Podcasts about Gomorrah

The Letter of Jude E3 — After the letter's opening appeal, Jude (or Judah) begins warning corrupt members of a Jewish messianic church community who cast off restraint and live openly immoral lives. He does so with an ancient rhetorical technique found in both the Hebrew Bible and the Dead Sea Scrolls. Jude shares three stories of rebellion in the Hebrew Bible: the spies fearful of the promised land in Numbers 13-14, the “sons of God” in Genesis 6, and the inhabitants of Sodom and Gomorrah in Genesis 19. Then he draws comparisons to the corrupt church members, promising they'll receive the same judgment. Why does Jude write this way about the moral crisis in a church? What is he trying to communicate? In this episode, Jon and Tim explore verses 5-8, unpacking the dense biblical references and what they would have meant to Jude and his audience.FULL SHOW NOTESFor chapter-by-chapter summaries, referenced Scriptures, and reflection questions, check out the full show notes for this episode.CHAPTERSA Jewish Rhetorical Technique (0:00-18:10)Rebellion of the Spies, Sons of God, and Sodom and Gomorrah (18:10-36:41)Concluding Thoughts on the First Triad (36:41-51:54)OFFICIAL EPISODE TRANSCRIPTView this episode's official transcript.BIBLEPROJECT JUDE TRANSLATIONView our full translation of the Letter of Jude.REFERENCED RESOURCESThe Dead Sea Scrolls (Pesharim)Check out Tim's extensive collection of recommended books.SHOW MUSIC“Fellowship” by Lofi Sunday, Cassidy Godwin“Peace With You ft. Oly.Lo” by Lofi SundayBibleProject theme song by TENTS SHOW CREDITSProduction of today's episode is by Lindsey Ponder, producer, and Cooper Peltz, managing producer. Tyler Bailey is our supervising engineer, who also edited today's episode and provided the sound design and mix. JB Witty writes the show notes. Our host and creative director is Jon Collins, and our lead scholar is Tim Mackie. Powered and distributed by Simplecast. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

In this Bible Story, Lot's daughters trick their father into sleeping with them in order to carry on the bloodline. These children would eventually become the Moabite and Ammonite nations. This story is inspired by Genesis 19:30-38. Go to BibleinaYear.com and learn the Bible in a Year. Today's Bible verse is Genesis 19:30 from the King James Version. Episode 13: Lot and his daughters have escaped the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah by God’s grace and kindness, but, as they hid in the cave at Zoar, wickedness was not far behind. Lot’s daughter's longing for children, stuck in a cave, decided to get their father drunk enough that they could each take turns sleeping with him. Their plan worked, but the sons they bore became enemies of Abraham's descendants for generations to come. Hear the Bible come to life as Pastor Jack Graham leads you through the official BibleinaYear.com podcast. This Biblical Audio Experience will help you master wisdom from the world’s greatest book. In each episode, you will learn to apply Biblical principles to everyday life. Now understanding the Bible is easier than ever before; enjoy a cinematic audio experience full of inspirational storytelling, orchestral music, and profound commentary from world-renowned Pastor Jack Graham. Also, you can download the Pray.com app for more Christian content, including, Daily Prayers, Inspirational Testimonies, and Bedtime Bible Stories. Visit JackGraham.org for more resources on how to tap into God's power for successful Christian living. Pray.com is the digital destination of faith. With over 5,000 daily prayers, meditations, bedtime stories, and cinematic stories inspired by the Bible, the Pray.com app has everything you need to keep your focus on the Lord. Make Prayer a priority and download the #1 App for Prayer and Sleep today in the Apple app store or Google Play store. Executive Producers: Steve Gatena & Max Bard Producer: Ben Gammon Hosted by: Pastor Jack Graham Music by: Andrew Morgan Smith Bible Story narration by: Todd HaberkornSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this Bible Story, God brings justice to Sodom and Gomorrah and delivers Lot and his family out of that city, but Lot’s wife turnes back and becomes a pillar of salt.This story is inspired by Genesis 19. Go to BibleinaYear.com and learn the Bible in a year. Today's Bible verse is Genesis 19:1 from the King James Version. Episode 12: Two Angels meet Lot in the city of Sodom to warn him of the coming destruction. But while they are there, the wicked men of the city try to take advantage of them. The Angels then cause blindness to come among them and urge Lot to leave with his wife and children immediately. So Lot and his two daughters can escape to the city of Zoar, but his wife, in a moment of weakness, is turned into a pillar of salt. Hear the Bible come to life as Pastor Jack Graham leads you through the official BibleinaYear.com podcast. This Biblical Audio Experience will help you master wisdom from the world’s greatest book. In each episode, you will learn to apply Biblical principles to everyday life. Now understanding the Bible is easier than ever before; enjoy a cinematic audio experience full of inspirational storytelling, orchestral music, and profound commentary from world-renowned Pastor Jack Graham. Also, you can download the Pray.com app for more Christian content, including, Daily Prayers, Inspirational Testimonies, and Bedtime Bible Stories. Visit JackGraham.org for more resources on how to tap into God's power for successful Christian living. Pray.com is the digital destination of faith. With over 5,000 daily prayers, meditations, bedtime stories, and cinematic stories inspired by the Bible, the Pray.com app has everything you need to keep your focus on the Lord. Make Prayer a priority and download the #1 App for Prayer and Sleep today in the Apple app store or Google Play store. Executive Producers: Steve Gatena & Max Bard Producer: Ben Gammon Hosted by: Pastor Jack Graham Music by: Andrew Morgan Smith Bible Story narration by: Todd HaberkornSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Abraham comes back from the battle. The king of Sodom is waiting with an offer: keep all the wealth, just return the people.Abraham won't touch any of it. Not a thread, not a shoe strap. He refuses to let anyone claim they made him rich. But someone else is there too. Melchizedek, king of Salem. He's actually Shem, Noah's son, and he's the high priest. He brings out bread and wine and offers Abraham a blessing. But he makes a critical mistake. He blesses Abraham first, before blessing G-d, and this costs him everything. The priesthood is taken from his line and given to Abraham's descendants forever.Abraham's refusal of the spoils brings its own reward. From that thread and shoelace come two commandments: tzitzit and tefillin. Eternal reminders woven into Jewish life.Twenty-six years later, the same group that Abraham returned to the king of Sodom would be destroyed when fire rained down on Sodom and Gomorrah. The Talmud says Abraham shouldn't have done that. He should have kept them and set them free. The episode digs into a question we all face: how much do we do ourselves, and how much do we trust G-d? Abraham left guards at his base when he went after the four kings. Smart strategy or lack of faith? It depends. What's right for one person at one spiritual level might be wrong for someone else.This is about knowing when to act and when to let go, why even the righteous stumble, and how one reversed blessing changed everything.

In this Bible Story, God is about to judge Sodom and Gomorrah when Abraham intervenes, asking again and again if there are any righteous left in the city. God promises he will not destroy Sodom and Gomorrah if there are any righteous still living in the city. This story is inspired by Genesis 18:16-33. Go to BibleinaYear.com and learn the Bible in a year. Today's Bible verse is Genesis 18:19 from the King James Version. Episode 11: God visits Abraham a third time to reaffirm His promise—that Abraham and Sarah will have a son. As He is leaving, God also lets Abraham know that His wrath is about to fall on the wicked city of Sodom and Abraham boldly and humbly fulfills his role as the righteous intercessor, pleading for the life of the innocent to not be destroyed along with the wicked. Hear the Bible come to life as Pastor Jack Graham leads you through the official BibleinaYear.com podcast. This Biblical Audio Experience will help you master wisdom from the world’s greatest book. In each episode, you will learn to apply Biblical principles to everyday life. Now understanding the Bible is easier than ever before; enjoy a cinematic audio experience full of inspirational storytelling, orchestral music, and profound commentary from world-renowned Pastor Jack Graham. Also, you can download the Pray.com app for more Christian content, including, Daily Prayers, Inspirational Testimonies, and Bedtime Bible Stories. Visit JackGraham.org for more resources on how to tap into God's power for successful Christian living. Pray.com is the digital destination of faith. With over 5,000 daily prayers, meditations, bedtime stories, and cinematic stories inspired by the Bible, the Pray.com app has everything you need to keep your focus on the Lord. Make Prayer a priority and download the #1 App for Prayer and Sleep today in the Apple app store or Google Play store. Executive Producers: Steve Gatena & Max Bard Producer: Ben Gammon Hosted by: Pastor Jack Graham Music by: Andrew Morgan Smith Bible Story narration by: Todd HaberkornSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Genesis 19 is one of the most well-known and most unsettling passages in the entire Bible. Yet this is a key chapter with a key message that we need to understand. So, today in our study of God's Word, we'll look at God's judgment upon Sodom and Gomorrah and how it is a message of warning for judgment on sin, but also a message of hope and salvation. Please join us as we continue our journey together through God's Word.  DISCUSSION AND STUDY QUESTIONS: 1.    Genesis 19 records God's judgment on Sodom and Gomorrah. In Genesis 18:20ff, how does the Lord describe the sins of Sodom and Gomorrah and His judgment upon them? What was Abraham's bargain for God to not destroy these cities? Did the Lord find that many righteous people?  2.    What was Lot's reaction to this visit from the angels in verse 1? Why did Lot treat them this way? Do you think Lot knew they were angels? 3.    In Genesis 19:3, why do you think Lot was so persistent that these foreigners stay with him? Might it be because he knew the nature of the city in which he lived? 4.    How did the people of the town respond to these men staying with Lot? What does the fact that this crowd was comprised of both "young and old" show us about why such a thorough, annihilating judgment was needed?  5.    What do we make of Lot's offer of his daughter to this crowd? How is this an example of the city's influence on Lot's moral compass? What warning does this give to us about being overly influenced by our own society?  6.    What can we make of the fact that in Genesis 19:11, the angels struck the people with blindness but they still tried to find the doorway, even though they could not see it?  7.    What can we make of the Lord's delay of judgment on this city, where the Lord waited for Lot and his family to first get to safety? What does this show us about God's mercy and grace? 8.    Genesis 19 ends with a troubling account of Lot's daughters and Lot himself. What does this show us about how people sometimes rationalize their own sin?  9.    This chapter shows us how people in God's covenant live differently than those who are not. How is this spiritual reality demonstrated in Lot, his family and the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah?  10.    This chapter also shows us what sins will not be among the kingdom people of God. Paul makes a similar point in 1st Corinthians 6:9-11. What are some of the sins we see in this chapter? How does the revulsion we feel about the sins of the chapter show us how the Lord views anyone's sin?   11.    Finally, this chapter shows us that God will condemn sin in all its forms. What does this judgment look like? What will God's ultimate judgment look like?    Check out our Bible Study Guide on the Key Chapters of Genesis! Available on Amazon just in time for the Genesis relaunch in January! To see our dedicated podcast website with access to all our episodes and other resources, visit us at: www.keychapters.org. Find us on all major platforms, or use these direct links: Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6OqbnDRrfuyHRmkpUSyoHv Itunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/366-key-chapters-in-the-bible/id1493571819 YouTube: Key Chapters of the Bible on YouTube. As always, we are grateful to be included in the "Top 100 Bible Podcasts to Follow" from Feedspot.com. Also for regularly being awarded "Podcast of the Day" from PlayerFM. Special thanks to Joseph McDade for providing our theme music.   

