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Greg talks about a clip from Wes Huff's interview on Diary of a CEO and responds to objections to Hell, then he answers a question about whether ancient Greeks viewed their mythology the way we view Christianity now and people in the future will view Christianity the way we view Greek mythology now. Topics: Commentary: Just tell them the truth. (00:00) What makes Christianity different from the way Greek mythology was seen two thousand years ago, and how do we know it won't be seen as mythology in the future? (48:00) Mentioned on the Show: #STRask podcast with Greg and Amy Red Pen Logic with Mr. B Reality Student Apologetics Conference – March 13–14 in Philadelphia, PA; April 24–25 in Los Angeles, CA Clip of Wesley Huff on Diary of a CEO Full interview with Wesley Huff on Diary of a CEO Greg's debate with Deepak Chopra Greg's comments last week about the claim that God is a bad father The Mythmakers: The Remarkable Fellowship of C.S. Lewis & J.R.R. Tolkien by John Hendrix Can We Trust the Gospels? by Peter J. Williams Related Links: Don't Try to Make Christianity Look Good by Amy Hall The Bible among the Myths: Unique Revelation or Just Ancient Literature? by John Oswalt
In this episode of Gateways to Awakening, I sit down with Jose Maria Barrera, software engineer, photographer, and author of Dendera: Temple of Time, to explore one of the most mysterious and symbolically rich temples in all of Egypt — the Temple of Dendera.What begins as a conversation about ancient architecture quickly becomes something much deeper: a meditation on language, time, symbols, divinity, and the difference between modern precision and ancient wholeness.Jose bridges two worlds effortlessly — the scientific and the symbolic. As a data architect and lifelong student of Egyptian cosmology, he invites us to reconsider what we think we know about ancient civilizations. We explore:• Why the ceiling of Dendera — with its pristine zodiac — stunned Napoleon's scholars • How astrology is “science expressed in symbols” • The difference between precision (modern language) and wholeness (symbolic language) • Why ancient Egyptian hieroglyphs were considered sacred sounds • The cyclical nature of time — and why linear thinking may limit our perception • The Nile as a living metaphor for life, death, and rebirth • Why the builders of Dendera weren't building for “future civilizations” — but for eternityJose offers a profound reframe: the ancient Egyptians were not obsessed with death — they were celebrating life in its most finite and divine expression.This episode is a reminder that symbols are not primitive thinking — they are a different lens of intelligence.And perhaps most importantly:The world is not made of matter. It is made of meaning.1. Time is cyclical, not linear. Everything we measure — clocks, seasons, lunar cycles, the Nile flooding — is circular. The ancients lived inside this understanding.2. Astrology is symbolic astronomy. The zodiac at Dendera reflects Babylonian, Greek, and Egyptian synthesis — science encoded through sacred imagery.3. Precision and wholeness are two different intelligences. Modern civilization optimized for precision. Ancient civilizations optimized for symbolic integration.4. Language shapes reality. In ancient Egypt, sounds themselves were divine. To speak was to invoke god.5. Symbols preserve eternity. The Egyptians inscribed images in stone not for “future humans,” but because the symbols themselves were sacred and timeless.6. Life is divine because it ends. The finite nature of existence is what makes it miraculous.“Remember that from the moment you are born until the moment you die, you are the center of the universe. Every moment you experience is at the center of the universe — because everything is around you.”“They (The Egyptians) did not build for future civilizations. They built for eternity.”Tune in to Gateways to Awakening for more conversations with leading thinkers, creators, and spiritual pioneers shaping the future of consciousness. For more from me: follow my writing on Substack (substack.com/@therealyasmeent), find me on Instagram @TheRealYasmeenT, or visit InnerKnowingSchool.com.Thank you to Vastu Feng Shui, an app that aligns your home with your astrological grid.
What matters most to God when it comes to His Church? Is it how many people we can gather in a room? How compelling the preaching is? How precisely we can unpack a verse in Greek or Hebrew? What if it's none of those things? In this teaching, Francis Chan paints a picture of the kind of community God actually desires - one marked by deep unity, sacrificial love, and shared mission. Drawing from the early church and the call to love one another, he challenges us to reconsider what we've prioritized and to refocus on what will matter for eternity. This message will encourage and equip you with practical ways to show up for your brothers and sisters in Christ, pursue real unity, and navigate disagreements with humility and peace. If you long for a faith that feels more like family and a church that reflects the heart of God, this message will stir you to draw closer to Jesus and to the people He's placed around you.
Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for March 9, 2026 is: hector • HEK-ter • verb To hector someone is to criticize or question them in a threatening way. // The judge ordered the attorney to stop hectoring the witness. See the entry > Examples: “He continued to hector Neal about his inattention to business (‘I have been waiting to hear from you,' again, and again, and again), without any tangible results.” — Jem Aswad, Variety, 5 Aug. 2025 Did you know? In Homer's Iliad, Hector, the eldest son of King Priam of Troy, was a model soldier, son, father, and friend, the champion of the Trojan army until he was killed by the Greek hero Achilles. So how did his name become a verb meaning “to intimidate or harass”? That use was likely influenced by gangs of rowdy street toughs who roamed London in the 17th century and called themselves “Hectors.” They may have thought themselves gallant young blades (that's sense 3b(3)), but to the general populace they were swaggering bullies who intimidated passersby and vandalized property.
Want to get even more jacked? Grab the RP Hypertrophy App for your training, and maximize your gym efforts with the RP Diet Coach App to nail your nutrition. Dr. Pak's Links: https://www.instagram.com/dr__pak/ https://www.youtube.com/@Dr__Pak 00:00:00 - "The Pakman's" Greek heritage 00:06:25 - Myth 1: Can you actually measure body fat accurately? 00:10:45 - Why body fat tests vary so much (Dexa, Bod Pod, BIA) 00:15:30 - Waist circumference as a better health predictor 00:21:10 - Myth 2: Does high body fat prevent muscle gain? 00:27:30 - The challenge of maintenance 00:33:00 - Defining a healthy body fat range for men and women 00:37:45 - Visual body fat charts and why they are unreliable 00:44:00 - How lighting and social media distort our expectations
Read OnlinePeter approached Jesus and asked him, “Lord, if my brother sins against me, how often must I forgive him? As many as seven times?” Jesus answered, “I say to you, not seven times but seventy-seven times.” Matthew 18:21–22After replying to Peter, Jesus tells a parable about a servant who owed his master a “huge amount.” The literal translation from the Greek is “ten thousand talents.” One talent alone was a substantial sum, equivalent to about twenty years of wages for a day laborer. Therefore, ten thousand talents would represent an astonishing debt—roughly 200,000 years of wages, or about 24 billion U.S. dollars for a worker making $50 an hour.It's difficult to even fathom that much. Jesus uses this immense amount to emphasize His point. When the king in the parable decided to settle accounts with his servants and the one who owed him this enormous debt was brought before him, the king initially decided to have the man and his family sold into slavery. However, the servant pleaded with the king, asking for more time and promising to repay the debt in full. As a result, the king forgave the entire debt. This was undoubtedly a life-changing day for the servant.Things changed quickly, however. When that servant encountered one of his fellow servants who owed him a much smaller amount—100 denarii in Greek—he immediately demanded repayment. When his fellow servant pleaded for mercy, the man refused and had him thrown into prison. Using the same calculation, 100 denarii would be 100 days' wages or 40,000 U.S. dollars.The contrast is stark! The king represents God, and each of us represents the servant forgiven for the enormous debt. When we beg for mercy, God grants it in superabundance. He knows that we are unable to repay the debt of our sins, so He wipes it away with one condition: that we, in turn, forgive everyone who sins against us.Jesus tells this parable in response to Peter's question about how often he must forgive his brother who sins against him. Peter suggests, “Seven times?” but Jesus responds with the symbolic number, “Seventy-seven times,” meaning that our forgiveness should have no limits—an infinite number of times. How well do we live out this call?Overcoming anger is challenging, as we often feel that justice should be served when we are wronged. But perhaps if someone came to us, confessed his or her sin, and begged for mercy, we might offer it. But Jesus teaches that forgiveness must go beyond mere words—it must come from the heart. It must be sincere, complete, and without reservation. Every fiber of our being must forgive. And if someone sins against us and refuses to acknowledge any wrongdoing, the same applies: We must forgive even that unrepentant person from the heart. This is no easy task.If forgiveness is difficult for you, as it is for most people, consider the consequences of withholding forgiveness. When the king in this parable learned that his servant refused to forgive his fellow servant's small debt, he “handed him over to the torturers until he should pay back the whole debt.” Jesus concludes the parable with a stark warning: “So will my heavenly Father do to you, unless each of you forgives your brother from your heart.” This should inspire a holy fear in us, often called servile fear—a fear of punishment that helps turn us away from sin. This is a good starting point, but the ideal is to cultivate filial fear, the fear of offending God that springs from love. When we truly love God and experience His infinite mercy, we strive to avoid sin not just out of fear of punishment but because we do not want to hurt or offend our loving Father.Reflect today on two key things. First, grasp the unfathomable mercy God has given you. Let it fill your heart with deep gratitude. Second, call to mind anyone against whom you harbor anger or resentment. Even the smallest trace of unforgiveness must be confronted. Make an act of your will to forgive, and continue doing so until that forgiveness flows sincerely from your heart.Most merciful God, Your mercy is unfathomable. I beg for Your forgiveness for my sins. There is no way I can ever repay You. I acknowledge that Your forgiveness is contingent upon me offering the same mercy to everyone who has sinned against me. Please soften my heart, Lord, so that I may offer others the same mercy You have granted me. Jesus, I trust in You.Image via Adobe StockSource: Free RSS feed from catholic-daily-reflections.com — Copyright © 2026 My Catholic Life! Inc. All rights reserved. This content is provided solely for personal, non-commercial use. Redistribution, republication, or commercial use — including use within apps with advertising — is strictly prohibited without written permission.
On Monday's edition of WagerTalk Today, Steve Merril takes a look at WCC College Hoops Doubleheader Action and gives a best bet in Nuggets vs Thunder NBA action. Bill Krackomberger stops by to talk the latest in the betting industry and give his favorite NBA prop bet for Monday. Andy Lang & Dan Alexander provide props and share free picks and Gianni The Greek gives daily betting advice – don't miss out!Intro 00:00Gianni the Greek 3:20Why Betting CBB Can be So Profitable 6:00Gianni's Steam Report 7:58UFC – What To Do When You're Not Seeing It Well? 11:19Bill Krackomberger 25:21Betting CBB – Why Getting Lines Early Matters 26:00College Hoops Conference Tournaments – Bill's Strategy 31:00Bill's Free NBA Prop 32:57Bill's Weekly Tweet Controversy 35:19Steve Merril 42:00NBA: Denver Nuggets vs Oklahoma City Thunder 44:00Steve NBA Team's to bet on? 46:36CBB: Oregon State vs Gonzaga 49:35CBB: Santa Clara vs St. Mary's CA 52:00Andy All Around the World (NBA, Tennis & NHL) Free Picks 58:00NFL Trades & FA – Needle Movers? 1:01:00
We explore Jesus' famous Sermon on the Mount and its context within Jewish law and culture at the time. Jesus challenged the prevailing interpretations of the Law of Moses by the Pharisees, emphasizing the moral principles behind the laws and elevating them to a higher standard. Jesus' teachings were met with contrasting responses, with those of faith reacting positively and the self-righteous negatively. Jesus also demonstrates adherence to the Law, demonstrating his commitment to fulfill the Law.Bible ReadingsMatthew 5:1-48Matthew 6:1-34Matthew 7:1-29Support the showRead along with us in the Bible Brief App! Try the Bible Brief book for an offline experience!Get your free Bible Timeline with the 10 Steps: Timeline LinkSupport the show: Tap here to become a monthly supporter!Review the show: Tap here!Want to go deeper?...Download the Bible Brief App!iPhone: App Store LinkAndroid: Play Store LinkWant a physical book? Check out "Bible Brief" by our founder!Amazon: Amazon LinkWebsite: biblebrief.orgInstagram: @realbiblebriefX: @biblebriefFacebook: @realbiblebriefEmail the Show: biblebrief@biblelit.org Want to learn the Bible languages (Greek & Hebrew)? Check out our partner Biblingo (and use our link/code for a discount!): https://bibli...
