land, blood, wealth, other kinds of things that give testimony to God in some way, and specifically of these inanimate, uh, impersonal things testifying to the sin of the people that dwell around them. Even Christ says, "If these people do not worship me, the rocks will cry out." Now, the rocks are not literally crying out, although it certainly would be within God's power to make the rocks sing. But Christ is not saying in that passage that the rocks are going to form mouths and begin singing Hosanna or whatever song they might have been doing. What he's saying is that the very rocks themselves give testimony to the glory and goodness of God. So even if the people around here fail to do so, the entire rest of creation is doing so, and that is what James is saying here. My dear brothers and sisters scattered in the dispersion who have nothing, and in society's eyes are nothing, some of you are facing persecution. Some of you will be killed for your faith, but God sees because the wealth that is being accumulated on the breaking of your own backs is crying out. The corrosion of that gold serves as evidence for the condemnation of those who are harming you We often want justice in the moment. I think we always want justice in the moment, don't we? I think it's a really hard discipline to say, "That person wronged me, but I'm okay letting God sort it out." That is a hard pill to swallow, but it is often the pill that we have to take. It's the medicine that God uses to further our justification, our j- our, uh, excuse me, our sanctification Paul says, you know, "Do not take vengeance. Let the Lord do that." We can trust, and this is where the comfort of this passage comes for us, brothers and sisters, we can trust that when we are wronged, that when someone has done something to us that is a violation of God's law, that that sin will be punished. Now, when we're dealing with other Christians, that sin has already been punished, and so it is not, it is not appropriate for us to hold onto that and to take vengeance. That's what the parable of the unmerciful servant is all about If I as a Christian refuse to forgive my brother and sister when they've wronged me, it's me saying that I'm a better judge of their sin and I'm a better executioner than the Lord is when he punished that sin on the cross. But that sin was not atoned for when we're talking about unbelievers. When we're talking about those who will ultimately end their earthly life and find themselves waking up in flames, that sin has not been atoned for, and so God will have his justice, and we will have our justice. We won't turn there, but in Revelation, we're familiar with the passage, I think it's chapter six, where the martyred saints are under the throne and they say, "How long, O Lord?" Well, God doesn't answer their question, but he gives them new clothes. When Job cries out and he's, he's saying, "I don't understand why this is happening. Why are you targeting me, God? Why, why are you a hunter with your arrows in my liver?" God doesn't tell him why, but he says, essentially, "I'm God and you're just going to have to trust me that this is right." We see a very similar, uh, kind of situation here when we think about when, uh, when Abraham, uh, when God tells Abraham what he's about to do to Sodom and Gomorrah, and then Abraham negotiates, apparently negotiates with God, uh, trying to secure the salvation of the city for the sake of the righteous. And we read starting in verse 20 of chapter 18, he says, "The Lord said to, to Abraham," he says, " 'Because the outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah is great and their sin is very grave, I will go down to see whether they have done altogether according to the outcry that has come to me. If not, I will know.' " God is always seeing and investigating the sin of people We're, we're teaching my son, August, the children's catechism, which is a, a great resource. Um, and one of the questions is, "Can you see God?" And the answer is, "No, but he always sees me." Now that may feel at first to some people like a little bit of a heavy-handed answer, but knowing that God sees us is not just there to correct our sin. It should do that, right? Even the secret sins we commit in the dark when, when we're not being watched by anyone else, even, even those God sees. But do you know what else He sees? He sees your pain. He sees your suffering. He sees your victories even when no one else is celebrating them. He sees your progress. He sees you, and that should be a great source of comfort Now this passage, especially verse six, can be a little bit hard to apply because although we're the targeted audience, we're not the target of the judgment oracle. So I think what we have to do, we have to, we have to think about this in light of the way that God talks about the judgment of unbelievers in other places in the scripture, and how that helps us to understand kind of what our, what our status is. If you'll take your Bibles and open to Matthew chapter 25, I think the, um, the account here of the goat and sheep judgment, uh, is instructive for us Starting in verse 31, it says, "When the Son of Man comes in his glory and the angels with him, he will sit on his glorious throne. Before him will be gathered all nations, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. And he will place the sheep on his right, but the goats on the left. Then the King will say to those on his right, 'Come you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.' Then the righteous will answer him saying, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you or thirsty and give you a drink? When did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?' And the King answered them, 'Truly I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.' Then he will say to those on the left, 'Depart from me for you for, uh, depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink, I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, I was naked and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not visit me.' Then they also, uh, they also will say, answer saying, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and not minister to you?' Then he will answer them saying, 'Truly I say to you, as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.' And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life." Now, this passage is sometimes understood as a general command to feed the poor or the sick, or to visit those in prisons, or any of