Welcome to "The Bible in Today's World", the show that compares today's world with the Word of God. In general and specifically, are we following the Bible in our daily walks? Is society demanding that we follow the Word of God in all that we do? Does our Almighty Father look upon us and frequently say, "Well done, good and faithful servant!" - or is He thinking of us as He thought/thinks of Sodom and Gomorrah? On today's show, we will discuss Philemon - Chapter 1.

Sodom, Gomorrah, and the ancient Near Eastern ethic of hospitality. The story of Sodom-n- Gomorrah's destruction deserves theological rehabilitation, so that the intra-biblical witness to those cities' sin can be heard. Ezekiel 16:49 and Jesus's sending of the apostles in Matthew 10 both point to Sodom's inhospitality (a failure to welcome and care for traveling strangers) as the reason for God's displeasure and punishment. Here we learn that God prioritizes our care for the stranger as the natural (God-given) way of human being. To tell us your thoughts on this sermon, click through to the web posting and leave us a comment. Or, find us on social media: Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Or, email us the old-fashioned way: info@galileochurch.org. To contribute financially to the ongoing ministry of Galileo Church, find us on Venmo, Patreon, or Zelle (generosity@galileohurch.org), or just send a check to P.O. Box 668, Kennedale, TX 76060

The Book of Jude warns Christians about the dangerous threat of apostasy - the deliberate turning away from faith after once professing it. Written during intense persecution, Jude addresses false teachers infiltrating the church from within. He uses three Old Testament examples to show God's judgment on rebellion: the Israelites in the wilderness, fallen angels, and Sodom and Gomorrah. Modern Gnosticism appears when people elevate personal experience over Scripture or claim special revelations. False teachers are characterized by sexual immorality, rejection of church authority, and slandering what they don't understand. The greatest threat to the church may not be external persecution but internal corruption through apathy and compromise.Support the show

Dive into the "dirty, the vile," and the "scabrous" with The Other Side of Midnight, where Lionel explores the oddities of human behavior during the earliest hours of the morning. Lionel tackles everything from an NYPD officer's OnlyFans controversy to a deep dive into the biblical origins of "spilling seed" and the real sins of Sodom and Gomorrah. Watch as Lionel orchestrates a "talk radio glory" moment by pranking a guest about pollinator-friendly photovoltaics with questions about Schrödinger's cat and the expiration of sour cream, only to pivot into a fiery debate regarding police conduct, the George Floyd case, and federal use of force. It is an eclectic slum of thoughts where no topic is too toy or too taboo. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jim Osman delivers a powerful exposition examining A Flood And A Fire as two notorious Old Testament judgments that demonstrate God's righteous character. Drawing from 2 Peter 2:5-6, Osman explores how the global flood of Noah's day and the fiery destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah serve as historical evidence of divine justice against sin. A Flood And A Fire reveals that these judgments were historic, global, cataclysmic, just, and yet spared the righteous—Noah with seven others and Lot respectively. The teaching demonstrates that these destructions were not cleverly devised fables but actual historical events intended as examples for those who would thereafter live ungodly lives. Osman emphasizes that God's past judgments validate His future promises, warning that while current judgment is delayed, it is certain—next time not by water but by fire as Second Peter 3 promises. ★ Support this podcast ★

Welcome to "The Bible in Today's World", the show that compares today's world with the Word of God. In general and specifically, are we following the Bible in our daily walks? Is society demanding that we follow the Word of God in all that we do? Does our Almighty Father look upon us and frequently say, "Well done, good and faithful servant!" - or is He thinking of us as He thought/thinks of Sodom and Gomorrah? On today's show, we will discuss Titus - Chapter 3.

Fr. Mike breaks down the story of Sodom and Gomorrah today as we read Genesis 18-19, Job 7-8, and Proverbs 2:1-5. For the complete reading plan, visit ascensionpress.com/bibleinayear. Please note: The Bible contains adult themes that may not be suitable for children - parental discretion is advised.

In today's episode, the Lord visits Abraham by sending three messengers to his home. He reveals that in a year's time he will give Abraham a son through his wife, Sarah. He also reveals that he is sending his messengers to Sodom and Gomorrah, because the wickedness of the people has grown so severe that it calls for complete annihilation. Before they are sent out, Abraham pleads with the Lord to spare the righteous and the Lord finally agrees that if even ten righteous people are found there, he will not destroy it. The angels rescue Lot, but as we will soon see, sin continues to flourish. Later, a son is born to Abraham and is named, “Isaac,” which means, “He laughs.”Genesis 18 – 1:15 . Genesis 19 – 7:42 . Genesis 20 – 14:43 . Genesis 21 – 18:58 . Psalm 6 – 24:14 . Psalm 7 – 25:35 .  :::Christian Standard Bible translation.All music written and produced by John Burgess Ross.Co-produced by Bobby Brown, Katelyn Pridgen, Eric Williamson & the Christian Standard Biblefacebook.com/commuterbibleinstagram.com/commuter_bibletwitter.com/CommuterPodpatreon.com/commuterbibleadmin@commuterbible.org

Matthew and Anthony are kicking off 2026 with a powerful message about understanding your identity in Christ and how it relates to living a rare and uncommon life. Each of us is uniquely anointed and gifted for this time, and we must embrace our God-given destiny without looking back at past desires or distractions. Like Lot's wife, who looked back at Sodom and Gomorrah, we must resist the temptation to dwell on what's behind us and instead press forward into the calling God has for us. Our lives are not our own; they belong to God, and we are called to live under the mind of Christ, which is characterized by giving and serving others. Reforming your life means changing the ordinary and stepping into the rare and uncommon blessings God has for you.

Matthew's gospel records how Jesus started training his disciples for their work when he would no longer be with them. Today's ch. 10 starts, “And he called to him his 12 disciples and gave them authority over unclean spirits to cast them out and to heal every disease and every affliction.”    What are “unclean spirits”?  The parable in Ch. 12 v.43-45 illustrates that it means an unclean mind – and that there is no value in clearing out from the brain ‘unclean' ways of thinking and then putting nothing positive in their place. Ways of thinking show themselves in resultant actions; aimless ways of thinking and doing lead to no future in this life, and, most particularly, in the future life Jesus offers; spiritual thinking are an essential part of the ‘spirit' of our minds.Jesus gives his 12 disciples a foretaste of the powers of healing they will have when he is no longer with them: they are told to go “to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. And proclaim as you go, saying, the kingdom of heaven is at hand.' Heal the sick … “ [v.6-8]  He says, “if anyone will not receive you and listen to your words, shake off the dust from your feet when you leave that house … “[v.14]  adding, “it will be more bearable on the day of judgment for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah” than for that town. [v.15]This is because the people of that town had witnessed divine power as well as hearing the divine message.  God's principle, as Jesus explained, is that “everyone to whom much is given, of him much will be required”  [Luke 12 v.48] This is why, as we will read tomorrow (11 v.23), Capernaum which had witnessed so many of his miracles, would have no future.  On the other hand, Sodom, where Lot went to live, and it seems witness, the destruction of which we will soon read in Genesis 19, was a city which Abraham initially thought could have “fifty righteous” [18 v.24] – Jesus said the “day of judgment” will be “more bearable” for them.   What about, for us?Today, with such an abundance of evidence of the intricate marvels of creation – but a widespread determined attitude to say that everything in some way, sort of created itself, what must God's attitude be/? There is no doubt as to God's attitude! We quoted it 2 days ago from the Psalms, but it bears quoting again.  “The fool says in his heart, ‘There is no God.' They are corrupt, they do abominable deeds …” (Psa, 14]Finally, in our chapter in Matthew, we see how Jesus bluntly states the two options; there is no middle way!  “everyone who acknowledges me before men, I also will acknowledge before by Father who is in heaven, but whoever denies me before men, I also will deny before my Father who is in heaven.” [v.32]  Food for really serious thought.

Welcome to "The Bible in Today's World", the show that compares today's world with the Word of God. In general and specifically, are we following the Bible in our daily walks? Is society demanding that we follow the Word of God in all that we do? Does our Almighty Father look upon us and frequently say, "Well done, good and faithful servant!" - or is He thinking of us as He thought/thinks of Sodom and Gomorrah? On today's show, we will discuss Titus - Chapter 2.

Jim Osman examines how judgment and deliverance work together throughout biblical history. Peter uses three powerful examples of judgment and deliverance: the angels who sinned, the flood of Noah, and Sodom and Gomorrah. These historical accounts demonstrate God's consistent pattern of executing judgment while delivering the righteous. Through judgment and deliverance, believers learn that God has a proven track record of punishing wickedness and rescuing those who trust Him. Understanding these examples of judgment and deliverance encourages Christians to live righteously while confidently expecting both God's coming judgment on the wicked and His gracious deliverance of the faithful. ★ Support this podcast ★

Welcome to "The Bible in Today's World", the show that compares today's world with the Word of God. In general and specifically, are we following the Bible in our daily walks? Is society demanding that we follow the Word of God in all that we do? Does our Almighty Father look upon us and frequently say, "Well done, good and faithful servant!" - or is He thinking of us as He thought/thinks of Sodom and Gomorrah? On today's show, we will discuss Titus - Chapter 1.