Unicornian origins, Greek mythology, and bodies that are dying around us… Oh lawd, it's about to get pretty dark! These ‘90s kids are rounding out their coverage of a film (and novel) that, though elusive to both of them in childhood, has plenty of nostalgic, achy yearning to go around. They'll lead you through this Unicorn-hero's journey centered on mortality, identity, and regret – built by not only the terrifyingly finite nature of time, but our inherent need for authenticity and community. Don't worry, Darklings, your Unicorn might still be coming ‘round the mountain. Email us at thatsprettydarkpodcast@gmail.com Give to our Patreon for extra content: patreon.com/tpdpodcast Follow us on Instagram and Facebook @thatsprettydarkpodcast Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Pastor Luke Simmons unpacks why our physical lives and practices matter so much for our spiritual formation. In this message from our series, "The Glory of Salvation," he explains how baptism and the Lord's Supper serve as God-given, physical pictures of the invisible realities of salvation. Luke contrasts ancient Greek ideas about the body and soul with the Bible's vision of whole-person redemption, then walks through what Scripture teaches about baptism and communion. He also answers common pastoral questions: - What is baptism, and what does it actually signify? - What is the Lord's Supper, and how is it different from baptism? - Does baptism save you? - Are you baptized into a local church or into Christ? - Why does our church encourage kids to wait to be baptized? - How should parents think about kids and communion? - Should you get baptized again if you were baptized as a child? - Why do we take the Lord's Supper every week? Whether you're new to Christianity or have followed Jesus for years, this sermon will help you better understand and appreciate these two key practices and how they point you to Christ's finished work.00:00 - Introduction09:42 - What is Baptism?15:09 - What is the Lord's Supper?**HOW TO FIND US*** SUBSCRIBE TO OUR YouTube CHANNEL: https://www.youtube.com/@IronwoodChurchAZFACEBOOK https://www.facebook.com/ironwoodchurchaz/ INSTAGRAM https://www.instagram.com/ironwood.church/WEBSITE https://www.ironwoodchurch.org/
Dylan Gott and John Hastings talk about the only Greek world champion in pro wrestling history, Jim Londos. He was a big draw in the 1930s and fuggin Jim Cornette loves him. Lets. Get. Bored. @wrestlerreview patreon.com/wrestlerreview
We have all heard rumours that ancient religions used children in ritual sacrifice. But did it really happen? To discuss the evidence, Helen and Lloyd are joined in the Time Machine by Dr Eve MacDonald, lecturer at Cardiff University and author of the acclaimed, Carthage: A New History of an Ancient Empire (Penguin, 2025). Dr MacDonald answers questions like: Did human sacrifice really occur in the ancient world, and what does the archaeological evidence actually show?What happened in the Great Death Pit at Ur, and what does it reveal about ancient burial rituals?Why do ancient myths and biblical stories so often centre on the sacrifice of young girls?Did the Carthaginians really practise child sacrifice, and what does the evidence from the Tophet suggest?How did Greeks and Romans use accusations of shocking religious practices to demonise their enemies—and even early Christians?SUPPORT BIBLICAL TIME MACHINEIf you enjoy the podcast, please (pretty please!) consider supporting the show through the Time Travellers Club, our Patreon. We are an independent, listener-supported show (no ads!), so please help us continue to showcase high-quality biblical scholarship with a monthly subscription.Support the showTheme music written and performed by Dave Roos, creator of Biblical Time Machine. Season 4 produced by John Nelson.
THIS WEEK's BIRDS: New music from Rajna Swaminathan; New experiential music from Lukas Ligeti & group;Tunisian jazz vocalist Fatima Charii; Scandanavian group Söndörgő; Sudanese jazz from Sharhabil Ahmed; ta'arab inspired vocal music music from Nyankol Mathiang Dut (Grande Comore); 70s Algerian pop/rock from Les Abrades; live in Deuthlkand: Frank Foster, Jürgen Seefelder, Thomas Stabenow & Keith Copelandfrom; South Indian mârgam from Srimati Nandini Sharma et al. Greek vocals and Balkan instruments from, respectively, Stelios Kazantzides, Sotiria Mpellou, & Laver Bariu; Muneer B. Fennell & The Rhythm String Band; new ensemble music from Jon Irabagon; compositional jazz from Things of This Nature (Caylie Davis, Chris Ferrari, Shogo Yamagishi, JHJ MAzza); Rajasthani vocal from Allah Jilai Bai Bikaner; from and, as ever.....much, much, much more.... Catch the BIRDS live on Friday nights, 9:00pm-MIDNIGHT (EST), in Central New York on WRFI, 88.1 FM Ithaca/ 88.5 FM Odessa;. and WORLDWIDE online via our MUSIC PLAYER at WRFI.ORG. 24/7 via PODBEAN: https://conferenceofthebirds.podbean.com via iTUNES: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/conference-of-the-birds-podcast/id478688580 Also available at podomatic, Internet Archive, podtail, iheart Radio, and elsewhere. Always FREE of charge to listen to the radio program and free also to stream, download, and subscribe to the podcast online: PLAYLIST at SPINITRON: https://spinitron.com/WRFI/pl/22046673/Conference-of-the-Birds and via the Conference of the Birds page at www.WRFI.ORG https://www.wrfi.org/wrfiprograms/conferenceofthebirds/ Join us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/conferenceofthebirds/?ref=bookmarks Find WRFI on Radio Garden: http://radio.garden/visit/ithaca-ny/aqh8OGBR NEW MAILING ADDRESS: Stephen Cope @ Conference of the Birds, POBOX 428, Tivoli, NY, 12583, USA.
We have arrived! This episode explores the final and highest rung of the Apostle Peter's “virtue ladder”- agape, the selfless, God‑shaped love that defines the true purpose of Christian character. We walk through how each previous rung—faith, moral excellence, knowledge, self‑control, perseverance, godliness and brotherly kindness—builds the capacity to reach this culminating form of love. While Strong's Concordance’s Greek definition of agape may sound simple or even underwhelming, Scripture masterfully fills the word with depth, weight and divine intention. This eight and final rung powerfully reveals the height what our Christian characters aspire to! The love of God Himself Agape is the love God demonstrates in giving His only begotten son. It is the love Jesus lived by laying down his life, and the love the apostles taught as the unmistakable evidence of spiritual maturity. This love is “disinterested” in the classical sense—free from selfish motive, seeking no advantage and offered even when it is not reciprocated. It is critical to remember that while this kind of love grows out of brotherly kindness, it surpasses it by embracing even the hardest expressions of love: loving enemies, blessing those who persecute us and caring for those we don't naturally like. A powerful illustration of this is the story of Maximilian Kolbe, who voluntarily took another man's place in a starvation bunker at Auschwitz—an act that embodied Christlike, sacrificial agape. The first few verses of 1 Corinthians 13, show us how this kind of love must shape what we as Christians say, know and do; without it, eloquence becomes noise, knowledge becomes pride, and even great acts of sacrifice lose their spiritual value. Finally, we observe how the Scriptures remind us that perfect love casts out fear, and that agape matures in us as we continually practice the earlier virtues. When brotherly love is strong and relationships are aligned with God's will, agape becomes the defining purpose of a disciple's life, shining as the highest expression of Christlikeness. Key Takeaways Agape is the highest rung of Christian character, built on the foundation of the previous seven virtues. Strong's definition is insufficient—Scripture reveals agape as God's own selfless, sacrificial love. Jesus models agape through his willingness to lay down his life. Agape includes loving enemies and those we don't naturally like. Without agape, words, knowledge and actions lose spiritual value (1 Corinthians 13). Perfect love casts out fear, revealing maturity and alignment with God's purpose.
Lords: AP https://store.steampowered.com/app/2364580/Titanium_Court/ Alexander Topics: The 5th Ramsey number Why Mr. Satan (from Dragonball) is one of my favorite characters in all of literature The Odyssey 2's ROM sprites https://media24.fireside.fm/file/fireside-uploads-2024/images/3/3597ddeb-e52e-4cda-a59c-c64600489fea/Evl0wxIY.png https://media24.fireside.fm/file/fireside-uploads-2024/images/3/3597ddeb-e52e-4cda-a59c-c64600489fea/gNkdwtoA.jpg Search Lizard Vagina And You Shall Find by Patricia Lockwood Why do drugs have two names? What's up with that? Microtopics: Recording the fakest possible sounding laughter in case someone makes a joke that doesn't work. Going on a nice short walk. The PNW, where the frogs are a-croaking. Going out to see the dog pee. Lying down and pretending to sleep Explaining to the doctor that you didn't sleep at all and he's like "that's not what your brain waves said!" Dreaming that you've been awake for 48 hours. Path of totality vs. regular shitty boring eclipse. Consume Me. Attempting to become hot in high school. Whether unwishlisting and rewishlisting a game helps. Very large prime numbers that are only two apart. Prolific math speed freaks. Whether the aliens know the fifth Ramsey Number and are just quizzing us. Aliens visiting and sharing the ultimate secret to doing laundry. Sentient arithmetic getting angry. How do kangaroos clean their pouches? Topics that don't cause listenership to drop precipitously. Thinking about Mr. Satan in the bath. Localizing Mr. Satan for the American audience. A cartoon of two muscly guys screaming at each other, getting louder and higher pitched over the course of five minutes, to the point that you start worrying about the health of the voice actors. An episode of TV that's just 22 pure minutes of building tension. Goku's hair turning blond so that the manga artist doesn't have to laboriously color his hair black al on every panel. Everyone in the story growing strong enough to blow up the planet on a whim. Everyone on Earth showing up to cheer on Mr. Satan. When wrestlers stopped maintaining kayfabe outside of the live show. King Lear asking the audience if they can see the corpse breathing. Giving annoying characters a moment of sincerity and/or heroism. Enthusiastically chanting for Satan. Witnessing the total horror of the universe and then being like "I didn't just see that" Mr. Satan convincing the evil alien not to destroy the Earth by showing him a cool puppy. How is Goku going to prevent spam bots from registering accounts? A weird lens on this strange universe. Sincerity punchlines. Behold, an anime horse! Top 37 Classiest Satans. Death losing every game against Bill and Ted. Coloring the up arrow green to represent a tree in your skiing game. The division symbol you learned in grade school and never used again. When you want to shoot a golf course, a plane or a tiny flat cake. Collecting your favorite medieval manuscript scans. The medieval scribe deciding on a whim to write the next passage in Greek. The guy plucking penises off of the penis bush and putting them in a basket. My brain, and the bad sunning lizard inside it. Here is some pornography, if it will help you. Great job, Canada. Poems that foresee themselves being uploaded to the Internet. One of the early "isn't it weird that this literary person is on Twitter writing shitposts?" My Least Favorite Antibiotic. Wrapping your antibiotic in a tortilla. I love an antibiotic with a nickname. Magic acts you can only do once. (Because they kill you.) Settling Space. (And why we shouldn't do it.) Establishing legal precedent for selling moon rocks. Can God get a thorn stuck in his paw? There's No P in Thomson. Let's try to keep it that way.