the f- the sort of mercy ministry things that, that, um, are mentioned here. And those are all things that Christians should do, right? We should be engaged in, um, in mercy ministry to the poor, to those who are destitute. We should be mindful and thoughtful of those who have needs around us. What this passage is teaching, though, is not a general command to feed all people, but a specific command to care for your brothers and sisters in Christ when they have a need He doesn't say to the righteous, "You did these to everyone." He says, "Whatever you did to the least of these, my brothers, you did it to me." All of the things that are listed here, the, the six mercy ministries that are listed by Christ here, are things that persecuted Christians were suffering at the time, persecuted Jew- Jewish Christians, and that would be common experiences for, for Jewish Christians and for all persecuted Christians. Right? They're hungry. They don't have food. Our diaspora Jewish Christians don't have land to farm, and even if they're able to scrape together enough funding to lease out a farm, they're being, uh, they're being totally overwhelmed by the cost of that. The sort of homeowners association dues of these pyramid schemes that were going on in the first century, they were so exorbitant that it wasn't even subs- subsistence farming. Christians were being thrown in, uh, in prison. They didn't have enough money to replace their clothes when it wore out. They couldn't have access to clean water. We take clean water as such a, such a basic thing, and it's so easy. You just turn on the tap, or you just go to the store and you buy a bottle of $7 water. It wasn't like this in the first century. If you didn't have a well, you didn't have water, unless you had someone who cared enough to share this precious resource with you. And so what Christ is saying to, to his people, both in the immediate audience on the Sermon on the Mount, uh, and in this, the Olivet Discourse here, what he's saying to his people is when someone in the body of Christ does not have what they need, the body of Christ should step up and make sure that that is the case, that they take care of that person. And likewise, he's saying to those who are not a part of the body of Christ, "Depart from me, I never knew you." Now, the intro to this, why it sometimes is called a parable, is the sheep and the goats. We sometimes go way too far into the arena of comparing the behavior of sheeps with the behavior of the people here, right? Sheep are nice, they're affable, they listen to you. In reality, from what I understand, sheep are pretty dumb and can be very stubborn, right? And then we, we read and we go, "Goats are stubborn, they're rebellious, they're not really good for anything." Well, there's a reason people have goats on farms. They, they can be stubborn, right? They can be destructive, but they also serve a purpose. So the point here is not that sheep are good and goats are bad. The point is that sheep are not goats and goats are not sheep. And, uh, another point that comes with this is sheep don't become goats by behaving like goats, and goats don't become sheep by acting like sheep. I have some friends that will tell you they have very affectionate, friendly, lovable goats, right? I'd, I would... If I could get my kids one of those little pygmy goats that everybody loves, I would do that, 'cause they can be very kind, very sweet, and they're very smart. But they're not sheep. And if you read this passage carefully, this fact that those who are taken to the right are, are in fact taken to the right is not because they fed the poor. It's not because they ministered to Christ by feeding the least of these. They did those things because they were part of the kingdom The King says to those on His right, "Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world." The sheep on the right were always going to be the sheep on the right. They were predestined according to the counsel of God's will before all time to live and walk in good works. That's just Ephesians 2 there. That's also just James 2 there. You have faith, I will show you my faith by my works. This is evidence language, loved ones Likewise, the ones who are told to depart into eternal darkness were also predestined not to inherit this kingdom. No kingdom was prepared for them before the foundation of the world. They have no inheritance. They have nothing. They will end up in the state that they are trying to impose on these poor Jewish Christians. They will end up in the state that they may be trying to impose on some of us in this room And for the final verse here in, in chapter five, in verse six here, there's a lot of discussion and debate in the commentaries about who the identity of this righteous one is. It says, "You've condemned and murdered the righteous person, he does not resist you." Now, some commentators will take the fact that this is the singular righteous person, that he has been murdered and h- was condemned, and will take this as a reference to Christ. And that would, would make good sense, right? The Jewish, the wealthy Jewish landowners, the wealthy Jews in Jerusalem who per- who persecuted and cast out, um, the Christians, they were in the same group of people who condemned and murdered Jesus And at least at the time of writing this, and in many ways in our own day, God is not necessarily resisting them. He's allowing them to store up judgment for the coming day of wrath There are others who will take this as sort of the hypothetical singular, right? The righteous one or the righteous person is this, uh, representative hypothetical person that represents all of the persecuted Christians. And so it's more like saying, um, to the, the wealthy landowners who are persecuting Christians, "You have condemned and murdered the Christians, the righteous people, and we do not resist you." Now, at the end of the day, it's, it's always good to have good, sober, well-intentioned, text-based debates about what the Bible means. We can and we should try to convince others, uh, when we think they're wrong about what the scripture means. So that's not what I'm saying here. But in many ways, which of those two perspectives it actually is doesn't change the interpretation of this passage. Like we read in Matthew 25, like we read in Acts 9 when Christ comes and confronts Saul, what you do to God's people, you are doing to Christ himself. What you do to the body, you have done to the head. It's a little bit