Check out this awesome encore show from June 21, 2024! (2:06) Bible Study: 2 Kgs 11:1-4, 9-18, 20 Father Unpacks this complicated Passage in the bible. You won’t want to miss this! Mt 6:19-23 What does it mean to store up treasure where your heart is. (18:12) Break 1 (18:57) Letters: Father answers letters as to why you should go back to church, if orthodox Jews adopt none Jews, why some Holy days of obligation are not obligatory to all diocese and what do you do if they have Mass but no confession. (40:00) Break 2 (40:17) Word of the Day: Zion (43:38) Phones: Al - What is the chronological order, Sodom, Gomorrah, Ten Commandments, Moses and the Flood? Winnifred - A Catholic marrying a protestant, they weren't married before a priest. Are they considered married in the eyes of the Church, and receiving communion?

Welcome to "The Bible in Today's World", the show that compares today's world with the Word of God. In general and specifically, are we following the Bible in our daily walks? Is society demanding that we follow the Word of God in all that we do? Does our Almighty Father look upon us and frequently say, "Well done, good and faithful servant!" - or is He thinking of us as He thought/thinks of Sodom and Gomorrah? On today's show, we will discuss 2 Timothy - Chapter 4.

Pastor John Ryan Cantu brings this week's message, “Move with Mercy." Key Verse: Genesis 19:12-26 ESV: “Then the men said to Lot, “Have you anyone else here? Sons-in-law, sons, daughters, or anyone you have in the city, bring them out of the place. For we are about to destroy this place, because the outcry against its people has become great before the Lord, and the Lord has sent us to destroy it.” So Lot went out and said to his sons-in-law, who were to marry his daughters, “Up! Get out of this place, for the Lord is about to destroy the city.” But he seemed to his sons-in-law to be jesting. As morning dawned, the angels urged Lot, saying, “Up! Take your wife and your two daughters who are here, lest you be swept away in the punishment of the city.” But he lingered. So the men seized him and his wife and his two daughters by the hand, the Lord being merciful to him, and they brought him out and set him outside the city. And as they brought them out, one said, “Escape for your life. Do not look back or stop anywhere in the valley. Escape to the hills, lest you be swept away.” And Lot said to them, “Oh, no, my Lords. Behold, your servant has found favor in your sight, and you have shown me great kindness in saving my life. But I cannot escape to the hills, lest the disaster overtake me and I die. Behold, this city is near enough to flee to, and it is a little one. Let me escape there—is it not a little one?—and my life will be saved!” He said to him, “Behold, I grant you this favor also, that I will not overthrow the city of which you have spoken. Escape there quickly, for I can do nothing till you arrive there.” Therefore the name of the city was called Zoar. The sun had risen on the earth when Lot came to Zoar. Then the Lord rained on Sodom and Gomorrah sulfur and fire from the Lord out of heaven. And he overthrew those cities, and all the valley, and all the inhabitants of the cities, and what grew on the ground. But Lot's wife, behind him, looked back, and she became a pillar of salt.” Key Topics: Repentance, Urgency, Grace If you enjoyed the podcast, please subscribe and share it with your friends on social media. For more information about PNEUMA Church, visit our website at mypneumachurch.org. Connect with Us: Instagram: https://instagram.com/mypneumachurch YouTube: https://youtube.com/mypneumachurch Facebook: https://facebook.com/mypneumachurch Time Stamps: 00:00 - Introduction 00:30 - Welcome 03:54 - Genesis 19:12-26 ESV 06:21 - Move with Mercy

Welcome to "The Bible in Today's World", the show that compares today's world with the Word of God. In general and specifically, are we following the Bible in our daily walks? Is society demanding that we follow the Word of God in all that we do? Does our Almighty Father look upon us and frequently say, "Well done, good and faithful servant!" - or is He thinking of us as He thought/thinks of Sodom and Gomorrah? On today's show, we will discuss 2 Timothy - Chapter 3.