Have you ever looked at a piece of toast, a cloud or a nearby house and had the impression there's a face in it, looking right back at you? If you're like most people, it happens to you on a regular basis, and once you've seen the face, you just can't un-see it! It's down to a human tendency known as pareidolia. The psychological phenomenon comes from the Greek words para, meaning “beside” or “beyond” and “idolia”, meaning form or image. It's basically our brains playing tricks on us, but for a very good reason. And it's nothing new either; Renaissance artist Leonardo da Vinci wrote about it in his notebooks. Pareidolia is an example of apophenia, which is the tendency to make sense of, or connect things that are actually unconnected. Our brains are always looking for patterns in information from the outside world, to use as a basis for the decisions we make. Do you have any examples? Why does the brain do that then? Are some people more affected than others? In under 3 minutes, we answer your questions! To listen to the latest episodes, click here: What is bae-realing, the new dating trend? Why are Christmas adverts so moving? Could Mastodon replace Twitter? A Bababam Originals podcast, written and produced by Joseph Chance. First Broadcast: 3/12/2022 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
“He Is” Series Day #1 Elohim (God as Creator) Genesis1:1 “In the beginning when God created the heavens and the earth.” Welcome to He Is, a devotional journey through the names of God. So often we focus on what we need from God — peace, provision, healing, direction. But in this series, we're going to shift our focus to who He is. Because when we truly know His name, we begin to trust His heart. Over the Next month or so, we'll explore the powerful names of God found in Scripture — from Jehovah Jireh, our Provider, to El Roi, the God who sees us — and allow each name to renew our faith and anchor our identity in Him. Lateley I have been hearing people mention the various names for God. It is not new for me to hear things like, God is our provider or God is our healer. However, I have been hearing people use the Hebrew and Greek names for the Lord. These are new to me. I have heard a few before, but I didn't realize there were so many. The other day, I heard someone mention a few of the names, and I felt in my heart that I was supposed to do a series on them in case others haven't heard of them either. The more we know about God, the closer we can get to Him. If we don't know God, if we don't know all of Him, then how can we trust Him? How can we be in a close relationship with Him if we don't know who He is? I pray that at the end of this series, you know more about God and who He really is. I pray you learn more about God than you did before. I pray this series not only blesses you, but transforms your view of God and our relationship with Him! Elohim is the first name for God given in the Bible. It was given in the very beginning when describing how God created everything. Today's verse is, “In the beginning, when God created the heavens and the earth.” However, that chapter goes into much more detail about all things God created in those first few days. God spoke the entire universe into existence. He thought of light and darkness. He thought of land and water. He thought of animals for the land and for the sea. He thought of days and nights and the sun and the moon. He thought of everything. I invite you to take a moment and think about your life. Think about how much detail went into creating the life you have now. Imagine how many things had to line up in order for you to have your parents. Imagine all the things that lined up so you could go to the school you went to or have the job that you have. When I take a moment to look at my life, I think about all the ways God was creating the life that I have now. In high school, I dated a guy whom I thought I would marry. I wanted to go to school in New Jersey to be close to where he was. However, I ended up going to school in Connecticut because I couldn't afford the school in New Jersey. I ended up breaking up with my high school boyfriend two years later. Then my roommate was taking ROTC classes at UCONN. They had a bring-a-friend day, and that is where I met the man I would marry. God knew what He was creating. When Tony and I got married, we had to move away from family because he was in the military. We both agreed that once he was done with his four-year commitment, then we would get out of the military, unless we both wanted to stay in. Which we both agreed was unlikely. Then, 4 years turned into 15 years before we finally moved back close to family. It turns out God knew what He was doing, and we both loved moving to new places, meeting new people, and exploring different parts of the world. God is an amazing creator. He can orchestrate things we never would have thought of. He can work with you to create the most amazing life you can dream of. He can create jobs you didn't even know existed. I was just listening to a podcast this morning about a couple who started doing TikTok videos as a spur-of-the-moment decision. Now the husband has quit his full-time job, they make money from their videos, and they're taking on other adventures they never would have thought of before. When you look at this couple on paper, they do not look like they would fit together at all. She has ADHD, and he has autism. He had a steady job for over 20 years, and she bounced from job to job. He has had 2 divorces and two children with two different moms. She has had numerous relationships with men and women that have never worked out. Even when they talk about their relationship, they talk about how it doesn't make sense on paper. They are two very different people. Yet God helped them create a beautiful life together. They have learned so much about each other and how they function best. They have gone into business together, making these videos, and have written a book or two. Things are really good with them. I do want to say one thing that I think we tend to overlook a lot. God did create a beautiful life for me and Tony and for this couple and for so many others. However, that doesn't mean we go through life perfectly without any problems. God didn't say we wouldn't struggle; He said he would be there with us through the struggle. So, Tony and I still argue with each other, we still argue with our kids, and we still struggle with life at times. Yet, we know God is here with us to help us through it. The same is true for you. When you look at your life and you wonder why you might be struggling, remember that God is with you in your struggle. Try to find the amazing things about your life. Try to focus on the good instead of the bad. If all you see are the bad things in your life, then pray to Elohim. Pray to God to create more of whatever you feel you are missing in your life. Do you need Him to create more joy, more fun, more adventure, more love, more peace? Whatever it is, ask Him for it. Ask Him to help you create the life you have been dreaming of, the life you have always wanted. God is an amazing creator. If he can create the entire world in 7 days, I think He can make some magic happen in your life as well. All we need to do is ask. Dear Elohim, please bless all those listening to this episode today. Lord, you are the creator of all things good. You are the reason we have what we have. Thank you, Lord! Thank you for our families, friends, and all those in our lives. Lord, help us to create the life we want to live. Help us to create a life full of all the things you have put in our hearts. Help us to remember to come to you first, Lord! Help us to remember that you are always there with us and that you are the creator of all! We love you, and we ask this in accordance with your will and in Jesus's holy name, Amen! Thank you so much for joining me on this journey to walk boldly with Jesus. I look forward to meeting you here again tomorrow. Remember, Jesus loves you just as you are, and so do I! God is on your side and we are both rooting for you! Have a blessed day! Today's Word from the Lord was received in September 2025 by a member of my Catholic Charismatic Prayer Group. If you have any questions about the prayer group, these words, or how to join us for a meeting, please email CatholicCharismaticPrayerGroup@gmail.com. Today's Word from the Lord is, “My children, I know you listen. I know you hear me. Don't turn your back on me when I tell you something to do. Do it. It'll turn out right, because I am in it. And I have commanded it.” www.findingtruenorthcoaching.comCLICK HERE TO DONATECLICK HERE to sign up for Mentoring CLICK HERE to sign up for Daily "Word from the Lord" emailsCLICK HERE to sign up for my newsletter & receive a free audio training about inviting Jesus into your daily lifeCLICK HERE to buy my book Total Trust in God's Safe Embrace
Your Faith Journey - Finding God Through Words, Song and Praise
Year A – Third Sunday in Lent– March 8, 2026 Pastor Megan Floyd Exodus 17:1-7 John 4:1-42 Grace and peace to you from God and the Holy Spirit, and from Jesus Christ, who is truly the Savior of the world. Amen. *** Many… many years ago, Bill and I had the privilege of attending my friend's wedding… she and her partner got married in the Valley of Fire in the Grand Canyon… at sunset. It was… spectacular! Our little party was delivered to this magical location on helicopters, which flew us through the Canyon, across the incredible landscape that just… stretched on for as far as I could see. As we flew, the walls of the Canyon were on either side of us, and yet, my brain couldn't make sense of the scale. Then the pilot pointed out a little dark spec that was way under us… he said, "That's the other helicopter." Those four words… radically changed my perspective. I mean… sure, I could see that the place was well worth the title of 'Grand,' …but suddenly, 'Grand' couldn't even contain the full scope of where we were. Nothing could… I don't think there is any word in our language that can truly encapsulate the landscape… the magnitude… of what we call… The Grand Canyon. And the same is true… about God's love. God's love is so grand… so deep and wide and never ending… that we bump up against the same inability to fully wrap our minds around the full scope… the full scale of what it really means… that God so loved the world. On that helicopter… I didn't even begin to understand how big that landscape was until the pilot showed me what it meant… until he gave me a new perspective and showed me how Grand it really was. And that's what's happening in our text today… Jesus is showing the disciples what it means… that God so loved the world. Telling them isn't going to be enough… he must show them… which is why it was necessary for them to go through Samaria. Verse 4. Our translation reads, "But he had to go through Samaria." …the Greek word is stronger than that, though… It was 'necessary' …it was imperative that he go through Samaria. Why? …they were traveling north from Judea to Galilee… and Samaria is between those two places. But, as the text points out… something that everyone at the time would have understood… very clearly… the Jews and the Samaritans do not associate with each other. It was an ancient family feud… they have the same ancestors… but different theology around the critical question of… where is God found? For the Jewish people, God was found in the Temple in Jerusalem… in the Holy of Holies. That's where they went to worship. For the Samaritans, God was found high on the top of Mount Gerizim. That's where they went to worship. They had other differences as well, but this was the most pressing theological question of their time... the question that went back to the time of Moses, in the wilderness of Sin, when they were dying of thirst… Where is God? Is the Lord among us or not? These are heavy questions… and modern denominations have split apart for less. So, to avoid the tension and the feud, Jewish people traveling from Judea to Galilee would have taken the road that ran along the Jordan River Valley. They would not have climbed through the mountains of Samaria. So why… why was it necessary for them to go through Samaria? It was necessary… because Jesus needed to show his disciples the full scale and scope of his ministry… he needed to give them a new perspective. Jesus needed to challenge their assumptions about who is in and who is out… he needed to widen their understanding of what sort of people Jesus was seeking… about whom he loved. So he took them to the very place they would have assumed was excluded. Samaria. Jesus needs to go there to find his first witness… he needs to find her… the unnamed, unmarried, powerless, Samaritan woman… discarded or widowed five times over… now living with the brother of her late husband in a Levirate marriage. She is a nobody… an outsider among religious outsiders… visiting the well when no one else would have been there… at the hottest… and brightest time of the day. Remember what I said about day and night in the Gospel of John? She's there when the sun is at its brightest… and with this woman… Jesus proceeds to have the longest recorded conversation that he has with anybody… in any of the four gospels. It was necessary for him to go through Samaria… to find… her. Now, like anyone who talks to Jesus, she doesn't fully understand him at first, but she sticks with it… and she trusts him with her truth. So, in response to her faith and her growing understanding around the coming Messiah… he shares his truth… He is… the I AM… the Great I AM… the same I AM from the burning bush and Moses… I know our translation says that Jesus replies, "I am he" …but that's just added grammar for verbal flow. Jesus' response to her is only… I AM. …and his statement holds the power and weight of all the other I AM statements. He reveals his true identity to her… before any of the disciples figured it out. And in her joy, she left her water jar at the well to run to share the good news with her neighbors… She told them of her experience… of her encounter with this man… she shared her wondering… "He cannot be the Messiah, can he?" And she invited them to come and see… come and meet him… come, and hear from him yourself. She shared her witness… her testimony… and then invited them to come and experience him for themselves. And because of her witness, her town became followers of Jesus… and were the first to recognize that he was truly… the Savior of the world. This… out-of-the-way place… in Samaria. Its… incredible. And this is only chapter four! Jesus hasn't hardly done anything yet! He was identified by John the Baptist as the Lamb of God, come to take away the sin of the world. …then he called his first disciples… …and they enjoyed a party at the Wedding at Cana, where, thanks to some strong encouragement from his mother, Mary, Jesus ensured there would be plenty of the very best wine for the happy couple and their guests. After that, Jesus went to the Temple, where he… caused a scene. The other gospels have this Temple scene happening at the end of his ministry. John, however, has it at the beginning… it gives Jesus quite the reputation. And then Nicodemus came to visit him… at night. That's really all that has happened until this point, when he started heading back to Galilee and said it was necessary for them to go through Samaria. Jesus was still seeking someone he could entrust his identity to… so he went to find this woman. She taught the disciples… as she teaches us… how to be a witness… how to share our stories of encounter with God… with our Savior, Jesus Christ. We don't need to fully understand every moment of meaning… only that meeting Jesus is to encounter God… the Holy Spirit… the Divine among us… and to be in relationship with him brings salvation. We don't have to convince others… Jesus can do that… we just need to invite people to come and see… come and encounter a love so pure and inclusive, that it's hard to wrap our minds around. Jesus was also seeking to demonstrate to his disciples… to give them a new perspective of just how grand God's love really was. He needed to push all the boundaries and prejudices they held… and choose the most unlikely person to be the first one with whom he shared his truth. She was his first witness… the first evangelist… starting the first church… first worshipping community… who understood that the answer to the most pressing theological question of their time… Where is God? …that the answer was, God is with us, wherever we are. Jesus needed to give them all some perspective… and we still need that today. We like to draw boundaries… we like to know who's in and who's out… We like to think that this is all something we can fully wrap our minds around and have some certainty about it. …especially when it comes to God's approval… and God's love. But it's hard to hold that kind of scope and scale in our minds… so we need this constant reminder… this continual renewal of our perspective… this pointing out of those people that we might be tempted to exclude… God's love includes them, too. For God so loved the world… will always be so much bigger than we can imagine, which is good news… because it means that no matter what, everyone is in. Amen.
Boys will be boys but sometimes everything goes wrong. Daisy, Gia, and Jenn are forced to talk about the darker side of Greek life. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Two Jersey Js with Jackie Goldschneider and Jennifer Fessler
Boys will be boys but sometimes everything goes wrong. Daisy, Gia, and Jenn are forced to talk about the darker side of Greek life. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Feeling stressed? Relax with tonight's bedtime story, the Greek myth The Golden Touch. Support the podcast and enjoy ad-free and bonus episodes. Try FREE for 7 days on Apple Podcasts. For other podcast platforms go to https://justsleeppodcast.com/supportOr, you can support with a one time donation at buymeacoffee.com/justsleeppodOrder your copy of the Just Sleep book! https://www.justsleeppodcast.com/book/It's the 5th anniversary of the show! If you'd like to share how the podcast has helped you, email me at hello@justsleeppodcast.comI would love to hear from you.If you like this episode, please remember to follow on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or your favourite podcast app. Also, share with any family or friends that might have trouble drifting off.Goodnight! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Reading With Your Kids" welcomes two wonderful guests who celebrate the magic of stories, family, and imagination. First, New York Times bestselling author Tracy Wolff joins Jed to talk about her new middle grade fantasy, The After Myth. Tracy shares how the excitement of a new book release never fades, especially when a story is as personal as this one. She reveals that her heroine Penelope and sidekick Fifi are secretly based on her real-life college best friend and herself. Tracy describes The After Myth as a Greek‑mythology‑inspired adventure set at Naximanders Academy, where Penelope expects to be sorted into the Athena hall like generations of her family—but ends up somewhere completely different. Along the way, the book reexamines the myth of Pandora's Box and asks whether we've been blaming the wrong person all these years. Tracy also gives a fun peek into her creative process, from story "bibles" and giant bulletin boards to rewriting her opening chapters over and over until the story finally clicks. Next, Jed chats with author and publisher Eric G. Reid about his heartwarming picture book Dad, Someone Took the Moon. Inspired by a sarcastic comment from his teenage son at the bus stop, the book became a tender keepsake filled with "easter eggs" from his son's childhood. Eric and Jed talk about the joy of reading aloud, how picture books can still move teens and adults, and what it's really like to publish children's books today—including illustrations, AI, and supporting indie bookstores.