weird to say that when I stub my toe, I injure my head, but that's true, right? I don't injure my toe as though it's some separate piece. It's not like I'm a Lego man where I can just swap out a hand that gets cracked and put it back on. When I injure my toe, I injure myself. My whole body is injured even though it's specific to a part of my body. When you-- when someone persecutes you, when they, uh, try to extort your wealth, your funds, when they try to harm your body, when they try to take away your children, all things that are happening not just out there in the world, but in our country, even in our own region. When they try to tell you that because you don't wanna play a basketball game, that you can't play sports at all. When a city taxes a portion of a church's property because they don't think it's being used for religious purposes, they are doing that to Jesus Christ himself, and God will not be mocked This should call us both to faithfulness and to encouragement How people treat Christ or how people treat Christ's people, including how we trust, tr- uh, treat Christ's people, shows us what we think about Christ. The people who take care of the church do so because they love God, and they do it out of a regenerated heart that already loves God. And the people who hate the church do it because they hate Christ, and they do it out of their wickedness and out of their wicked heart This brings us back again to the thesis statement of James. "Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing." And then he says later in that, uh, first chapter in verse nine, "Let the lowly brother boast in his exaltation, and the rich in his humiliation, because like the flower of the grass, he will pass away. For the sun rises with its scorching heat and withers the grass; its flower fails, and its beauty perishes. So also will the rich man fade away in the midst of his pursuits. Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him." Now, you're all coming up to the end of James here. Um, we probably have two, two more sermons, I would guess, and the rest of this chapter is reinforcing this. It's unpacking for the immediate audience and therefore for us, it's unpacking that although the rich have their punishment coming to them, that likewise our consolation, our comfort from Christ is also coming to us. He closes the whole letter out, he returns to his thesis statement to say, "I'm not going to pretend that the trials you're going through are joyful, but you can count it all joy." You can reckon it, you can impute it as joy, my brothers and sisters. You can put it in the joy column instead of the t- the pain column, right? We had discussion about the beautiful word imputation in the announcements and scripture reading in the beginning here Imputation is a, is an accounting term. And when we count it all joy, we're taking what should be a red line in the, in the loss ledger, right? We're taking what should be an expense, and we're able to move it to the profit. We're able to move it to the positive side, not because it didn't hurt and not because we wanted it to happen, but because our God is good enough to not rob us of the chance to be sanctified When we are oppressed and opposed, those who are oppressing and oppose us mean it for evil, just like Joseph's brothers, uh, and Pharaoh, and all sorts of wicked men in, in the Old Testament and in our own world. Pilate, Herod, you mean, you name it in the Bible, this applies. They meant their wicked acts for wicked things, but God, rich in mercy, works all things for the good of those who love Him and are called according to His purpose. And what is that purpose? That we might be transformed into the image of Christ so that Christ may be glorified and He may be the firstborn among many brothers. When we face trials and suffering of every kind, it leads us to our sanctification and to our ultimate glorification. We do not earn those things. We don't sanctify ourselves any more than we justify ourselves, or that any more than we will glorify ourselves or will raise ourselves from the dead. That is all God's work from start to finish. But God does use these things that He brings us through as a way to bring about that work It's like he bends us over the hammer, over the anvil of trials, and he hammers us until we become a sharp sword in the hand of, in his hand. Or he polishes us with a rough cloth until we become a smooth, beautiful gem, right? Think of any number of refining things that need to be done. It always involves, if the thing was, uh, was a person, it always involves something that would hurt a little bit. It always involves a little bit of damage to wear away the impurities. Our sanctification and our glorification is no different than that. He uses adversity. He uses the wicked actions and intentions of, of evil men and women. He uses those things to glorify us. So although we should never, uh, we should never seek those things, right? You don't have to go and make yourself the soft target to the wicked people. It's okay to keep your head down. There's nothing wrong with that. The Jewish Christians were probably doing their best to keep their heads down most of the time, and that's fine. There's not any words in scripture about being a coward if you don't, if you don't put a target on your back. But your target is gonna get there eventually, and that's not a bad thing. We can welcome that. We can count it as joy because of who God is and what he's done. The supreme act of suffering, the supreme act of, of evil happened to the only innocent person there ever was, and it happened to him for us. this episode is available below.
Nick Kostos does a blind ranking of all time GOATs across all sports.
"Yeah, and spit on a little bit with Dak contract talk." A few minutes into our conversation with Nick Wright, Dan asks, "Who is the GOAT of GOATs?" and the Dirty Demon of Debate is feelin' goooooooooooooood, baby. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
From sports to music to television and even the greatest politician of all time, Ben lays out his top five GOATS across the board. Agree? Disagree? Drop your top GOATS in the comments below. - - - Today's Sponsor: Supersure - Go to https://Supersure.com/shapiro. One SuperAgency. One powerful platform. All your policies in one place. Paid for by Supersure Insurance Agency, LLC, a licensed insurance agency. - - - DailyWire+: Become a Daily Wire Member and watch all of our content ad-free: https://www.dailywire.com/subscribe