Have you ever made one too many mistakes? You know, you get to a point where you think, That's it! God must be done with me? Well, Abraham was a man of faith who made plenty of mistakes along the way. Yet God seemed to overlook, even o compensate for them. Why was that?   Life Changing Moments As we travel through life we all kind of experience these moments and often they are seemingly insignificant events that in fact, turn out to change the whole course of our lives. It's amazing when you think about it! We all have a plan for our lives but there are things just around the next corner or just over the next rise that can change everything – good things and bad things, happy things and sad things. Some people think, "Well, it's all a matter of chance." Well, I don't believe in chance. I remember a brochure that changed my life. I was attending a little church – I had not long become a Christian and it was a Sunday service like every other Sunday. At the end of the service I walked to the back of the little church and I saw a brochure for a particular Bible College, Tabor College in Sydney. It wasn't a particularly attractive brochure or a well designed brochure – I picked it up and that was a defining moment – I took it home, I read about this ministry degree, I prayed and I felt this incredibly strong tug in my heart. Now in my mind I am thinking, "There's no way. You know Berni, you have been a Christian for five minutes" but in my heart I knew. So I rang them, I applied, I went to see the Principal, I felt like such a fraud. "They are never going to accept me." They did! And there I learned so much but also, by chance again, I came into contact with my predecessor in this ministry; the former CEO of Christianityworks and one thing led to another. And today I'm doing what I am doing because I picked up that little brochure at the back of the church. Now I had no idea that morning that something would happen that would change the course of my life. This week we are starting a new series on Christianityworks, it's called "Defining Moments". It's really exciting! I want to look at this from a different perspective; from God's perspective. See when we look back on our lives most of us can pick three or four, maybe half a dozen defining moments – those little things that seemed to change the whole course of our lives. Now, sure we can see them from our natural human perspective – after all, we are people; we're human, but if we do that I think we miss the point. I want to look at some defining moments in the lives of four people in the Bible – Abraham, Joseph, David and Josiah over the next four weeks and we are starting today with Abraham. I want to see if we can discover how God reaches into our lives with miracles - great and small to define the very course of our lives because God does have a plan. Psalm 139, verse 16, says: Your eyes beheld my unformed substance. In Your book were written all the days that were formed for me when none of them as yet existed. And when we at least expect it, and even despite what you and I do or fail to do, His plan is worked out through His grace for His glory. God brings those defining moments. Let's start with Abraham - the man with whom God's engagement of His chosen people began. He was living comfortably in a place called Ur, east of Israel – of course Israel didn't exist back then. Ur was the land of the Chaldeans, later it was called Babylon – it's just south of modern day Baghdad. And he travelled with his father up to Haran and then God called him to leave his comfort and follow this really crazy, absolutely incredulous promise. Let's pick it up – if you have got a Bible, grab it; open it up at Genesis chapter 12. We are going to look at the story of Abraham – it's too much to look at it all in one programme but we are going to have a look at part of his story. Genesis chapter 12, beginning at verse 1: Now the Lord said to Abram, "Go from your country and your kindred and your father's house to the land that I will show you. I will make of you a great nation. I will bless you and make your name great so that you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you and the one who curses you I will curse. And in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed. So Abram when as the Lord had told him and Lot when with him. Abram was seventy five years old when he departed form Haran." Seventy five years old! "He and Sarai his wife and they were childless." You see, you have to remember, in the Old Testament, blessing; God's blessing, you knew you had it when you had lots of land and lots of children. They had neither, so they didn't have God's blessing on their lives. Now the word "Abram" means "exalted father". So even his name was a joke, but still he went, off into the never never, based on what – some intangible, crazy call from God? Remember Abram had no Bible; he had no Scriptures to reveal who God was. He had no church tradition, or Jewish tradition – nothing like that. All the other nations had their gods; idols – they worshipped them, they believed all sorts of weird and wonderful things but Abram put his faith; he put his whole life and all his possessions in this God who came up with this incredulous promise. How did God say this to Abram - through an audible voice, a dream, a vision, a whisper of the Spirit in his heart? We don't know but he just heard the call and he trusted in the promises of God and off he went, into the blue yonder. Now God's plan A, remember, is to bless Abram with land and children – impossible of course! Oozes fantasy, not faith – could never happen. And then begins Abram's comedy of errors – pretty tragic actually. We don't have time to look at them all today but we are going to look at some of them. It's a journey where Abram and Sarai his wife, made plenty of mistakes along the way. Take Lot for instance, his nephew – if you look at Genesis chapter 12 again, did God tell Abram to take Lot with him? Not at all – it was Abram's idea. No doubt, this was plan B for Abram. "Well, if God doesn't come through on this promise of a son, at least I'll have a relative to be my heir" and Lot…..Lot causes him all sorts of grief. Let's have a look – Genesis chapter 13, verse 5: Now Lot who went with Abram, also had flocks and herds and tents so that the land couldn't support both of them living together, for their possessions were so great that they could not live together. And there was strife between the herders of Abram's stock and the herders of Lot's stock. At that time the Canaanites and the Perizzites lived in the land. Then Abram said to Lot, "Let there be no strife between you and me – between your herders and my herders for we are kindred. Is not the whole land before you? Separate yourself from me. If you take the left hand, then I'll go to the right; of you take the right hand, then I will go to the left." Lot looked about him and saw the plain of the Jordan that was well watered everywhere like this garden of the Lord; like the land of Egypt, in the direction of Zoar - this was before the Lord had destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah. So Lot chose for himself all the plain of Jordan and Lot eastward thus he separated from Abram. Gee, plan B worked really well for Abram didn't it? Obviously God didn't know what He was promising Abram and needed a back up! And look how it turned out! Strife, separation and then Abram gave away the best half of the Promised Land. And if you read on in chapter 14, Abram risks his life and God's plan because he has to fight a battle to save Lot's life. Lot was not part of plan A and in chapter 19 of Genesis (we won't go there for now for time reasons) but he ends up sleeping with his own daughters and fathers the Moabites and the Ammonites; both nations that became enemies of Israel. Huh – well done Abram! God obviously needed your help!!   Who Can Blame Him? Well, who can blame Abram? He is in his late seventies now on a journey to nowhere and Sarai is no spring chicken either, I have to tell you. And God gives him this utterly incongruous, impossible promise and Abram is aching inside. "God, what are You doing?"  Can you relate to that? I can! Let's have a look at the defining moment in Abram's journey. It begins in Genesis chapter 15, verse 1: After these things the Word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision: "Don't be afraid, Abram, I am your shield. Your reward shall be very great." But Abram said, "Lord God, what will You give me for I continue childless and the heir of my house is Eliezer, son of Damascus?" And Abram said, "You have given me no offspring and so a slave born in my house is to be my heir." But the Word of the Lord came to him, "This man shall not be your heir. No one but a son coming from your very own body shall be your heir." God brought him outside and said, "Look toward the heaven and count the stars, if you are able to count them." Then the Lord said to him, "So shall your descendants be!" And Abram believed the Lord and the Lord reckoned it to him as righteousness. I reckon this is one of the most beautiful passages in the Bible. Is Abram a man of faith? Absolutely! But he is struggling – he has tried everything he can do in his own strength and he can't make this promise from God happen and time is marching on. So through his doubt, he ends up with plan C or D or whatever he is up to. How does God respond – with rebuke, with punishment, with discipline? God brought him outside and said, "Look toward the heaven and count the start, if you are able to count them." Then God said "So will your descendants be! Isn't it beautiful? You know, the Milky Way when you get away from the smog and the lights of the city is just the most awesome thing – there are so many stars out there – it almost looks like clouds. Trillions of stars – this is the love of God! And he believed the Lord and the Lord reckoned it to him as righteousness. Abram's faith meant that God's righteousness became part of who he was. It's a theme the Apostle Paul picks up in Romans chapter 4 and in Galatians chapter 3 in the New Testament, much later. See I struggle with the rose coloured glasses that Paul and others in the New Testament use to look back on Abraham. They paint him as this paragon of virtue; this great man of faith. Hebrews chapter 11, beginning at verse 8: By faith Abraham, when he was called to go to a place he would later receive as an inheritance, obeyed and went, even though he didn't know where he was going. By faith he made his home in the Promised Land like a stranger in a foreign country, for he was looking forward to the city with foundations, whose architect and builder is God. By faith Abraham, even though he was past age and Sarah herself was barren, was enabled to become a father. That's great but what about all of Abraham blunders? What about his lack of faith? He goes to God and says to God, "What will You give me? What will You show me? I can't see it – I'm losing hope." See, Abraham was human – Abraham had human failures and he made mistakes just like you and me - but the answer is in what we just read in Genesis. How is it that despite all of Abraham's blunders and doubts, God's plan still came to fruition? Because Abraham: "believed the Lord and the Lord reckoned it to him as righteousness." Abraham believed – he didn't do it perfectly – but he believed and this was counted by God as righteousness. The righteousness of God when we believe, He forgives our sins – He forgets them. "As far as the east is from the west, so far does He remove our transgressions from us." You see, that's why in the New Testament it doesn't talk about Abraham's mistakes because God has forgiven them and they are not relevant. That's how God deals with Abraham's human failings. This is the defining moment in Abraham's journey: he believed the Lord and the Lord reckoned it to him as righteousness. This night that was like any other; he was in his tent; he was struggling; he was praying; he was saying, 'God, what are you doing?' And God just touches him and brings him outside and says, "Look up at the stars; as many as are there so numerous will be your descendants." It's not about what Abraham did or didn't do. The defining moment is about God's grace! And come and look with me exactly how imperfectly Abraham believed. Come and see with me how human and frail his faith actually is. He is credited with righteousness – God speaks to him and right on the back of that, just two verses later, in Genesis chapter 15, verse 8, begins this: But he said "O Lord, God, how am I to know I shall possess it?" And God said to him, "Bring Me a heifer three years old, a female goat three years old, a ram three years old, a turtle dove and a young pigeon." He brought God all those things and cut them in two, laying each half over against the other but he did not cut the birds in two. And when the birds of prey came down on the carcasses, Abraham drove them away. As the sun was going down, a deep sleep fell upon Abraham and a deep and terrifying darkness descended upon him. Then the Lord said to Abraham, "Know this for certain that your offspring shall be aliens in a land that is not theirs and they shall be slaves there and they shall be oppressed there for four hundred years but I will bring judgement on the nation that they serve and afterward they shall come out with great possessions. As for you yourself, you shall go with your ancestors in peace and you shall be buried in a good old age. And they shall come back here in the fourth generation for the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet complete." When the sun had gone down and it was dark, and a smoking fire pot and a flaming torch passed between these pieces. On that day (listen to this) On that day the Lord made a covenant with Abraham, saying, "To your descendants I give this land – from the river of Egypt to the great river, the River Euphrates and the land of the Kenites and the Kenizzites and the Kadmonites and the Hittites and the Perizzites and the Raphaim and the Amorites and the Canaanites and the Girgashites and the Jebusites." See, in the face of further doubt from Abraham, God gives him this vision and he makes an unbreakable promise; a covenant; a promise from God Himself to Abraham.   The Last Laugh Just as well, this covenant from God was an unbreakable promise because what happens next, after the stars thing and the vision and the promise, would have been the final straw for me if I had been God. Have a look at the next Now Sarai, Abram's wife, bore him no children. She had an Egyptian slave girl whose name was Hagar and Sarai said to Abram, "You see the Lord has prevented me from bearing children. Go into my slave girl; it may be that I shall obtain children by her." Abram listened to the voice of his wife Sarai, so after Abram had lived ten years in the land of Canaan, Sarai Abram's wife took Hagar the Egyptian; her slave girl and gave her to her husband Abraham as a wife. He went into Hagar and she conceived and when she saw that she had conceived, she looked with contempt on her mistress. Then Sarai said to Abram, "May the wrong done to me be on you. I gave my slave girl to you to embrace and when she saw that she had conceived, she looked on me with contempt. May the Lord judge between you and me." Ok, men had more than one wife in those days but people haven't changed that much. Wives, how happy would you be with this outcome? Your husband sleeping with a slave girl and then all of a sudden the slave girl is pregnant. Can you see how perverted this is? And the son that Hagar bore was Ishmail and he became the father of the Arab world! Gee, that worked out brilliantly, didn't it? And so Abram, left to his own devices would have lurched from one blunder to the next but now the bit that really gets me about this story, is the ending. Both Abram and Sarai get to the point – I mean this has been going on for years now; decades where they just end up laughing at God's promises. I mean they are so ridiculous; they are so impossible – have a look – Abram first in Genesis chapter 17, verse 15: God said to Abram, "As for Sarai your wife, you shall not call her Sarai anymore but Sarah shall be her name. I will bless her and moreover I will give you a son by her. I will bless her and she will give rise to nations; kings of peoples shall come from her." Then Abraham fell on his face and laughed and said to himself, "Can a child be born to a man who is a hundred years old? Can Sarah who is ninety years old bear a child?" And Abraham said to God, "O that Ishmail might live in Your sight." And God said, "No, but your wife Sarah shall bear you a son and you shall name him Isaac. I will establish My covenant with him as an everlasting covenant for his offspring after him." And then Sarah's turn next! God appears to Abraham in the form of three men and those men said to him, "Where is your wife Sarah?" And he said, "There, in the tent." Then one of them said, "I will surely return to you in due season and your wife Sarah shall have a son." And Sarah was listening at the tent entrance, behind them. Now Abraham and Sarah, they were old and advanced in age; it had ceased to be with Sarah after the manner of women. So Sarah laughed to herself, "After I have grown old and my husband is old, shall I have the pleasure?" See, can you blame Abraham and Sarah for laughing at God? I mean if you don't laugh you will cry. It has been twenty five years – they headed away on this fool's errand into the blue yonder. Abraham is over a hundred – Sarah is over ninety – come on God, what do You think You are doing? But let's see how it ends! Genesis chapter 21: The Lord dealt with Sarah just as He had said and the Lord did for Sarah as He had promised. Sarah conceived and bore Abraham a son in his old age, at the time of which God had spoken. Abraham gave the name Isaac to his son whom Sarah had borne. Do you know what the word "Isaac" means? It means "he laughs" – you see God had the last laugh! They both laughed at God's promises and God gives them a son called Isaac and God has the last laugh! It's the laughter of God's grace. And when you look back on this journey, what was the defining moment? See, what you and I want to look at is say: "What do I have to do….what do I have to do? What do I have to do to get God's favour?" Isn't that what we are always thinking? And you look at all of Abraham's blunders and you see all the mistakes he made but in his heart he believed and it was reckoned unto him by God as righteousness. His faith trumped his failures! Let me say that again ... Abraham's faith trumped his failures! People came to Jesus years later and they said, "What must we do to perform the works of God?" And Jesus answered them, "This is the work of God: that you believe in the One whom He has sent." Do you get it? The defining moment for Abraham was God's gracious, loving, powerful, impossible, unbreakable, ridiculous, only God could ever do it, take it forever….promise. And in his heart Abraham believed. That's the bit that God saw and took and used and blessed Abraham through. That's why the New Testament writers can completely ignore the failures of Abraham because God….God had forgotten them a long time ago. God had decided to overlook them a long time ago. Abraham was not a perfect man – Abraham was human just like you and me. You make blunders in your life; I make blunders in my life. What does God look at? He looks at whether we put our trust in Him through Jesus Christ. God not only forgave Abraham and Sarah but He cleaned up their mess along the way so that His plan would be fulfilled and realised for His glory. Look again at the defining moment in Abraham's life…Genesis chapter 15, verses 5 and 6: God brought Abraham outside and said, "Look up toward the heaven. Count the stars if you are able to count them." Then God said to him, "So shall your descendants be. And Abraham believed the Lord and the Lord reckoned it to him as righteousness. What do I have to do to do the works of God? To believe in the One whom He sent; His Son, Jesus Christ!