QUOTES FOR REFLECTION “There is a price to pay for speaking the truth. There is a bigger price for living a lie.”~Cornel West, philosopher, theologian and activist “Everyone is a moon, and has a dark side which he never shows to anybody.”~Mark Twain (1835-1910), from his 1897 travelogue Following the Equator “Amiable agnostics will talk cheerfully about ‘man's search for God.' To me, as I then was, they might as well have talked about the mouse's search for the cat.”~C.S. Lewis (1898-1963), writer, professor, and literary scholar “The Bible is the perpetual motion of the spirit, an ocean of meaning, its waves beating against man's abrupt and steep shortcomings, its echo reaching into the blind alleys of his wrestling with despair.”~Abraham Joshua Heschel (1907-1972), Polish-born rabbi-theologian in God in Search of Man “The pharisee within usurps my true self whenever I prefer appearances to reality, whenever I am afraid of God, whenever I surrender the control of my soul to rules rather than risk living in union with Jesus, when I choose to look good and not be good, when I prefer appearances to reality.”~Brennan Manning (1934-2013), author and former priest “There is a vast difference between self-conviction and Holy Spirit-conviction. When God convicts, He gets specific with us about our sin… He uses specific Scriptures. And His kindness toward us leads to a hopeful conclusion of repentance and dependence. Self-conviction, and the conviction of the enemy, on the other hand, is wide-ranging, condemning, and defeatist. It leads back to self: ‘Try harder and do better' … It will lead us right back where we started – awash in guilt and condemnation.”~Christine Hoover, author and speaker “If Jesus is a wonderful Savior in every way except where we are the most hypocritical, then He is no Savior for us.”~Ray Ortlund, author and minister “God's righteousness compels him... to have to judge the guilty. But then he offers forgiveness and says ‘I will not judge you according to your works.' So... he sends his Son... so that now when he calls you his own... he has not compromised his righteousness.”~Jackie Hill Perry, poet, writer, and hip-hop artistSERMON PASSAGERomans 3:1-9 (ESV)Romans 2 17 But if you call yourself a Jew and rely on the law and boast in God 18 and know his will and approve what is excellent, because you are instructed from the law; 19 and if you are sure that you yourself are a guide to the blind, a light to those who are in darkness, 20 an instructor of the foolish, a teacher of children, having in the law the embodiment of knowledge and truth— 21 you then who teach others, do you not teach yourself? While you preach against stealing, do you steal? 22 You who say that one must not commit adultery, do you commit adultery? You who abhor idols, do you rob temples? 23 You who boast in the law dishonor God by breaking the law. 24 For, as it is written, “The name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you.” 25 For circumcision indeed is of value if you obey the law, but if you break the law, your circumcision becomes uncircumcision. 26 So, if a man who is uncircumcised keeps the precepts of the law, will not his uncircumcision be regarded as circumcision? 27 Then he who is physically uncircumcised but keeps the law will condemn you who have the written code and circumcision but break the law. 28 For no one is a Jew who is merely one outwardly, nor is circumcision outward and physical. 29 But a Jew is one inwardly, and circumcision is a matter of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the letter. His praise is not from man but from God.Romans 3 1 Then what advantage has the Jew? Or what is the value of circumcision? 2 Much in every way. To begin with, the Jews were entrusted with the oracles of God. 3 What if some were unfaithful? Does their faithlessness nullify the faithfulness of God? 4 By no means! Let God be true though every one were a liar, as it is written, “That you may be justified in your words, and prevail when you are judged.” 5 But if our unrighteousness serves to show the righteousness of God, what shall we say? That God is unrighteous to inflict wrath on us? (I speak in a human way.) 6 By no means! For then how could God judge the world? 7 But if through my lie God's truth abounds to his glory, why am I still being condemned as a sinner? 8 And why not do evil that good may come?—as some people slanderously charge us with saying. Their condemnation is just. 9 What then? Are we Jews any better off? No, not at all. For we have already charged that all, both Jews and Greeks, are under sin….
In this episode of Midnight, On Earth, I sit down with bestselling British author and historical investigator Graham Phillips to explore his latest book, 'The Original Zodiac: What Ancient Astrology Reveals About You'. Our conversation dives deep into a forgotten chapter of astrological history - The discovery of the earliest known zodiac system, which contained eighteen signs rather than the twelve most people are familiar with today.Phillips explains how the roots of astrology stretch back to ancient Mesopotamia, emerging from the same mysterious cultural horizon that produced monumental sites like Göbekli Tepe. In those early systems, astrology appears to have functioned through generations of observation, almost like a form of reverse engineering. Instead of starting with a rigid symbolic framework, early astrologers observed patterns in human behavior, personality traits, and life outcomes, then connected those traits back to the time, place, and conditions of a person's birth. Over centuries, these observations became encoded into symbolic archetypes that eventually formed the earliest zodiac signs.At the center of Phillips' research is a mysterious clay tablet held in the British Museum, cataloged as BM 86378. The artifact lists an ancient zodiac system composed of eighteen constellations, many of which are completely absent from the modern Western and Vedic zodiacs. Instead of only the familiar signs, this earlier sky map included figures such as the Serpent, Swan, Crane, Horse, Wolf, and Eagle—symbols that suggest a very different way of interpreting cosmic influence and human identity.Because the tablet preserved the names of the constellations but not their meanings, Phillips attempted to reconstruct the psychological and behavioral traits associated with each sign. Through an extensive survey of hundreds of volunteers from different backgrounds, he analyzed patterns in personality, interests, occupations, habits, and even health tendencies. From this data, he began to piece together what the original zodiac may have signified thousands of years ago.During our conversation we explore how this eighteen-sign system offers an expanded lens through which to view astrology - not as a replacement for the familiar twelve-sign zodiac, but as a deeper layer of symbolic understanding. Phillips explains how the ancient framework may enrich our interpretation of personality, relationships, and destiny by adding additional archetypes that were gradually lost as astrology evolved through later Greek, and Vedic traditions.We also discuss the broader historical mystery surrounding the origins of astrology itself, the possibility that these systems emerged from extremely ancient sky-watching cultures, and how early civilizations attempted to map human experience onto the movements of the heavens. Along the way we touch on archaeology, myth, ancient symbolism, and the enduring human quest to understand who we are and how the cosmos might shape our lives.It's a wide-ranging exploration of forgotten astrology, ancient civilizations, and the archetypal patterns that have guided human thinking about the stars for thousands of years. Drop in!www.grahamphillips.netGraham Phillips Bio:Graham Phillips is one of Britain's bestselling non-fiction authors. A former radio journalist and broadcaster for the BBC, and founder of Strange Phenomena magazine, he is a historical investigator of unsolved mysteries. The author of many books, including The Templars and the Ark of the Covenant, The Lost Tomb of King Arthur, The End of Eden, and Atlantis and the Ten Plagues of Egypt, Graham lives in the Midlands of England. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Hello!Something a little different this weekend instead of a recipe...On today's episode, I'm talking about the recent ancient roman tasting event I went at the Hellenic and Roman Library in Senate House in central London.I'm discussing the menu that was served by Sally Grainger a prominent food archaeologist specialising in ancient Mediterranean cooking and ingredients. She also talked about her research all these years about Garum and Silphium two of the most well known but equally misunderstood ingredients of the ancient Greek and Roman table. Overall in my opinion and Sam's opinion the food was tasty and the audience/guests all seem to enjoy it and those who had a negative opinion about ancient food have changed their minds! From a room of 50 or so attendees I think only three or so weren't keen in the tastes of the food.Anyway it was fascinating and I hope I'll get the chance to interview Sally for this podcast soon!Love & GarumThe Delicious LegacySupport the podcast on Ko-Fi and Patreon for ad-free episodes! https://ko-fi.com/thedeliciouslegacypodcasthttps://www.patreon.com/c/thedeliciouslegacySupport this show http://supporter.acast.com/the-delicious-legacy. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
This exploration of John 3 by Assistant Pastor Dillon Meadway on Sunday, March 8th 2026, takes us beyond the familiar verse we've all memorized and into the profound depths of what it truly means to be born again. We discover that Nicodemus wasn't just any curious seeker—he was a respected Pharisee, a ruler sitting on the Sanhedrin, a master of Israel's scriptures. Yet despite all his knowledge and status, he came to Jesus under cover of darkness, representing the spiritual blindness we all experience before encountering Christ. The revelation becomes even richer when we understand the timing: this conversation happened during Passover, the festival celebrating Israel's birth as a nation through the blood of the lamb and the waters of the Red Sea. Jesus wasn't introducing a foreign concept but fulfilling the very pattern God established in Exodus. The Greek word for 'again' also means 'from above,' revealing that our new birth isn't just another start—it's a divine origin, a supernatural transformation. Just as Israel was baptized in water through the Red Sea and in the Spirit through the cloud, we too must experience both water baptism and the infilling of the Holy Spirit. This isn't about religious ritual or earning our way to heaven; it's about receiving what God prophesied through Ezekiel—clean water to wash us and His Spirit within us to empower obedience. The question confronting us is whether we'll remain in comfortable darkness or step into the light where our works are exposed but our lives are transformed.
Pastor opens with a prayer for God to build unity among believers especially in the areas where we have differing opinions, that we would show grace to one another and humility before God. Pastor begins with the "rapture" passage in 1 Thessalonians 4:17, "After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air and so we will be with the Lord forever." "Will be caught up." This caught up is the rapture. "Will be caught up" is one word in Greek: harpazō (Latin was used to translate the Greek work and in Latin the word is rapiemur from which we get "rapture") Let's check out 1 Thessalonians 4:13-16 where Paul answers the question about Christian believers who have died, "Brothers and sisters, we do not want you to be uninformed about those who sleep in death, so that you do not grieve like the rest of mankind, who have no hope. For we believe that Jesus died and rose again, and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in Him. According to the Lord's word we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God and the dead in Christ will rise first." These are encouraging words for believers, giving them the assurance of Jesus' Second Coming and the assurance of the resurrection of the dead, the gathering of the living and all going with Jesus in the air and of being with Him forever. If we take Paul's powerful words of summary of the Second Coming in these verses - it seems to be saying that the rapture occurs when Jesus returns, when the dead are raised and when we are all caught up in the air with Him. Paul goes on to say in verse 18: "Therefore encourage one another with these words." In 1 Thessalonians 5:1-3 we read that Christ comes at a time no one knows, and He comes not only to bring His people to Himself, but to bring judgement. Verses 4-6 goes on to tell us that we belong to the Light and not to the darkness and Paul calls us to understanding that Jesus can come anytime and that we should be ready and looking forward to His return. Common questions: What is all this talk about the Rapture - its referring to believers who have died in Christ and those who are alive when He returns and the risen dead and the alive will be united with Christ Will there be a rapture - Yes!!! Where is the rapture found in the Bible - In 1 Thessalonians 4 When will the rapture take place - at the Second Coming of Christ Will Christians go through the Tribulation - The word for tribulation is the Greek word thlipsis. It is used 45 time in the New Testament. (Suffering, persecution, tribulation) Pastor takes us on an exploration of the ways thlipsis is used in the New Testament by looking at: John 16:33 Matthew 24:21-22 Romans 5:3 1 Thessalonians 3:7 2 Thessalonians 1:4 Revelation 7:14 We see in these verses that tribulation is a reality, we read of the tribulation of others, of Jesus saying that in this world we will have tribulation, that there will be tribulation, and we read about glorying in our tribulations. Pastor shares the tribulation of the apostles, disciples, and early believers, and that throughout the centuries there has been tribulation of Christian people and in our day the tribulation that is attacking many believers around the world (kidnapped, raped, captured, hunted down, killed, ridiculed, put down, in fear of losing jobs, etc). Tribulation is real, it's a reality. the Bible doesn't say we will escape it, instead it says we will be persecuted. Our hope is not based on being taken out of tribulation, our hope is on the second coming of Christ. And the assurance that we will be raised on the last day and will live with Him forever. Believers have differing opinions - Pastor encourages us with what the Bible says: to maintain the peace of the Holy Spirit. To search the scripture to not get caught up in details that cause controversy to focus on the mission of bringing others to Christ Jesus is the only message of reconciliation and eternal life. That is our focus, labor, prayer and service. Bottom line …. The entire New Testament points to the Second Coming of Christ and urges us to live in such a way as to be always ready for His return. Pastor's closing prayer speaks of thanks to God for the Scriptures, while in them we don't find everything we want to know, the Scriptures do provide ALL that we need to know. Now What? Learn about God at https://www.awakeusnow.com EVERYTHING we offer is FREE. Check out this video series from our website: https://www.awakeusnow.com/whats-the-answer Join us Sundays https://www.awakeusnow.com/sunday-service
Sermon by Ant Frederick on March 8, 2026.Key scripture: John 14:15-31As Jesus prepared his disciples for his death, resurrection and ascension, he knew they would have major fears. But the promise he gave them was even greater than their fear–that the Helper, or in Greek, parakletos, is coming. And the incredible news they heard about the Holy Spirit resonates just as deeply today.