Join Rabbi in the wilderness of Israel as he teaches practical principles for your life from biblical stories such as Sodom and Gomorrah, David, and Noah. **** BECOME A MONTHLY PARTNER - https://djj.show/YTAPartner  **** DONATE - https://djj.show/YTADonate  **** TEACHING NOTES - https://djj.show/vrl  

Welcome to "The Bible in Today's World", the show that compares today's world with the Word of God. In general and specifically, are we following the Bible in our daily walks? Is society demanding that we follow the Word of God in all that we do? Does our Almighty Father look upon us and frequently say, "Well done, good and faithful servant!" - or is He thinking of us as He thought/thinks of Sodom and Gomorrah? On today's show (An Updated Replay of Episode #79), we will explore "Christmas." We will also replay an interview with LIBBIE HALL. Libbie Hall, joined us to discuss her newest release, "Five: The Women in the Genealogy of Jesus", today featuring MARY. From Her Website: "Libbie Hall is married to Brian and they have 3 children and two dogs. She has been leading worship for over twenty years. She loves to lead Bible studies, read, and drink coffee. Libbie also loves the beach. Although she is in Michigan now she grew up in Southern California and also spent a few years in central Texas. Freezing weather is not her friend. But she does love snow at Christmas. Mostly she loves Jesus and writing about her life with Him. From Her Amazon Page: "Libbie Hall is an author, speaker and founder of Called to More. Her mission is to empower women through the Word of God and help them understand that whether they are a business woman, minister or stay at home mom, they have been called to more than they could ever imagine. Libbie has faced her fair share of struggles and believes that sharing them with other women will help them overcome. As a minister and former Creative Arts Pastor, Libbie has spent over 20 years developing ministry teams and leading worship. She is married to Brian and they have 3 incredible children and one completely amazing granddaughter. She is also a dog mom, beach lover and fan of intense laughter." https://libbiehall.com

For some reason, the Cynicism is on HIGH, and I am just trying to enjoy the holiday but thoughts of EVERYTHING are running me back to the bible, to society, to the state of affairs. It'a CHAOS but thankfully I have YOU the audience that is my Calm within Chaos. BUCKLE UP! Get Prepared with Our Incredible Sponsors! Survival Bags, kits, gear www.limatangosurvival.comEMP Proof Shipping Containers www.fardaycontainers.comThe Prepper's Medical Handbook Build Your Medical Cache – Welcome PBN FamilyPack Fresh USA www.packfreshusa.comSupport PBN with a Donation https://bit.ly/3SICxEq

Welcome to "The Bible in Today's World", the show that compares today's world with the Word of God. In general and specifically, are we following the Bible in our daily walks? Is society demanding that we follow the Word of God in all that we do? Does our Almighty Father look upon us and frequently say, "Well done, good and faithful servant!" - or is He thinking of us as He thought/thinks of Sodom and Gomorrah? On today's show, we will discuss 2 Timothy - Chapter 2.

The Human Design meets the Winning Element, as Wendy and Deanna meet for the first time! Wendy Jones is an American author, entrepreneur, podcaster and the founder of "Be Better Media" - a movement dedicated to maximizing wellness, as well as enhancing one's quality of life. Her journals real like novels and her podcast "What I meant to say" is provocative. She is most recently involved in transformative health, in terms of the nervous system. DEANNA Schneyer is an American volleyball coach, referee, and best-selling author. A former DI player, she has exhibited many talents as a coach and a top referee on the domestic and international scene. She is also the author of the book "The Winning Element" - a one-stop shop to conquering physical and mental obstacles on and off the court. 02:45 - The Women's NCAA tournament is wild, the Buffalo Bills, plus, do refs notice coaching adjustments between sets? And which refs? RI's, II's or line judges? Volleyball questions from the chat. 22:16 - Why we love Terrence Howard 24:30 - Wendy Jones, Bebettermedia, The Human Design, healing, competing in swimming and triathlons 35:20 - How to teach letting go of the outcome in a healthy way. 51:30 - "Gifting" someone a book to inspire dialogue with family members and close friends 56:45 - Human design gene keys, plus, Deanna's relationship with religion, sexuality, we all discuss 1:14:00 - Sodom and Gomorrah, and the historical meaning behind it 1:27:00 - Dealing with break-ups and feeling inadequate, the similarity in sports, plus, drill instructors are experts, do not try this at home 1:43:31 - There is a distinction between a role model and a saint, helping youth players deal with anxiety better 2:01:01 - Understanding the nervous system, human design, your role and identity, how does heart coherence lead the new you 2:10:50 - The art of "posting and ghosting" 2:23:55 - Is heart coherence the new currency? Great reads, TV series, etc.

Welcome to "The Bible in Today's World", the show that compares today's world with the Word of God. In general and specifically, are we following the Bible in our daily walks? Is society demanding that we follow the Word of God in all that we do? Does our Almighty Father look upon us and frequently say, "Well done, good and faithful servant!" - or is He thinking of us as He thought/thinks of Sodom and Gomorrah? On today's show, we will discuss 2 Timothy - Chapter 1.

Hosts Pastor Robert Baltodano and Pastor Lloyd Pulley Question Timestamps: James, email (3:56) - Why did God tell Abraham He needed to "see for Himself" when going to Sodom and Gomorrah, when He already knew? Patricia, email (7:52) - What is your opinion on the radio show with the host that claims to be Jesus? Jeff, NJ (11:18) - How do I grow in love for Christ? Why don't I feel the same kind of love for Christ, that I do for my wife? Anonymous, email (19:22) - Why hasn't the church taken a stance on gun violence, in the same way that it has on abortion? Mikey, email (22:31) - Logically, I know I'm forgiven. But I still feel guilt and shame for past sins. Why is that? Are my dead loved ones watching me in disgust? Anonymous, email (26:55) - Does God mind being hounded by the same prayer request over and over again? Susan, email (34:43) - How do I explain the Gospel to my Muslim sister? Jen, email (41:09) - What does the Bible say about smoking weed, eating marijuana gummies, or drinking alcohol? Tammy, email (45:18) - How should we reconcile our personal convictions with requirements from the government? Thomas, YouTube (48:45) - C. S. Lewis said, "Now we cannot discover our failure to keep God's law except by trying our very hardest. This trying leads to the moment when you say to God 'You must do this. I can't.'" Is there a place in scripture to support this? Gina, email (50:43) - What verses do you recommend I read at my child's wedding? Dee, email (52:19) - Is it Biblical to pray to be filled with the Holy Spirit daily? Ask Your Question: 888-712-7434 Answers@bbtlive.org

Welcome to "The Bible in Today's World", the show that compares today's world with the Word of God. In general and specifically, are we following the Bible in our daily walks? Is society demanding that we follow the Word of God in all that we do? Does our Almighty Father look upon us and frequently say, "Well done, good and faithful servant!" - or is He thinking of us as He thought/thinks of Sodom and Gomorrah? On today's show, we will discuss 1 Timothy - Chapter 6.

In this episode of Brothers Just Searching, we dive into 2 Peter 2:4–9, where Peter lays out three powerful examples of God's righteous judgment on sin and rebellion. We explore how these historical moments—including judgment on angels, the ancient world, and the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah—serve as warnings for today, especially concerning false prophets and teachers who distort the true message of Jesus Christ and Him crucified. We also discuss the hope woven through these verses: that God knows how to rescue the godly from trials, and that anyone can escape judgment by turning back to Jesus, rejecting false doctrine, and holding fast to the truth of the Gospel.Don't forget to subscribe to the podcast and follow us on Facebook also leave us a review If You Like To donate to this podcast you can through cashapp or email us at brothersjustsearchingpodcast@gmail.com for more infoAnything is appreciated Cashapp infoBJSmediaThis podcast is brought to you by BJS MEDIA. A christian media production from the swamps of Louisiana. Teaching THE WORD OF GOD (The Bible) and discussing religion, cults, and other world events. "The New Kingdom" Book By Anthony HayesAmazonhttps://a.co/d/bGeKR6WYoutubehttps://www.youtube.com/@anthonyhayes4492Brothers Just Searching Links Check out our website https://brothersjustsearching.wordpress.com/Check out Our Facebook Pagehttps://www.facebook.com/bjspodcastCheck out our YouTube Channel https://youtube.com/channel/UCSKi3Aywyd1PQWQ5K1rrIUAhttps://campsite.to/bjsmediaThis is where you can listen to our podcast “Brothers Just Searching”. Below me :). Apple Podcast https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/brothers-just-searching/id1490823255?uo=4Google Podcast https://www.google.com/podcasts?feed=aHR0cHM6Ly9hbmNob3IuZm0vcy8xMDk2MjdhMC9wb2RjYXN0L3Jzcw==Spotify https://open.spotify.com/show/0xxj0itGZrlN6EvUpHnel1Breakerhttps://www.breaker.audio/brothers-just-searchingOvercasthttps://overcast.fm/itunes1490823255/brothers-just-searchingPocket Casts https://pca.st/7uduo3tzCoteau Holmes Fellowship Church https://www.facebook.com/coteauholmesfellowship/Upper Room Fellowship Church1910 S College Rd, Lafayette, LAhttps://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61583220302823Music Provided ByUltima Thule by a href="https://app.sessions.blue/browse/track/51198"Blue Dot Sessions/a- [ ]#bible #biblestudy #faith #jesus #god

Welcome to "The Bible in Today's World", the show that compares today's world with the Word of God. In general and specifically, are we following the Bible in our daily walks? Is society demanding that we follow the Word of God in all that we do? Does our Almighty Father look upon us and frequently say, "Well done, good and faithful servant!" - or is He thinking of us as He thought/thinks of Sodom and Gomorrah? On today's show, we will discuss 1 Timothy - Chapter 5.

Welcome to "The Bible in Today's World", the show that compares today's world with the Word of God. In general and specifically, are we following the Bible in our daily walks? Is society demanding that we follow the Word of God in all that we do? Does our Almighty Father look upon us and frequently say, "Well done, good and faithful servant!" - or is He thinking of us as He thought/thinks of Sodom and Gomorrah? On today's show, we will discuss 1 Timothy - Chapter 4.

The biblical account of Sodom and Gomorrah serves as a warning that demands our response. When God's angels warned Lot's family to flee the coming destruction, three different responses emerged: Lot's sons-in-law laughed and dismissed the warning, Lot's wife lingered by looking back and became a pillar of salt, and Lot himself - though imperfect in his response - ultimately obeyed and was saved. Today, we face the same choice when confronted with God's instructions about sin in our lives. We can laugh off His commands, linger between our old life and new life in Christ, or choose to leave sin behind despite our imperfections. God's mercy is evident throughout this story, showing His desire to lead us away from destruction into His loving arms.

The third and final film in the 3 Films by Roberto Rossellini Starring Ingrid Bergman boxset is another film in a long list of looks at the class and culture of Naples, Italy across time - Rossellini's own Paisan, Rosi's Hands over the City (and his Neapolitan Diary), Garrone's Gomorrah, to name a few. While the story of Journey to Italy (1954) is about a British couple decoupling and recoupling while selling a relative's house, Rossellini says he wanted to make a film where Southern Italians were not viewed like "zoo animals", and indeed our main characters become the curiosities as they have a series of crises while interacting with the common people and tourist sites of Naples, a land that, like India in Powell and Pressburger's Black Narcissus, is just too weird for the British mind to comprehend.

Contribute to the East West Lecture Series fundraiser: theeastwestseries.com Join Jacobs Premium: https://www.thenathanjacobspodcast.com/membershipThe book club (use code LEWIS): https://www.thenathanjacobspodcast.com/offers/aLohje7p/checkouthttps://www.keipirestaurant.org/first-things-foundationDr. Jacobs delivers a talk on hospitality in the ancient world, exploring three stories: Abraham entertaining angels, John Cassian learning from Egyptian monks, and Abba Agathon's encounter with a divine visitor. The presentation examines the theological significance of hospitality in Hebrew and Christian traditions, particularly focusing on Eastern Orthodox patristic interpretations. Delivered at a Georgian Supra event hosted by the First Things Foundation in Greenville, South Carolina. Visit Keipi in Greenville for traditional Georgian cuisine. All the links: Substack: https://nathanajacobs.substack.com/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thenathanjacobspodcastWebsite: https://www.nathanajacobs.com/X: https://x.com/NathanJacobsPodSpotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0hSskUtCwDT40uFbqTk3QSApple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-nathan-jacobs-podcastFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/nathanandrewjacobsAcademia: https://vanderbilt.academia.edu/NathanAJacobsOther words for the algorithm…Abraham and the angels, Hebrew Bible hospitality, ancient Near East customs, stranger ethics, John Cassian, Desert Fathers, Abba Agathon, Egyptian monasticism, asceticism, monastic hospitality, fasting and feasting, Georgian Supra, Eastern Orthodox theology, patristic theology, John Chrysostom, Basil the Great, church fathers, Orthodox ethics, Christian hospitality, biblical hospitality, sheep and goats parable, love of neighbor, theological virtue, practical theology, ancient world customs, virtue ethics, Christian ethics, moral theology, spiritual formation, monasticism, anachoresis, cenobitic monasticism, apophthegmata patrum, sayings of the Desert Fathers, patristic ethics, biblical interpretation, Old Testament theology, New Testament ethics, Hebrews commentary, Lot and the angels, Road to Emmaus, Tobit, Archangel Raphael, theophany, Christophany, angel visitation, divine testing, covenant theology, Abraham covenant, Sodom and Gomorrah, Job righteousness, ancient virtue, classical virtue, agape love, caritas, philoxenia, Christian hospitality tradition, early Christianity, Byzantine theology, Greek patristics, Eastern Christianity, Western Christianity, East-West theology, theological anthropology, imago Dei, image of God, Matthew 25, eschatology, heavenly feast, messianic banquet, bridegroom theology, joy and fasting, liturgical theology, sacramental life, communion, Eucharist theology, stranger as Christ, Matthew Mathewes, practical philosophy, applied ethics, charitable works, almsgiving, poverty theology, wealth distribution, social justice, Christian socialism, monasticism economics, voluntary poverty, detachment, ascetical theology, spiritual disciplines, prayer and fasting, desert spirituality, Egyptian desert, Palestinian monasticism, Scetes, monastic rules, obedience, humility cultivation, temptation, demonic warfare, spiritual combat, guardian angels, angelology, hierarchy of angels, divine messengers, supernatural encounters, mystical theology, contemplation, theosis, deification, divine energies, Gregory Palamas, hesychasm, Philokalia, nepsis, watchfulness, prayer rope, Jesus prayer, heart prayer, stillness, silentium

Reach Out: Please include your email and I will get back to you. Thanks!Good morning! Thank you for taking a few minutes to listen. If you are interested in the Daily Bible Devotional, you can find it at the links below:Amazon - (paperback, hardcover, and Kindle)YouTube Video Introducing the ContentFeel free to reach out with any questions: emersonk78@me.comJude Jude writes to believers with the original intent of encouraging them in their shared salvation, but he shifts his focus to urge them to contend for the faith. He warns that ungodly people have secretly slipped in among them, twisting God's grace into a license for immorality and denying Jesus Christ. Jude reminds readers of past judgments on those who rejected God, including the Israelites in the wilderness, rebellious angels, and the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah. These false teachers are dangerous influences, driven by pride, greed, and rebellion. Believers must remain strong by building themselves up in faith, praying in the Holy Spirit, and staying in God's love. Jude closes with praise to God, who is able to keep them from falling and bring them into His glorious presence.  God calls us to hold tightly to the faith He has given us, even as the world around us becomes increasingly confused and careless with truth. We must be careful not to follow those who twist grace or reject Jesus; they are known by their attitude and the fruit they produce. Instead, we should build our lives on His Word, maintain a close connection with Him through prayer, and rely on His love to guide us. We live in God's love and wait for Christ's return. When others struggle, we respond with mercy, helping them return to the truth. Our hope is not in ourselves but in the God who keeps us secure and saves us through our Lord Jesus.     Majestic Lord, we praise You for our shared salvation and the hope of eternal life that guides our hearts and lives. Strengthen us to defend the gospel message wherever You lead us. So many have denied Your worthy authority in their lives. Help us recognize the foolishness of Cain, Balaam, and Korah, and instead choose to humbly follow the Lord Jesus Christ. Please block the false teachers and deceitful workers who hinder the good work You have for us to accomplish. Guide us in teaching the lost, assisting those who struggle, and empowering us with Your strength and protection.  Thought Questions: What does it mean to “contend earnestly for the faith”? Why should that primarily involve defending Jesus as Master and Lord? What will God do to all who do not believe? What are the errors of Cain, Balaam, and Korah that often lead to rampant disobedience? When was the last time you snatched someone from the fire? How vital is mercy towards others and efforts made to restore and help them?

#top .av-special-heading.av-gs9o3p-20986de6a07c35b72f609c44413038b9{ padding-bottom:10px; } body .av-special-heading.av-gs9o3p-20986de6a07c35b72f609c44413038b9 .av-special-heading-tag .heading-char{ font-size:25px; } .av-special-heading.av-gs9o3p-20986de6a07c35b72f609c44413038b9 .av-subheading{ font-size:15px; } Through My Bible Yr 02 – December 03Jude 1:1-16 LISTEN HERE Through My Bible – December 03 Jude 1:1-16 (EHV) https://wels2.blob.core.windows.net/tmb-ehv/02-1203db.mp3 See series: Through My Bible Jude 1 Greeting Jude, a servant of Jesus Christ and brother of James, To those who are called, who are loved [1] in God the Father and kept for Jesus Christ: 2 Mercy, peace, and love be multiplied to you. Ungodly Teachers Who Slipped In Secretly 3 Dear friends, although I was very eager to write to you concerning the salvation we share, I felt it was necessary for me to write, to urge you to continue to contend for the faith that was delivered to the saints once and for all. 4 For certain individuals slipped in secretly, about whom it was written some time ago that they are condemned. They are ungodly people who turn the grace of our God into a license for sin and deny our only Master [2] and Lord, Jesus Christ. 5 I want to remind you, though you already know all these things, that after the Lord [3] rescued his people out of the land of Egypt, he later destroyed those who did not believe. 6 And the angels who did not keep their position of authority but left their own dwelling place behind—God has kept them in everlasting chains under darkness for the judgment of the great day. 7 Like Sodom and Gomorrah and the cities around them, who in a similar way indulged in extreme sexual immorality and pursued homosexual perversion, [4] they serve as an example of those who are going to suffer the punishment of eternal fire. 8 Yet, in the very same way, these dreamers are defiling the flesh, despising authority, and blaspheming glorious ones. 9 But when the archangel Michael was disputing with the Devil and arguing about the body of Moses, he did not dare to bring a blasphemous condemnation against him. Instead he said, “The Lord rebuke you!” 10 But these people do not understand what they are blaspheming. They are being destroyed by the very things that they know by instinct (like unreasoning animals). 11 Woe to them! They have gone the way of Cain. They have abandoned themselves for hire to the error of Balaam. They perished in Korah's rebellion. 12 These people are filthy stains on [5] your love feasts when they eat with you without fear, shepherding themselves. They are clouds without rain, being driven along by the winds. They are autumn trees without fruit, twice dead, pulled up by the roots. 13 They are wild waves of the sea piling up the foam of their own shame. They are wandering stars for whom the gloom of darkness has been reserved for eternity. 14 Enoch, the seventh from Adam, also prophesied about these people, saying, “Look, the Lord is going to come with tens of thousands of his holy ones, 15 to execute judgment against all of them and to convict every soul concerning all their ungodly deeds, which they did in an ungodly way, and concerning all the harsh words that ungodly sinners spoke against him.” 16 These are discontented grumblers, who walk according to their lusts, and their mouths speak boastful things as they flatter others to take advantage of them. Footnotes Jude 1:1 A few witnesses to the text read sanctified. (“Witnesses to the text” mentioned in footnotes may include Greek manuscripts, lectionaries, translations, and quotations in the church fathers.) Jude 1:4 A few witnesses to the text add God. Jude 1:5 A few witnesses to the text read Jesus. Jude 1:7 Or went after unnatural flesh. See Genesis 19:4-9. Jude 1:12 Or hidden hazards at #top .hr.hr-invisible.av-aocsdx-89cb4ca21532423cf697fc393b6fcee0{ height:10px; } The Holy Bible, Evangelical Heritage Version®, EHV®, © 2019 Wartburg Project, Inc. All rights reserved. #top .hr.hr-invisible.av-4vzadh-3f04b370105df1fd314a2a9d83e55b26{ height:50px; } Share this entryShare on FacebookShare on LinkedInShare by MailLink to FlickrLink to InstagramLink to Vimeo

Welcome to "The Bible in Today's World", the show that compares today's world with the Word of God. In general and specifically, are we following the Bible in our daily walks? Is society demanding that we follow the Word of God in all that we do? Does our Almighty Father look upon us and frequently say, "Well done, good and faithful servant!" - or is He thinking of us as He thought/thinks of Sodom and Gomorrah? On today's show, we will discuss 1 Timothy - Chapter 3.