Cleansing and Rebuilding the Temple (1) (audio) David Eells, 3/8/26 Jerusalem & Temple Destroyed & Born Again B. A. - 06/04/2014 (David's notes in red) (Eze.13:14) So will I break down the wall that ye have daubed with untempered mortar, and bring it down to the ground, so that the foundation thereof shall be uncovered; and it shall fall, and ye shall be consumed in the midst thereof: and ye shall know that I am Jehovah. (15) Thus will I accomplish my wrath upon the wall, and upon them that have daubed it with untempered mortar; and I will say unto you, The wall is no more, neither they that daubed it; 16 to wit, the prophets of Israel that prophesy concerning Jerusalem, and that see visions of peace for her, and there is no peace, saith the Lord Jehovah. Just as people must die to self and be born again from above, so must Jerusalem and its temple. Why was rebellious Jerusalem, the capital of the Jews, torn down with its temple and its people crucified and killed in heaps? Their temple represented them and Jerusalem those who were to be the Bride. Josephus, the historian who wrote their history, said it was because of the way they treated Jesus and His disciples. It appears that Josephus believed that Jesus was the Messiah. This is a type that is coming to pass in our day in the so-called Church. For Paul said to the mostly Gentile Church that what happened to the Jews was a type for what will happen to the mostly Gentile Church at the ends of the ages. (1Co.10:11) Now these things happened unto them by way of example (Greek: “shadow” or “type”); and they were written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the ages are come. So what happened historically is a type for this day. Today, in the end of this age, the rebellious leadership of God's people, the false Man-child and Bride, represented by unregenerate Jerusalem, have crucified Jesus as He said, (Mat.25:40) And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it unto one of these my brethren, [even] these least, ye did it unto me. As the Dragon, Satan's body, including this false leadership, seeks to devour the Man-child and destroy the Bride for its own egotistical reasons. God has set them as a mark for the Beast to conquer. The Beast, which in Revelation 17 is inhabited by a body of spirits from the abyss, represents a body of people outside of Christ that will be used as a vessel of dishonor to destroy spiritually and, in some cases, physically these rebellious religious leaders and their people from the different sects of apostate Christianity. Some would say, “David, doesn't Jerusalem get destroyed after seven years, as a type of the 70 years?” Yes, but in a spiritual way, it is happening now as the leadership of apostate Christianity becomes more and more devoured by the mind and spirits of the Beast. As Jesus said of these evil leaders, (Mat.23:27) Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are like unto whited sepulchres, which outwardly appear beautiful, but inwardly are full of dead men's bones, and of all uncleanness. (28) Even so ye also outwardly appear righteous unto men, but inwardly ye are full of hypocrisy and iniquity. (29) Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye build the sepulchres of the prophets, and garnish the tombs of the righteous, (30) and say, If we had been in the days of our fathers, we should not have been partakers with them in the blood of the prophets. (31) Wherefore ye witness to yourselves, that ye are sons of them that slew the prophets. (32) Fill ye up then the measure of your fathers. (33) Ye serpents, ye offspring of vipers, how shall ye escape the judgment of hell? (34) Therefore, behold, I send unto you prophets, and wise men, and scribes: some of them shall ye kill and crucify; and some of them shall ye scourge in your synagogues, and persecute from city to city: (35) that upon you may come all the righteous blood shed on the earth (this was also said of the Harlot in Revelation 17:24), from the blood of Abel the righteous unto the blood of Zachariah son of Barachiah, whom ye slew between the sanctuary and the altar. Clearly, the Harlot has been around since Cain killed Abel. (36) Verily I say unto you, All these things shall come upon this generation. As Jesus said of these hypocrites and their city and temple, (37) O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, that killeth the prophets, and stoneth them that are sent unto her! how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not! (38) Behold, your house is left unto you desolate. (39) For I say unto you, Ye shall not see me henceforth, till ye shall say, Blessed [is] he that cometh in the name of the Lord. (24:1) And Jesus went out from the temple and was going on his way; and his disciples came to him to show him the buildings of the temple. (2) But he answered and said unto them, See ye not all these things? verily I say unto you, There shall not be left here one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down. (Gal.4:22) For it is written, that Abraham had two sons, one by the handmaid, and one by the freewoman. (23) Howbeit the [son] by the handmaid is born after the flesh; but the [son] by the freewoman [is born] through promise. (24) Which things contain an allegory: for these [women] are two covenants; one from mount Sinai, bearing children unto bondage, which is Hagar. (25) Now this Hagar is mount Sinai in Arabia and answereth to the Jerusalem that now is: for she is in bondage with her children. (26) But the Jerusalem that is above is free, which is our mother. (Rev.3:12) He that overcometh, I will make him a pillar in the temple of my God, and he shall go out thence no more: and I will write upon him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, the new Jerusalem, which cometh (present tense) down out of heaven from my God, and mine own new name. 13 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith to the churches. (Jer.3:12) Go, and proclaim these words toward the north, and say, Return, thou backsliding Israel, saith Jehovah; I will not look in anger upon you; for I am merciful, saith Jehovah, I will not keep [anger] for ever. (13) Only acknowledge thine iniquity, that thou hast transgressed against Jehovah thy God, and hast scattered thy ways to the strangers under every green tree, and ye have not obeyed my voice, saith Jehovah. (14) Return, O backsliding children, saith Jehovah; for I am a husband unto you: and I will take you one of a city, and two of a family, and I will bring you to Zion: (15) and I will give you shepherds according to my heart, who shall feed you with knowledge and understanding. (16) And it shall come to pass, when ye are multiplied and increased in the land, in those days, saith Jehovah, they shall say no more, The ark of the covenant of Jehovah; neither shall it come to mind; neither shall they remember it; neither shall they miss it; neither shall it be made any more. (17) At that time they shall call Jerusalem the throne of Jehovah; and all the nations (Gentiles) shall be gathered unto it, to the name of Jehovah, to Jerusalem (notice that this heavenly Jerusalem will be synonymous with the name, meaning “nature, character and authority” of the Lord): neither shall they walk any more after the stubbornness of their evil heart. (18) In those days the house of Judah shall walk with the house of Israel, and they shall come together out of the land of the North (Beast captivity) to the land that I gave for an inheritance unto your fathers. (19) But I said, How I will put thee among the children, and give thee a pleasant land, a goodly heritage of the hosts of the nations! and I said, Ye shall call me My Father, and shall not turn away from following me. (20) Surely as a wife treacherously departeth from her husband, so have ye dealt treacherously with me, O house of Israel, saith Jehovah. (21) A voice is heard upon the bare heights, the weeping [and] the supplications of the children of Israel; because they have perverted their way, they have forgotten Jehovah their God. (22) Return, ye backsliding children, I will heal your backslidings. Behold, we are come unto thee; for thou art Jehovah our God. B.A.'s dream: I dreamed that I was in Jerusalem (Zion) and I was watching as Titus and his army (of the Roman Beast of that day) were tearing down the temple with battering rams and large ropes. I listened as Titus gave orders to his army: “Tear these walls down! I don't want one stone left standing upon another!” (Luk.19:41) And when he (Jesus) drew nigh, he saw the city and wept over it, (42) saying, If thou hadst known in this day, even thou, the things which belong unto peace! but now they are hid from thine eyes. (43) For the days shall come upon thee, when thine enemies shall cast up a bank about thee, and compass thee round, and keep thee in on every side, (44) and shall dash thee to the ground, and thy children within thee; and they shall not leave in thee one stone upon another; because thou knewest not the time of thy visitation. Titus said, “This temple is a mockery and must be destroyed!” (Jer.6:15) Were they ashamed when they had committed abomination? nay, they were not at all ashamed, neither could they blush: therefore they shall fall among them that fall; at the time that I visit them they shall be cast down, saith Jehovah. (16) Thus saith Jehovah, Stand ye in the ways and see, and ask for the old paths, where is the good way; and walk therein, and ye shall find rest for your souls: but they said, We will not walk therein. (Jer.14:15) Therefore thus saith Jehovah concerning the prophets that prophesy in my name, and I sent them not, yet they say, Sword and famine shall not be in this land: By sword and famine shall those prophets be consumed. (Mic.1:6) Therefore I will make Samaria as a heap of the field, and as places for planting vineyards; and I will pour down the stones thereof into the valley, and I will uncover the foundations thereof. My thoughts: (Act.17:24) The God that made the world and all things therein, he, being Lord of heaven and earth, dwelleth not in temples made with hands. (Jer.7:3) Thus saith Jehovah of hosts, the God of Israel, Amend your ways and your doings, and I will cause you to dwell in this place. (4) Trust ye not in lying words, saying, The temple of Jehovah, the temple of Jehovah (which had become corrupt), the temple of Jehovah, are these. (5) For if ye thoroughly amend your ways and your doings; if ye thoroughly execute justice between a man and his neighbor; (6) if ye oppress not the sojourner, the fatherless, and the widow, and shed not innocent blood in this place, neither walk after other gods to your own hurt: (7) then will I cause you to dwell in this place, in the land that I gave to your fathers, from of old even for evermore. (8) Behold, ye trust in lying words, that cannot profit. (9) Will ye steal, murder, and commit adultery, and swear falsely, and burn incense unto Baal, and walk after other gods that ye have not known, (10) and come and stand before me in this house, which is called by my name, and say, We are delivered; that ye may do all these abominations? (The Temple of the Lord had become corrupt.) (11) Is this house, which is called by my name, become a den of robbers in your eyes? Behold, I, even I, have seen it, saith Jehovah. (12) But go ye now unto my place which was in Shiloh, where I caused my name to dwell at the first, and see what I did to it for the wickedness of my people Israel. (13) And now, because ye have done all these works, saith Jehovah, and I spake unto you, rising up early and speaking, but ye heard not; and I called you, but ye answered not: (14) therefore will I do unto the house which is called by my name, wherein ye trust, and unto the place which I gave to you and to your fathers, as I did to Shiloh. (15) And I will cast you out of my sight, as I have cast out all your brethren, even the whole seed of Ephraim. (16) Therefore pray not thou for this people, neither lift up cry nor prayer for them, neither make intercession to me; for I will not hear thee. (17) Seest thou not what they do in the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem? B.A.: Titus had such a stern (determined) look on his face, like he was being driven to destroy this useless temple (made by man's hands, the hands or works of the flesh) and I found myself agreeing with him. I began shouting, “Yes, tear these walls down! This isn't the house of God! Jesus isn't in this place! This place is just a den of thieves! (Mat.21:12) And Jesus entered into the temple of God, and cast out all them that sold and bought in the temple, and overthrew the tables of he money-changers, and the seats of them that sold the doves; (13) and he saith unto them, It is written, My house shall be called a house of prayer: but ye make it a den of robbers. (Is it not so today? Look how the leaders live after the lusts of their flesh. This did not Jesus and His disciples do.) Soon it was over and all those useless stones (apostates and their leaders who had been robbing God's people) were torn down, and they littered the ground. This reminded me of the “Third Vision” in The Shepherd of Hermas: “Concerning the Building of the Triumphant Church, and the Various Classes of Reprobate Men”: And then she again took hold of me by the hand, and raised me, and made me sit on the seat to the left; and lifting up a splendid rod, she said to me, “Do you see something great?” And I say, “Lady, I see nothing”. She said to me, “Lo! do you not see opposite to you a great tower, built upon the waters, of splendid square stones?” For the tower was built square by those six young men who had come with her. But myriads of men were carrying stones to it (We are the living stones of the true house of God.), some dragging them from the depths, others removing them from the land, and they handed them to these six young men. They were taking them and building; and those of the stones that were dragged out of the depths, they placed in the building just as they were: for they were polished and fitted exactly into the other stones, and became so united one with the another that the lines of juncture could not be perceived. And in this way, the building of the tower looked as if it were made out of one stone. (Representing those who have been baptized in the water of the Word unto death to self.) Those stones, however, which were taken from the earth suffered a different fate; for the young men rejected some of them, some they fitted into the building, and some they cut down, and cast far away from the tower. (reprobated) Many other stones, however, lay around the tower, and the young men did not use them in building; for some of them were rough, others had cracks in them, others had been made too short, and others were white and round (too much flesh or wealth), but did not fit into the building of the tower. Moreover, I saw other stones thrown far away from the tower, and falling into the public road; yet they did not remain on the road, but were rolled into a pathless place. And I saw others falling into the fire and burning, others falling close to the water, and yet not capable of being rolled into the water, though they wished to be rolled down and to enter the water. (Those needing God's will in them to love the Word) The old unregenerate temple must die and be born again. (Zec.6:12) and speak unto him, saying, Thus speaketh Jehovah of hosts, saying, Behold, the man whose name is the Branch: and he shall grow up out of his place; and he shall build the temple of Jehovah (Jesus in the Man-child ministry of Revelation 12 as spiritual sons of David); (13) even he shall build the temple of Jehovah; and