#top .av-special-heading.av-gs9o3p-91eda73308b3eb54d57c6f3260508376{ padding-bottom:10px; } body .av-special-heading.av-gs9o3p-91eda73308b3eb54d57c6f3260508376 .av-special-heading-tag .heading-char{ font-size:25px; } .av-special-heading.av-gs9o3p-91eda73308b3eb54d57c6f3260508376 .av-subheading{ font-size:15px; } Through My Bible Yr 02 – November 302 Peter 2 LISTEN HERE Through My Bible – November 30 2 Peter 2 (EHV) https://wels2.blob.core.windows.net/tmb-ehv/02-1130db.mp3 See series: Through My Bible A Warning About False Teachers 1 There were false prophets also among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you. They will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them, bringing swift destruction on themselves. 2 Many will follow their depraved ways, and because of them the way of the truth will be blasphemed. 3 In their greed they will exploit you with fabricated messages. Their condemnation announced long ago is not idle, and their destruction is not asleep. God Will Punish These False Teachers 4 For if God did not spare angels when they sinned but handed them over to chains [1] of darkness by casting them into hell, to be kept under guard for judgment; 5 and if God did not spare the ancient world but preserved Noah, a preacher of righteousness, along with seven others when he brought a flood on the world of ungodly people; 6 and if God condemned the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah to destruction, [2] by turning them into ashes when he made them an example of things to come for the ungodly; [3] 7 and if he rescued righteous Lot, who was very distressed by the unrestrained immorality of the wicked people 8 (while that righteous man was living among them, he was tormented in his righteous soul day after day by the lawless deeds he saw and heard); 9 then the Lord knows how to deliver the godly out of temptation and to keep the unrighteous under guard until the day of judgment, in order to punish them. 10 This is especially true of those who follow the defiling lust of the flesh and who despise authority. Daring and arrogant, they do not tremble when they blaspheme glorious beings, 11 whereas angels, even though they are greater in strength and power, do not bring a slanderous judgment against them before the Lord. 12 But these people blaspheme in matters about which they are ignorant, just like unreasoning creatures that live by instinct and are born to be captured and destroyed. So they too will be destroyed as a consequence of their destructive activity. 13 They will be paid back [4] for the harm they cause. They consider it a pleasure to carouse in the daytime. They are spots and blemishes, who take delight in their deceitful pleasures [5] while they feast with you. 14 They have eyes full of longing for adulterous women and sins that never stop. They seduce unstable souls. They have trained their hearts for greed. They are children who are cursed. 15 They left the right way and went astray, following the path of Balaam, son of Beor, who loved the wages of unrighteousness. 16 (He was rebuked for his disobedience. A donkey, which does not talk, spoke with a human voice and restrained the prophet's madness.) 17 These men are wells without water, clouds driven away by a windstorm, for whom the gloom of darkness has been reserved. [6] 18 For by uttering arrogant, empty words, they use the depraved lusts of the flesh to seduce those who are barely [7] escaping from those who live in error. 19 While they promise these people freedom, they themselves are slaves to corruption, for a person is a slave to what has control of him. The Tragedy of Being Led Back Into a Sinful Life 20 Indeed, if, after escaping the defiling things of the world through the knowledge of our [8] Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are again entangled in them and controlled by them again, they are worse off than they were at first. 21 In fact, it would have been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness than, after knowing it, to turn back from the holy command passed on to them. 22 They demonstrate the truth of the proverb: “A dog returns to its own vomit,” [9] and a washed sow returns to wallowing in the mud. Footnotes 2 Peter 2:4 Some witnesses to the text read dungeons. 2 Peter 2:6 A few witnesses omit to destruction. 2 Peter 2:6 Some witnesses to the text read an example of the people who are going to be ungodly. 2 Peter 2:13 A few witnesses to the text read They will suffer harm as the wages. 2 Peter 2:13 A few witnesses to the text read their love feasts. 2 Peter 2:17 Some witnesses to the text add forever. 2 Peter 2:18 Some witnesses to the text read actually. 2 Peter 2:20 Some witnesses to the text omit our. It would be replaced by the. 2 Peter 2:22 Proverbs 26:11 #top .hr.hr-invisible.av-aocsdx-89cb4ca21532423cf697fc393b6fcee0{ height:10px; } The Holy Bible, Evangelical Heritage Version®, EHV®, © 2019 Wartburg Project, Inc. All rights reserved. #top .hr.hr-invisible.av-4vzadh-3f04b370105df1fd314a2a9d83e55b26{ height:50px; } Share this entryShare on FacebookShare on LinkedInShare by MailLink to FlickrLink to InstagramLink to Vimeo

Welcome to "The Bible in Today's World", the show that compares today's world with the Word of God. In general and specifically, are we following the Bible in our daily walks? Is society demanding that we follow the Word of God in all that we do? Does our Almighty Father look upon us and frequently say, "Well done, good and faithful servant!" - or is He thinking of us as He thought/thinks of Sodom and Gomorrah? On today's show, we will discuss 1 Timothy - Chapter 2.

Did ancient civilizations nuke themselves into oblivion… or did the History Channel just get bored again? This week we dive headfirst into the rabbit hole of Ancient Nuclear Wars – from the “radioactive” skeletons of Mohenjo-Daro, to alleged atom-bomb craters in the desert, to the Mahabharata passages that sound suspiciously like somebody watched a Cold War documentary and got way too excited. We'll talk vimanas (ancient flying machines), biblical firestorms, desert glass, and why every weird rock seems to mean “aliens with launch codes” to at least one guy on YouTube.Along the way, we'll pit wild fringe theories against boring things like geology, archaeology, and physics (booooo), ask whether Oppenheimer accidentally subtweeted the Vedic gods, and decide if the only real ancient WMD was still… humans and their bad decisions. Was there a Bronze Age Fallout-style apocalypse, or is this just another case of modern nuclear anxiety cosplaying in ancient texts? Tune in as Hysteria 51 flips the Geiger counter on Ancient Nuclear War.Special thanks to this week's research sources:Pauwels, Louis, and Jacques Bergier. The Morning of the Magicians: Secret Societies, Conspiracies, and Vanished Civilizations. Destiny Books, 2008.Discussions of the Jodhpur “radioactive ash” story as a modern hoax or unsubstantiated legend. (Isvara Archive)Libyan Desert Glass and impact evidence (reidite, zircon breakdown, dating to ~29 million years ago). (Wikipedia)Jason Colavito's work on “ancient atom bombs,” Mahabharata misquotes, and the myth's modern origins. (JASON COLAVITO)Background on Pauwels & Bergier's The Morning of the Magicians and its role in popularizing “fantastic realism.” (Wikipedia)References to Matest Agrest's interpretations of Sodom, Gomorrah, and Baalbek as nuclear/spaceport events. (Jewish Telegraphic Agency)Coverage of modern proponents like Billy Carson and Ancient Aliens episodes promoting the ancient nuclear war narrative. (Daily Express US)Research on Tall el-Hammam and cosmic airbursts as real Bronze Age city-destroying events. (uaf.edu) K. A. R. Kennedy's work and later summaries on Mohenjo-Daro skeletons and the debunking of the “massacre” and “radiation” stories. (Ancient Origins)Email us your favorite WEIRD news stories:weird@hysteria51.comSupport the ShowGet exclusive content & perks as well as an ad and sponsor free experience at https://www.patreon.com/Hysteria51 from just $1ShopBe the Best Dressed at your Cult Meeting!https://www.teepublic.com/stores/hysteria51?ref_id=9022See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The cities of Sodom and Gomorrah became infamous examples of what happens when people let their sexual appetites run wild. Throughout human history their names have been associated with cultures which defied God's moral standards. One of the sins practiced in these cities was homosexuality, and today in America this subject has become very controversial, both in our society at large as well as in certain Christian denominations.The topic tends to stir up emotions and confusion with numerous challenging questions needing an answer. In this discussion, we'll try to answer some of these questions and remind ourselves of how God wants us to respond to this and other forms of addictive behavior. To receive a free copy of Dr. Steve Schell's newest book Study Verse by Verse: Revelation, email us at info@lifelessonspublishing.com and ask for your copy at no charge!  Also check out our website at lifelessonspublishing.com for additional resources for pastors and leaders. We have recorded classes and other materials offered at no charge.  

Genesis 18:16-19:38 16 Then the men rose up from there, and looked down toward Sodom; and Abraham was walking with them to send them off. 17 The Lord said, “Shall I hide from Abraham what I am about to do, 18 since Abraham will certainly become a great and mighty nation, and in him all the nations of the earth will be blessed? 19 For I have chosen him, so that he may command his children and his household after him to keep the way of the Lord by doing righteousness and justice, so that the Lord may bring upon Abraham what He has spoken about him.” 20 And the Lord said, “The outcry of Sodom and Gomorrah is indeed great, and their sin is exceedingly grave. 21 I will go down now and see whether they have done entirely as the outcry, which has come to Me indicates; and if not, I will know.” 22 Then the men turned away from there and went toward Sodom, while Abraham was still standing before the Lord. 23 Abraham approached and said, “Will You indeed sweep away the righteous with the wicked? 24 Suppose there are fifty righteous people within the city; will You indeed sweep it away and not spare the place for the sake of the fifty righteous who are in it? 25 Far be it from You to do such a thing, to kill the righteous with the wicked, so that the righteous and the wicked are treated alike. Far be it from You! Shall not the Judge of all the earth deal justly?” 26 So the Lord said, “If I find in Sodom fifty righteous within the city, then I will spare the entire place on their account.” 27 And Abraham replied, “Now behold, I have ventured to speak to the Lord, although I am only dust and ashes. 28 Suppose the fifty righteous are lacking five, will You destroy the entire city because of five?” And He said, “I will not destroy it if I find forty-five there.” 29 And he spoke to Him yet again and said, “Suppose forty are found there?” And He said, “I will not do it on account of the forty.” 30 Then he said, “Oh may the Lord not be angry, and I shall speak; suppose thirty are found there?” And He said, “I will not do it if I find thirty there.” 31 And he said, “Now behold, I have ventured to speak to the Lord; suppose twenty are found there?” And He said, “I will not destroy it on account of the twenty.” 32 Then he said, “Oh may the Lord not be angry, and I shall speak only this once: suppose ten are found there?” And He said, “I will not destroy it on account of the ten.” 33 As soon as He had finished speaking to Abraham the Lord departed, and Abraham returned to his place.   19:1 Now the two angels came to Sodom in the evening as Lot was sitting at the gate of Sodom. When Lot saw them, he stood up to meet them and bowed down with his face to the ground. 2 And he said, “Now behold, my lords, please turn aside into your servant's house, and spend the night, and wash your feet; then you may rise early and go on your way.” They said, “No, but we shall spend the night in the public square.” 3 Yet he strongly urged them, so they turned aside to him and entered his house; and he prepared a feast for them and baked unleavened bread, and they ate. 4 Before they lay down, the men of the city—the men of Sodom—surrounded the house, both young and old, all the people from every quarter; 5 and they called to Lot and said to him, “Where are the men who came to you tonight? Bring them out to us that we may have relations with them.” 6 But Lot went out to them at the doorway, and shut the door behind him, 7 and said, “Please, my brothers, do not act wickedly. 8 Now look, I have two daughters who have not had relations with any man; please let me bring them out to you, and do to them whatever you like; only do not do anything to these men, because they have come under the shelter of my roof.” 9 But they said, “Get out of the way!” They also said, “This one came in as a foreigner, and already he is acting like a judge; now we will treat you worse than them!” So they pressed hard against Lot and moved forward to break the door. 10 But the men reached out their hands and brought Lot into the house with them, and shut the door. 11 Then they struck the men who were at the doorway of the house with blindness, from the small to the great, so that they became weary of trying to find the doorway. 12 Then the two men said to Lot, “Whom else do you have here? A son-in-law and your sons and daughters, and whomever you have in the city, bring them out of the place; 13 for we are about to destroy this place, because their outcry has become so great before the Lord that the Lord has sent us to destroy it.” 14 So Lot went out and spoke to his sons-in-law, who were to marry his daughters, and said, “Up, get out of this place, for the Lord is destroying the city.” But he appeared to his sons-in-law to be joking. 15 When morning dawned, the angels urged Lot, saying, “Up, take your wife and your two daughters who are here, or you will be swept away in the punishment of the city.” 16 But he hesitated. So the men grasped his hand and the hand of his wife and the hands of his two daughters, because the compassion of the Lord was upon him; and they brought him out and put him outside the city. 17 When they had brought them outside, one said, “Escape for your life! Do not look behind you, and do not stay anywhere in the surrounding area; escape to the mountains, or you will be swept away.” 18 But Lot said to them, “Oh no, my lords! 19 Now behold, your servant has found favor in your sight, and you have magnified your compassion, which you have shown me by saving my life; but I cannot escape to the mountains, for the disaster will overtake me and I will die; 20 now behold, this town is near enough to flee to, and it is small. Please, let me escape there (is it not small?) so that my life may be saved.” 21 And he said to him, “Behold, I grant you this request also, not to overthrow the town of which you have spoken. 22 Hurry, escape there, for I cannot do anything until you arrive there.” Therefore the town was named Zoar. 23 The sun had risen over the earth when Lot came to Zoar. 24 Then the Lord rained brimstone and fire on Sodom and Gomorrah from the Lord out of heaven, 25 and He overthrew those cities, and all the surrounding area, and all the inhabitants of the cities, and what grew on the ground. 26 But Lot's wife, from behind him, looked back, and she became a pillar of salt. 27 Now Abraham got up early in the morning and went to the place where he had stood before the Lord; 28 and he looked down toward Sodom and Gomorrah, and toward all the land of the surrounding area; and behold, he saw the smoke of the land ascended like the smoke of a furnace. 29 So it came about, when God destroyed the cities of the surrounding area, that God remembered Abraham, and sent Lot out of the midst of the destruction, when He overthrew the cities in which Lot had lived. 30 Now Lot went up from Zoar with his two daughters and stayed in the mountains, because he was afraid to stay in Zoar; and he stayed in a cave, he and his two daughters. 31 Then the firstborn said to the younger, “Our father is old, and there is not a man on earth to have relations with us according to the custom of all the earth. 32 Come, let's make our father drink wine, and let's sleep with him so that we may keep our family alive through our father.” 33 So they made their father drink wine that night, and the firstborn went in and slept with her father; and he did not know when she lay down or got up. 34 On the following day, the firstborn said to the younger, “Look, I slept last night with my father; let's make him drink wine tonight too, then you go in and sleep with him, so that we may keep our family alive through our father.” 35 So they had their father drink wine that night too, and the younger got up and slept with him; and he did not know when she lay down or got up. 36 And so both of the daughters of Lot conceived by their father. 37 The firstborn gave birth to a son, and named him Moab; he is the father of the Moabites to this day. 38 As for the younger, she also gave birth to a son, and named him Ben-ammi; he is the father of the sons of Ammon to this day.     BIBLE READING GUIDE - FREE EBOOK - Get the free eBook, Bible in Life, to help you learn how to read and apply the Bible well: https://www.listenerscommentary.com     GIVE -  The Listener's Commentary is a listener supported Bible teaching ministry made possible by the generosity of people like you. 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God was working with Abraham's heart and teaching his mind so that he would have a faith that could be passed on from generation to generation. Here the Lord uses the judgment of the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah to teach some foundational spiritual truths. These are truths that God knew he must understand, and they are truths that we also must understand if we are going to live lives that are not corrupted by the temptations that surround us. It's not enough for our hearts to desire to please God, we must also have understanding if we are to resist temptation and to continue to trust Him. To receive a free copy of Dr. Steve Schell's newest book Study Verse by Verse: Revelation, email us at info@lifelessonspublishing.com and ask for your copy at no charge!  Also check out our website at lifelessonspublishing.com for additional resources for pastors and leaders. We have recorded classes and other materials offered at no charge.  

All things in life eventually come to an end, and when they do, it can feel devastating. That's why it's important to cultivate a theology of departure, loss, and grief. In Scripture, many endings—such as Abram and Lot parting ways or even Jesus's earthly ministry concluding—do not signal doom but progress. After all, if Jesus had not departed, the Holy Spirit would not have come. Instead of being alarmed by departure, we're invited to embrace it as an inherent part of life. In doing so, we become able to recognize and receive the new things that follow. Scripture: Gen 13: 1-12 Abram and Lot Separate 13 So Abram went up from Egypt to the Negev, with his wife and everything he had, and Lot went with him. 2 Abram had become very wealthy in livestock and in silver and gold. 3 From the Negev he went from place to place until he came to Bethel, to the place between Bethel and Ai where his tent had been earlier 4 and where he had first built an altar. There Abram called on the name of the Lord. 5 Now Lot, who was moving about with Abram, also had flocks and herds and tents. 6 But the land could not support them while they stayed together, for their possessions were so great that they were not able to stay together. 7 And quarreling arose between Abram's herders and Lot's. The Canaanites and Perizzites were also living in the land at that time. 8 So Abram said to Lot, “Let's not have any quarreling between you and me, or between your herders and mine, for we are close relatives. 9 Is not the whole land before you? Let's part company. If you go to the left, I'll go to the right; if you go to the right, I'll go to the left.” 10 Lot looked around and saw that the whole plain of the Jordan toward Zoar was well watered, like the garden of the Lord, like the land of Egypt. (This was before the Lord destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah.) 11 So Lot chose for himself the whole plain of the Jordan and set out toward the east. The two men parted company: 12 Abram lived in the land of Canaan, while Lot lived among the cities of the plain and pitched his tents near Sodom.

Reach Out: Please include your email and I will get back to you. Thanks!Good morning! Thank you for taking a few minutes to listen. If you are interested in the Daily Bible Devotional, you can find it at the links below:Amazon - (paperback, hardcover, and Kindle)YouTube Video Introducing the ContentFeel free to reach out with any questions: emersonk78@me.comII Peter 2 Peter warns that false teachers will arise among the people. These individuals will secretly introduce destructive heresies and deny the Lord who bought them, bringing swift destruction upon themselves. Many will follow their shameful ways, and as a result, the truth will be maligned. These teachers are driven by greed and exploit others with deceitful words. Peter assures believers that God knows how to judge the wicked and rescue the righteous. He reminds them of past judgments, such as the flood and the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah. These false teachers are bold, arrogant, and corrupted by their sinful desires. They promise freedom but are themselves enslaved by sin. Peter exclaims it would have been better for them never to have known the truth than to malign it so sinfully.   We must remain alert and grounded in the truth of God's Word because false teachers still exist and can lead many astray. Their words may sound convincing, but their hearts are filled with pride and greed. We are called to test what we hear against Scripture and stay committed to sound teaching. We cannot follow the crowd or be swayed by messages that distort the truth. God is just and will judge those who corrupt His Word, but He also knows how to protect those who remain faithful. We must hold tightly to what is right, turn away from sinful desires, and live in a way that honors Christ. Our freedom is in Him, and we must never forsake our Savior.   Righteous Lord, guard our hearts against deception and help us stay anchored in Your truth. Grant us wisdom to recognize false teachings and courage to stand firm in what is right. Protect us from those who twist Your Word for their personal gain. Strengthen our faith so that we do not follow destructive paths but remain loyal to You. Assist us in seeking purity in our thoughts, actions, and desires. Lead us by Your Spirit so we may walk in truth and reflect Your holiness. Thank You for being just and for rescuing those who remain faithful to Your righteous way.   Thought Questions: -       How can you identify someone as a false teacher? Explain how it is about much more than just the accuracy of the message. -       What do the stories of Noah, Sodom and Gomorrah, and Lot teach you about the power and sovereignty of the almighty God? -       Is it possible to be entangled in the world and lost after being saved through Jesus? Why is that worse than never having obeyed at all?

Abraham was the paragon of faith. He was also the paragon of kindness and hospitality. When he was 99 years old and only three days removed from a very painful and debilitating circumcision surgery, Abraham launched into a frenzied act of superlative hospitality to three travelers (who later turned out to be angels). These twin […]