he shall bear the glory, and shall sit and rule upon his throne; and he shall be a priest upon his throne; and the counsel of peace shall be between them both. (14) And the crowns shall be to Helem, and to Tobijah, and to Jedaiah, and to Hen the son of Zephaniah, for a memorial in the temple of Jehovah. (15) And they that are far off shall come and build in the temple of Jehovah; and ye shall know that Jehovah of hosts hath sent me unto you. (Jesus is coming as the epiphany (or shining forth from) in His new leadership.) And [this] shall come to pass, if ye will diligently obey the voice of Jehovah your God. Our spiritual forefathers came to heavenly Jerusalem when they walked in the steps of Jesus in truth and righteousness, but the fleshly church was driven from the land by the beastly flesh shortly thereafter. The restoration is beginning again. (Heb.12:18) For ye are not come unto [a mount] that might be touched, and that burned with fire, and unto blackness, and darkness, and tempest, (19) and the sound of a trumpet, and the voice of words; which [voice] they that heard entreated that no word more should be spoken unto them; (20) for they could not endure that which was enjoined, If even a beast touch the mountain, it shall be stoned; (21) and so fearful was the appearance, [that] Moses said, I exceedingly fear and quake: (22) but ye are come unto mount Zion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to innumerable hosts of angels. B.A.: I was so happy, as I knew that this temple (apostate leadership) would no longer be able to inflict anymore pain on God's people. (Eze.14:4) Therefore speak unto them, and say unto them, Thus saith the Lord Jehovah: Every man of the house of Israel that taketh his idols into his heart, and putteth the stumblingblock of his iniquity before his face, and cometh to the prophet; I Jehovah will answer him therein according to the multitude of his idols; (5) that I may take the house of Israel in their own heart, because they are all estranged from me through their idols. (6) Therefore say unto the house of Israel, Thus saith the Lord Jehovah: Return ye, and turn yourselves from your idols; and turn away your faces from all your abominations. (7) For every one of the house of Israel, or of the strangers that sojourn in Israel, that separateth himself from me, and taketh his idols into his heart, and putteth the stumblingblock of his iniquity before his face, and cometh to the prophet to inquire for himself of me; I Jehovah will answer him by myself: (8) and I will set my face against that man, and will make him an astonishment, for a sign and a proverb, and I will cut him off from the midst of my people; and ye shall know that I am Jehovah. (9) And if the prophet be deceived and speak a word, I, Jehovah, have deceived that prophet, and I will stretch out my hand upon him, and will destroy him from the midst of my people Israel. (10) And they shall bear their iniquity: the iniquity of the prophet shall be even as the iniquity of him that seeketh unto him; (11) that the house of Israel may go no more astray from me, neither defile themselves any more with all their transgressions; but that they may be my people, and I may be their God, saith the Lord Jehovah. For the past several days, I've been hearing in the Spirit, “Humble thyself in the sight of the Lord”. (Jas.4:10) Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall exalt you. Temple of Crucified Saints B. A. - 03/21/2014 (David's notes in red) I had a little dream this morning. I had a similar dream several years ago, but I was not with any group of people. When I first had this dream, I was confused because I did not have the understanding that I do now. It wasn't until a few years later that the Lord revealed the meaning to me, and now I had the dream again. This time, I dreamed I was standing in the midst of a special group of people (Man-child/Bride corporate body) and we were all dressed like they were back in the days of our Lord, Jesus. (Job.29:14) I put on righteousness, and it clothed me: My justice was as a robe and a diadem. (Rom.13:14) But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof. (Gal.5:16) But I say, walk by the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh. (Col.3:12) Put on therefore, as God's elect, holy and beloved, a heart of compassion, kindness, lowliness, meekness, longsuffering; (13) forbearing one another, and forgiving each other, if any man have a complaint against any; even as the Lord forgave you, so also do ye: (14) and above all these things put on love, which is the bond of perfectness. I watched as people came up to our little group, one at a time. As each individual approached our group, they went up to the elder (Jesus) who was standing at the front of the group, and they showed the elder their hands and their feet. I watched as the elder took hold of their hands and looked for the “nail holes” in their hands, and then he looked down at their feet to see if they also had nail holes in their feet as well; there had to be a “total crucifixion” (of self), or they could not join our group. (Rom.5:6) For while we were yet weak, in due season Christ died for the ungodly. (Gal.2:20) I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I that live, but Christ living in me: and that life which I now live in the flesh I live in faith, the faith which is in the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself up for me. (Rom.14:7) For none of us liveth to himself, and none dieth to himself. (1Co.6:17) But he that is joined unto the Lord is one spirit. (2Co.5:14) For the love of Christ constraineth us; because we thus judge, that one died for all, therefore all died; (Gal.1:4) who gave himself for our sins, that he might deliver us out of this present evil world, according to the will of our God and Father: (5) to whom be the glory for ever and ever. Amen. I watched as one person was turned away, and I prayed for him, as he was very sad because he had not been accepted. Suddenly, I heard the elder (Jesus) shout, “Saints, we are now ready (or qualified)! Let's go restore the temple of God! (Those crucified with Christ are ready to be the stones of the foundation of the temple of God. Cyrus, whom the Lord called His anointed shepherd or Messiah shepherd, as a type of Jesus in Isaiah 44:26 - 45:1, is prophesied to build Jerusalem, the Bride, and lay the foundation of the temple. Cyrus/Jesus set the first-fruits of Judah/Benjamin free from Babylonian captivity, as a type of crucifixion, to go and do this.) B.A,:(Ezr.1:1) Now in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, that the word of Jehovah by the mouth of Jeremiah might be accomplished, Jehovah stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia, so that he made a proclamation throughout all his kingdom, and put it also in writing, saying, (2) Thus saith Cyrus king of Persia, All the kingdoms of the earth hath Jehovah, the God of heaven, given me; and he hath charged me to build him a house in Jerusalem, which is in Judah. (3) Whosoever there is among you of all his people, his God be with him, and let him go up to Jerusalem, which is in Judah, and build the house of Jehovah, the God of Israel (he is God), which is in Jerusalem (the Bride). (4) And whosoever is left, in any place where he sojourneth, let the men of his place help him with silver, and with gold, and with goods, and with beasts, besides the freewill-offering for the house of God which is in Jerusalem. (5) Then rose up the heads of fathers' houses of Judah and Benjamin, and the priests, and the Levites, even all whose spirit God had stirred to go up to build the house of Jehovah which is in Jerusalem. (6) And all they that were round about them strengthened their hands with vessels of silver, with gold, with goods, and with beasts, and with precious things, besides all that was willingly offered. (7) Also Cyrus the king brought forth the vessels of the house of Jehovah (The holy people of God), which Nebuchadnezzar had brought forth out of Jerusalem, and had put in the house of his gods; (8) even those did Cyrus king of Persia (A type of Trump) bring forth by the hand of Mithredath the treasurer, and numbered them unto Sheshbazzar, the prince of Judah. (These are the days of Cyrus(9) And this is the number of them: thirty platters of gold, a thousand platters of silver, nine and twenty knives, (10) thirty bowls of gold, silver bowls of a second sort four hundred and ten, and other vessels a thousand. (11) All the vessels of gold and of silver were five thousand and four hundred. All these did Sheshbazzar (The Man-child) bring up, when they of the captivity were brought up from Babylon unto Jerusalem. (Ezra means “help or court”, and I thought it was interesting that Ezra chapter 1 ends with verse 11, (1:11) or “111” and many of us are seeing 111 almost daily.) (111 is the Gematria for the birth of Jesus in the New Testament and type of the end-time Man-child body. For years, I would ask for a word for myself through random faith and often was given the same verse many times until I quit counting: (Ezr.6:5) And also let the gold and silver vessels of the house of God, which Nebuchadnezzar took forth out of the temple which is at Jerusalem, and brought unto Babylon, be restored, and brought again unto the temple which is at Jerusalem, every one to its place; and thou shalt put them in the house of God. At other times, I received: (5:15) and he said unto him, Take these vessels, go, put them in the temple that is in Jerusalem, and let the house of God be builded in its place. These gold and silver vessels are the first-fruits people of God who build and are the foundation of the temple.) Another text we have received concerning this is in Haggai. In chapter 1, the people were exhorted to stop building their own houses and build God's house, and they obeyed, for which God rebuked the devourer and blessed them mightily in chapter 2. Also in chapter 2, He compared their coming out of captivity to build God's house, like when their fathers came out of Egypt to build the tabernacle in the wilderness. Of these two times, He spoke of a great shaking of Heaven and Earth, which is a type for us today who are about to build Father's temple made without hands. A great shaking is now coming. (Hag.2:3) Who is left among you that saw this house in its former glory? and how do ye see it now? is it not in your eyes as nothing? (4) Yet now be strong, O Zerubbabel (meaning “born from Babylon”; a type of the Man-child), saith Jehovah; and be strong, O Joshua, son of Jehozadak, the high priest (a type of Jesus with the Man-child); and be strong, all ye people of the land, saith Jehovah, and work: for I am with you, saith Jehovah of hosts, (5) [according to] the word that I covenanted with you when ye came out of Egypt, and my Spirit abode among you: fear ye not. (6) For thus saith Jehovah of hosts: Yet once, it is a little while, and I will shake the heavens, and the earth, and the sea, and the dry land; (7) and I will shake all nations; and the precious things (Hebrew: “desire”; i.e., Jesus in the Man-child) of all nations (of God's people) shall come; and I will fill this house with glory, saith Jehovah of hosts. We can see that the great shaking will begin with the laying of the foundation of God's temple with those who are crucified with Christ. (8) The silver is mine, and the gold is mine, saith Jehovah of hosts. The silver and gold of God's people have become His at this time. Also, gold and silver were given to Israel as they were leaving Egypt, as it will be today, to build the temple of God, His people. (9) The latter glory of this house shall be greater than the former, saith Jehovah of hosts; and in this place will I give peace, saith Jehovah of hosts. The first house was letter and physical; the last house is spirit, made without man's works. B.A.: Then, at the end of this dream, I saw the “Spirit” of Jesus. Three years ago, I had this very same vision. But I was a young believer at the time and I didn't have the revelation of what the vision was about until much later, as I grew in the Lord. Vision: I saw the Spirit of Jesus. He was very tall and light was illuminating out of His Spirit all around Him. I watched as little particles (which later were revealed to me to be DNA cells) were coming from every direction and attaching themselves to His Spirit. I got the revelation that as each one of us is crucified with Jesus Christ and dies to self, we are part of His body, and we go back to Him because we came from Him (Because our born-again man is created by His Word, which is His DNA.). Come, Lord Jesus, come! I asked the Father for a verse for the dream, and He gave me (Act.3:21) whom the heaven must receive until the times of restoration of all things, whereof God spake by the mouth of His holy prophets that have been from of old. (When we are restored, it is Jesus manifested in us in spirit and soul. He said, He was coming as the Latter Rain outpouring after two days or two thousand years on the morning of the third day. Hos 6:1 Come, and let us return unto Jehovah; for he hath torn, and he will heal us; he hath smitten, and he will bind us up. 2 After two days will he revive us: on the third day he will raise us up, and we shall live before him. 3 And let us know, let us follow on to know Jehovah: his going forth is sure as the morning; and he will come unto us as the rain, as the latter rain that watereth the earth. Jesus the Man-child type was the first to receive the Former Rain and Jesus coming in the Man-child body is coming as the Latter Rain.) Man-child Will Purify God's House C. P. 02/25/21 (David's notes in red) In this dream, I was in our house with my husband and David Eells (Representing the first fruits David Man-Child reformers) was there too. He had white hair down to his shoulders and looked more like Moses than himself. He was wearing an ancient sort of clothing. (David's hair represents the increasing glory – 30, 60 and 100 fold; (Mar.4:20) And those are they that were sown upon the good ground; such as hear the word, and accept it, and bear fruit, thirtyfold, and sixtyfold, and a hundredfold.) He covered his white hair with a little black/dark hat.) (Moses' face shown with the glory of God so bright that he had to veil that glory when He went before the people. But he took the veil off when he went before God in order to receive more of His glory. The reason the David Man-child reformers look like Moses is this: (Act.3:22-23) Moses indeed said, A prophet shall the Lord God raise up unto you from among your brethren, like unto me; to him shall ye hearken in all things whatsoever he shall speak unto you. (23) And it shall be, that every soul that shall not hearken to that prophet, shall be utterly destroyed from among the people. You would probably say, but Jesus fulfilled that and I would say you're correct. But Jesus said He was coming a second time as a Man-child born to a woman and this is in Revelation 12. We read in (Joh.16:21-22) A woman when she is in travail hath sorrow, because her hour is come: but when she is delivered of the child, she remembereth no more the anguish, for the joy that a man is born into the world. (22) And ye therefore now have sorrow: but I will see you again, and your heart shall rejoice, and your joy no one taketh away from you. Jesus first came in a body of the Son of David, and so He will be now in a corporate body of spiritual Davids, the man-child, by His Word and Spirit. History always repeats with larger groups of people. In a vision I have shared parts of, I saw the Man-child body of 144,000 at the throne of God to be anointed.) C.P.: David was walking through our house, making sure everything was white – furniture, walls, etc. He had a paintbrush in his hand. (This is pointing to another dual fulfilled prophecy with Jesus starring in this, too. (Mal.3:1-3) Behold, I send my messenger, and he shall prepare the way before me: and the Lord, whom ye seek, will suddenly come to his temple; and the messenger of the covenant, whom ye desire, behold, he cometh, saith Jehovah of hosts. (2) But who can abide the day of his coming? and who shall stand when he appeareth? for he is like a refiner's fire, and like fullers' soap: (3) and he will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver, and he will purify the sons of Levi, and refine them as gold and silver; and they shall offer unto Jehovah offerings in righteousness. Representing the white House of God with Jesus as the head.) C.P.: Some other people – perhaps younger women- were walking behind him, asking him, “Why are you doing this?” (The more immature women in Song of Solomon did not understand the Brides radical running after the Groom.) He replied, “It's got to get done”. I said to him, “David, everything is already white. We've already painted it. The exterior of the house is old, but it, too, is white”. David replied, “Yes, but we must get rid of the cracks”. (2Co.7:1) Having therefore these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all defilement of flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God. When the Man-child is anointed, Jesus will complete the work in us. Also, when David became king, he destroyed the Edomites who factioned or separated people against their own brethren. The factious represent the cracks that separate God's people.) C.P.: David then went into the dining room and gave our already white dining table another coat of paint. He repainted our already white chairs white again and even painted the chrome-colored chair legs white. (The dining room is where the unleavened bread, the spiritual food of the Word, is served. (1Co.13:9-12) For we know in part, and we prophesy in part; (10) but when that which is perfect is come, that which is in part shall be done away. (11) When I was a child, I spake as a child, I felt as a child, I thought as a child: now that I am become a man, I have put away childish things. (12) For now we see in a mirror, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know fully even as also I was fully known.) C.P.: Then David looked at the only wooden unpainted piece of furniture – a side buffet table, and with his paintbrush, he painted it white. Someone asked him, “Why does this also need to be painted? It's never used”. He replied, “I can't wait for someone else to do it. I must do it now”. (Everything that displays the unleavened bread of the Word must be purified. The Man-child will be first in our day with the pure Word by Father's grace. Jesus said in (Joh.9:4-5) We must work the works of him that sent me, while it is day: the night cometh, when no man can work. (5) When I am in the world, I am the light of the world.) C.P.: (Psa.51:7-13) Purify me with hyssop, and I shall be clean: Wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. (8) Make me to hear joy and gladness, That the bones which thou hast broken may rejoice. (9) Hide thy face from my sins, And blot out all mine iniquities. (10) Create in me a clean heart, O God; And renew a right spirit within me. (11) Cast me not away from thy presence; And take not thy Holy Spirit from me. (12) Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; And uphold me with a willing spirit. (13) Then will I teach transgressors thy ways; And sinners shall be converted unto thee. David was working the whole time feverishly, his body so energetic, his steps were energetic and fast paced, his hands were nimble and quick. But he was calm and spoke quietly. He was smiling and was at ease doing this job. (It is Jesus in the Man-child Who will do the Work. (Mat.12:18-21) Behold, my servant whom I have chosen; My beloved in whom my soul is well pleased: I will put my Spirit upon him, And he shall declare judgment to the Gentiles. (19) He shall not strive, nor cry aloud; Neither shall any one hear his voice in the streets. (20) A bruised reed shall he not break, And smoking flax shall he not quench, Till he send forth judgment unto victory. (21) And in his name shall the Gentiles hope. (Mat.10:19-20) ...be not anxious how or what ye shall speak: for it shall be given you in that hour what ye shall speak. (20) For it is not ye that speak, but the Spirit of your Father that speaketh in you.) C.P.: Then he said, “Come, we need to sit under the table and pray for protection”. So my husband, David, and I, and these other young women whom I did not know, sat under the table, as if we were preparing for an earthquake. (Great earthquakes, spiritual and physical, are coming and many will die. The Man-child Jesus was resurrected with a great earthquake. Being under the authority of the food of God's Word on the table will bring growth and protection. (Psa.27:5) For in the day of trouble he will keep me secretly in his pavilion: In the covert of his tabernacle will he hide me; He will lift me up upon a rock. (Psa.91:1) He that dwelleth in the secret place of the Most High Shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. (2) I will say of Jehovah, He is my refuge and my fortress; My God, in whom I trust. (3) For he will deliver thee from the snare of the fowler, And from the deadly pestilence. … (7) A thousand shall fall at thy side, And ten thousand at thy right hand; But it shall not come nigh thee. … (10) There shall no evil befall thee, Neither shall any plague come nigh thy tent. … (14) Because he hath set his love upon me, therefore will I deliver him: I will set him on high, because he hath known my name. (15) He shall call upon me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble: I will deliver him, and honor him. 16 With long life will I satisfy him, And show him my salvation.) C.P.: My husband took his phone out and showed me how the screen was now completely white. (We are not to look upon evil, deception, or impurity for the eye is a gateway to the soul.) There was a simple definition in black newspaper font typed on the screen: Christian (n): They will be destroyed because they worshipped another Messiah (a False Jesus and Word). (The flesh wants only a flesh-pleasing Jesus, and religion is the same, but we are not to look on such deception, but only God's pure Word. There will be no protection for those who depart from the pure Word and its promises. (Isa.8:20) To the law and to the testimony! if they speak not according to this word, surely there is no morning for them. (Rev.22:18-20) I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto them, God shall add unto him the plagues which are written in this book: (19) and if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part from the tree of life, and out of the holy city, which are written in this book. (20) He who testifieth these things saith, Yea: I come quickly. Amen: come, Lord Jesus.) C.P.: I woke up and received the following by faith at random, and my finger landed on “watch out” and “Life does not consist” in Luke 12:15 (NIV). Here is the ASV version: (Luk.12:15) And he said unto them, Take heed, and keep yourselves from all covetousness: for a man's life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth. (This is a very important warning for the true people of God at this point in time for great prosperity will come to test you. Please read this carefully: (1Ti.6:5-10) wranglings of men corrupted in mind and bereft of the truth, supposing that godliness is a way of gain. (6) But godliness with contentment is great gain: (7) for we brought nothing into the world, for neither can we carry anything out; (8) but having food and covering we shall be therewith content. (9) But they that are minded to be rich fall into a temptation and a snare and many foolish and hurtful lusts, such as drown men in destruction and perdition. (10) For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil: which some reaching after have been led astray from the faith, and have pierced themselves through with many sorrows.) Filling in the cracks in this dream to perfect the house and purify it reminds us of this revelation of Hermas. The Shepherd of Hermas: Vision of the Tower Chapters 5-7 “The building of the tower will be finished, and all will rejoice together around the tower, and they will glorify God, because the tower is finished.” I asked her, saying, “Lady, I should like to know what became of the stones, and what was meant by the various kinds of stones?” In reply she said to me, “Not because you are more deserving than all others that this revelation should be made to you … Tell them that all these things are true, and that none of them is beyond the truth. All of them are firm and sure, and established on a strong foundation.” “Hear now, with regard to the stones which are in the building. Those square white stones which fitted exactly into each other, are apostles, bishops, teachers, and deacons, who have lived in godly purity, and have acted as bishops and teachers and deacons chastely and reverently to the elect of God. Some of them have fallen asleep, and some still remain alive. And they have always agreed with each other, and been at peace among themselves, and listened to each other. On account of this, they join exactly into the building of the tower.” “But who are the stones that were dragged from the depths, and which were laid into the building and fitted in with the rest of the stones previously placed in the tower?” “They are those who suffered for the Lord's sake.” “But I wish to know, O Lady, who are the other stones which were carried from the land.” “Those,” she said, “which go into the building without being polished, are those whom God has approved of, for they walked in the straight ways of the Lord and practiced His commandments.” “But who are those who are in the act of being brought and placed in the building?” “They are those who are young in faith and are faithful. But they are admonished by the angels to do good, for no iniquity has been found in them.” “Who then are those whom they rejected and cast away?” “These are they who have sinned, and wish to repent. On this account they have not been thrown far from the tower, because they will yet be useful in the building, if they repent. Those then who are to repent, if they do repent, will be strong in faith, if they now repent while the tower is building. For if the building be finished, there will not be more room for anyone, but he will be rejected. This privilege, however, will belong only to him who has now been placed near the tower.” “As to those who were cut down and thrown far away from the tower, do you wish to know who they are? They are the sons of iniquity, and they believed in hypocrisy, and wickedness did not depart from them. For this reason they are not saved, since they cannot be used in the building on account of their iniquities. Wherefore they have been cut off and cast far away on account of the anger of the Lord, for they have roused Him to anger. But I shall explain to you the other stones which you saw lying in great numbers, and not going into the building. Those which are rough are those who have known the truth and not remained in it, nor have they been joined to the saints. On this account are they unfit for use.” “Who are those that have rents?” “These are they who are at discord in their hearts one with another, and are not at peace amongst themselves: they indeed keep peace before each other, but when they separate one from the other, their wicked thoughts remain in their hearts. These, then, are the rents which are in the stones. But those which are shortened are those who have indeed believed and have the larger share of righteousness; yet they have also a considerable share of iniquity, and therefore they are shortened and not whole.” “But who are these, Lady, that are white and round, and yet do not fit into the building of the tower?” She answered and said, “How long will you be foolish and stupid, and continue to put every kind of question and understand nothing? These are those who have faith indeed, but they have also the riches of this world. When, therefore, tribulation comes on account of their riches and business, they deny the Lord.” I answered and said to her, “When then, will they be useful for the building, Lady?” “When the riches that now seduce them have been circumscribed, then will they be of use to God. For as a round stone cannot become square unless portions be cut off and cast away, so also those who are rich in this world cannot be useful to the Lord unless their riches be cut down. Learn this first from your own case. When you were rich, you were useless; but now you are useful and fit for life. Be ye useful to God; for you also will be used as one of these stones.” “Now the other stones which you saw cast far away from the tower, and falling upon the public road and rolling from it into pathless places, are those who have indeed believed, but through doubt have abandoned the true road. Thinking, then, that they could find a better, they wander and become wretched, and enter upon pathless places. But those which fell into the fire and were burned are those who have departed for ever from the living God; nor does the thought of repentance ever come into their hearts, on account of their devotion to their lusts and to the crimes which they committed. Do you wish to know who are the others which fell near the waters, but could not be rolled into them? These are they who have heard the word and wish to be baptized in the name of the Lord; but when the chastity demanded by the truth comes into their recollection, they draw back and again walk after their own wicked desires.” She finished her exposition of the tower. But I, shameless as I yet was, asked her, “Is repentance possible for all those stones which have been cast away and did not fit into the building of the tower, and will they yet have a place in this tower?” “Repentance,” said she, “is yet possible, but in this tower they cannot find a suitable place.” (In other words, they will not be among the first-fruits but will have to be crucified of their sinful nature.) “But in another and much inferior place they will be laid, and that, too, only when they have been tortured and completed the days of their sins. And on this account will they be transferred, because they have partaken of the righteous Word. And then only will they be removed from their punishments when the thought of repenting of the evil deeds which they have done has come into their hearts. But if it does not come into their hearts, they will not be saved, on account of the hardness of their heart.” House of Idle = Idols Sandy Shaw - 08/29/2011 (David's notes in red) Sandy Shaw called me on 3/14/21 and said the Lord told her that this dream is to be shared for the time we are in now. On 3/13/21, Sandy said, “I woke up at 3:33 am and was having trouble going back to sleep, so I started praying and was able to go back to sleep. I then dreamed I was sitting on a bench under the shade of a tree on a really sunny day. I was looking across a field when, all of a sudden, I felt the presence of God behind and around me. I was terrified to turn around and look. He placed His hand on my right shoulder and said, “Sandra, remember your Idle/Idol dream? That's for now! Share it.” When I woke up, the clock said 5:55 am. (God will give grace to overcome) So here is the dream below that the Lord was saying is for NOW: In a dream, I was standing in front of a house with Spanish-style stucco. (This represents the house of apostate Christianity. Jesus warned us that the house that was built on sand would not survive the storm of life, and the three little pigs warned us that houses of inferior material wouldn't stand up to the big bad wolf. He warned that the house built on obedience to the Word will stand. The stucco in this house is like untempered mortar. (Eze.13:8-11) Therefore thus saith the Lord Jehovah: Because ye have spoken falsehood, and seen lies, therefore, behold, I am against you, saith the Lord Jehovah. (9) And my hand shall be against the prophets that see false visions, and that divine lies: they shall not be in the council of my people, neither shall they be written in the writing of the house of Israel, neither shall they enter into the land of Israel; and ye shall know that I am the Lord Jehovah. (10) Because, even because they have seduced my people, saying, Peace; and there is no peace; and when one buildeth up a wall, behold, they daub it with untempered mortar: (11) say unto them that daub it with untempered mortar, that it shall fall: there shall be an overflowing shower; and ye, O great hailstones, shall fall; and a stormy wind shall rend it. … (14) So will I break down the wall that ye have daubed with untempered mortar, and bring it down to the ground, so that the foundation thereof shall be uncovered; and it shall fall, and ye shall be consumed in the midst thereof: and ye shall know that I am Jehovah. (Eze.22:28) And her prophets have daubed for them with untempered mortar, seeing false visions, and divining lies unto them, saying, Thus saith the Lord Jehovah, when Jehovah hath not spoken.) There was a patio to get to the front door of this house. I saw people on the patio talking on cell phones and playing games on the Internet. Girls were talking to their boyfriends, making idle chit-chat, etc. I noticed a man standing next to me and I didn't know who he was until he spoke and asked, “How does this edify Me?” Realizing that it was Jesus talking, I said, “Lord, forgive us; we don't realize”. (The house or tabernacle being covered with Spanish-style stucco represents our old nature that is foreign to the Lord and the self-delusion that is contrary to righteousness in serving a false Jesus of our own making. (Eze.22:24-30) Son of man, say unto her, Thou art a land that is not cleansed, nor rained upon in the day of indignation. (25) There is a conspiracy of her prophets in the midst thereof, like a roaring lion ravening the prey: they have devoured souls; they take treasure and precious things; they have made her widows many in the midst thereof. (26) Her priests have done violence to my law, and have profaned my holy things: they have made no distinction between the holy and the common, neither have they caused men to discern between the unclean and the clean, and have hid their eyes from my sabbaths (ceasing from our own works), and I am profaned among them. (27) Her princes in the midst thereof are like wolves ravening the prey, to shed blood, and to destroy souls, that they may get dishonest gain. (28) And her prophets have daubed for them with untempered mortar, seeing false visions, and divining lies unto them, saying, Thus saith the Lord Jehovah, when Jehovah hath not spoken. (29) The people of the land have used oppression, and exercised robbery; yea, they have vexed the poor and needy, and have oppressed the sojourner wrongfully. (30) And I sought for a man among them, that should build up the wall, and stand in the gap before me for the land, that I should not destroy it; but I found none.) We walked across the patio and through the front door into the house. To the left was an area full of people watching TVs. All different types of TVs: old consoles, new flat screens, etc. -- all sizes. I saw old TV programs: Father Knows Best, The Patty Duke Show, The Andy Griffith Show, and an old game show. (Oh, how things have changed!) I heard “Queen for a Day”. There were soap operas on. The Lord asked, “How does this edify Me?” I said, “I'm sorry, Lord”. (Rev.18:2-8) ...Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great, and is become a habitation of demons, and a hold of every unclean spirit, and a hold of every unclean and hateful bird. (3) For by the wine of the wrath of her fornication all the nations are fallen; and the kings of the earth committed fornication with her, and the merchants of the earth waxed rich by the power of her wantonness. (4) And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come forth, my people, out of her, that ye have no fellowship with her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues: (5) for her sins have reached even unto heaven, and God hath remembered her iniquities. (6) Render unto her even as she rendered, and double unto her the double according to her works: in the cup which she mingled, mingle unto her double. (7) How much soever she glorified herself, and waxed wanton, so much give her of torment and mourning: for she saith in her heart, I sit a queen, and am no widow, and shall in no wise see mourning. (8) Therefore in one day shall her plagues come, death, and mourning, and famine; and she shall be utterly burned with fire; for strong is the Lord God who judged her.) To the right side of the room was an area full of computers: new, old, big, small, fancy, iPads, etc. Children were doing homework on Facebook and MySpace — social chat sites. People were playing games and doing work. I got closer to their faces and saw their eyes were big and round like silver dollars, staring at the screen. A big clock is seen with its hands spinning quickly, as if to say, 24-7, this is going on. The Lord asked, “How does this edify Me?” I said, “Lord, forgive me, for I myself am guilty of this”. (These things happening on the right represent God's people justifying themselves and compromising. Saying, “It's okay to spend extra time on these devices because they aren't TVs and we must do our work on them as well. So the line in our conscience gets blurred. This can also represent justification by our own works and essentially is like worshipping a false Jesus that allows compromise contrary to His Word. (2Co.1:2-4) For I am jealous over you with a godly jealousy: for I espoused you to one husband, that I might present you as a pure virgin to Christ. (3) But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve in his craftiness, your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity and the purity that is toward Christ. (4) For if he that cometh preacheth another Jesus, whom we did not preach, or if ye receive a different spirit, which ye did not receive, or a different gospel, which ye did not accept, ye do well to bear with him.) Standing in the middle of that room, I looked up and saw there were different levels to the house where the activity got worse, physically and spiritually. I saw and heard people speaking filthily. I didn't see it, but knew that it was pornography, and scary movie sounds were also in the background. People were cursing and saying all kinds of bad things. People were laughing at it when it was not funny. The Lord asked, “How does that edify Me?” (The different levels of the tabernacle represent people's spirit, soul and body. If these activities are occurring in the spirit and soul, they bring a curse on the bodies of these people and death. Spiritual death is reprobation, and it becomes impossible for them to be renewed again unto repentance. Their consciences are seared. They have become reprobated. (Heb.6:4-8) For as touching those who were once enlightened and tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Spirit, (5) and tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the age to come, (6) and then fell away, it is impossible to renew them again unto repentance; seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put him to an open shame. (7) For the land which hath drunk the rain that cometh oft upon it, and bringeth forth herbs meet for them for whose sake it is also tilled, receiveth blessing from God: (8) but if it beareth thorns and thistles, it is rejected and nigh unto a curse; whose end is to be burned.) We went into another room on the left, and I heard different conversations. One person was trying to tell another something, and he said, “I know”, not letting the other finish because he already knew. (Pro.18:13) He that giveth answer before he heareth, It is folly and shame unto him.) In the same crowd, educated people were having conversations with others, but the educated person never heard anything anyone else said because they were puffed up and boasting that they had a degree in this or a doctorate in that. They knew it all and yet knew nothing. The Lord asked, “How does this edify Me?” (1Ti.6:3-5) If any man teacheth a different doctrine, and consenteth not to sound words, even the words of our Lord Jesus Christ, and to the doctrine which is according to godliness; (4) he is puffed up, knowing nothing, but doting about questionings and disputes of words, whereof cometh envy, strife, railings, evil surmisings, (5) wranglings of men corrupted in mind and bereft of the truth… (2Ti.3:1-9) But know this, that in the last days grievous times shall come. (2) For men shall be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, haughty, railers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, (3) without natural affection, implacable, slanderers, without self-control, fierce, no lovers of good, (4) traitors, headstrong, puffed up, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God; (5) holding a form of godliness, but having denied the power thereof. From these also turn away. (6) For of these are they that creep into houses, and take captive silly women laden with sins, led away by divers lusts, (7) ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth. (8) And even as Jannes and Jambres withstood Moses, so do these also withstand the truth. Men corrupted in mind, reprobate concerning the faith. (9) But they shall proceed no further. For their folly shall be evident unto all men…) To the right in that room were people bickering over trivial matters. One conversation that stands out is, “Who took my Kool-Aid?” I looked around and realized that all these people were carrying Bibles, and I realized they were all 'Christians'. The whole house was full of people professing to be Christians. The Lord asked, “How does this edify Me?” I said, “Lord, forgive us”. (Many worldly people associate 'religious fanatics' and cult members with Jim Jones. And they say things to Christians like, “Don't drink the Kool-Aid!” In other words, don't fall for the deceptions and traps of religion. James Warren Jones (May 13, 1931 – November 18, 1978) was an American cult leader, preacher, and self-professed faith healer. He launched The Peoples Temple in Indiana during the 1950s. Jones and his inner circle orchestrated a mass murder-suicide of himself and his followers in his jungle commune at Jonestown, Guyana, on November 18, 1978. Jones ordered and likely coerced the mass suicide and mass murder of 918 commune members, 304 of them children, almost all by cyanide-poisoned Flavor Aid (or Kool-Aid). (1Pe.5:8) Be sober, be watchful: your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour;) We went into another room and stood in the doorway. Small children were running around the room, jumping on chairs, sofas, pulling down curtains, and being very mischievous. Their parents were in the middle of the room, oblivious to what the children were doing -- “running wild”. They were so self-absorbed in what they were doing and their own desires that they were blind to what their children were doing. The Lord asked, “How does this edify Me?” I said, “Lord, I'm sorry”. (Many of God's people are not self-disciplined to stay in God's Word; therefore, the fruit that they bring forth is disorderly confusion and does not effectively edify the Body of Christ. (Isa.26:3) Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee…) We went into another room and saw people holding their Bibles. They tried to step forward, saying, “Yes, the Lord has told me to do this”. But before they stepped forward, they stepped right back and said, “No, no, He didn't tell me”. I saw people holding their Bibles open, saying, “The Lord has shown me this”, and then saying, “No, no, He didn't show me anything”. Then I saw people holding phones, saying, “The Lord told me to say this”, and then, “No, no, never mind; He didn't say anything”. They were never sure of anything they did and were procrastinating in the name of the Lord. The Lord asked, “How does this edify Me?” (Jas.1:5-8) But if any of you lacketh wisdom, let him ask of God, who giveth to all liberally and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him. (6) But let him ask in faith, nothing doubting: for he that doubteth is like the surge of the sea driven by the wind and tossed. (7) For let not that man think that he shall receive anything of the Lord; (8) a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.) We then went through sliding glass doors and saw a man sitting in a chair covering his face with his hands. He was being attacked by Christians who were standing around him and yelling, “How do you know that you know the Lord?” “Why did He tell you that and not me?” “Why do you think you are so privileged that you know and hear the Lord?” “Do you think you are somebody?” “You don't know your Word”. “You don't know God”. “Who do you think you are?” “How do you know you are not hearing demons?” The Lord asked, “How does this edify Me?” (Gal.5:13-21) For ye, brethren, were called for freedom; only use not your freedom for an occasion to the flesh, but through love be servants one to another. (14) For the whole law is fulfilled in one word, even in this: Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. (15) But if ye bite and devour one another, take heed that ye be not consumed one of another. (16) But I say, walk by the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh. (17) For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; for these are contrary the one to the other; that ye may not do the things that ye would. (18) But if ye are led by the Spirit, ye are not under the law. (19) Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these: fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, (20) idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousies, wraths, factions, divisions, parties, (21) envyings, drunkenness, revellings, and such like; of which I forewarn you, even as I did forewarn you, that they who practise such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.) I felt such conviction during this dream for not praying, fasting or reading my Word. (These are actions which would warn us away from dangers to come.) I have been guilty of letting my time be idle = idol. A few days later, on 9/04/11, (911) I received Ephesians 5 as a reminder. Briefly this chapter is about: (Eph.5:1-2) Exhortation to brotherly love. (Eph.5:3-14) Cautions against several sins. (Eph.5:15-21) Directions to a contrary behavior, and to relative duties. (Eph.5:22-33) The duties of wives and husbands are enforced by the spiritual relation between Christ and the church.
Harvest Bible Chapel Pittsburgh North Sermons - Harvest Bible Chapel Pittsburgh North
Introduction: Three Valid Reasons for Liberty (that Don't Work When You Have a Weaker Brother). (1 Corinthians 8:1-13) I Have KNOWLEDGE. (1 Cor 8:1-3) Philippians 1:9 – And it is my prayer that your love may abound more and more, with knowledge and all discernment I Have WISDOM. (1 Cor 8:4-7) I Have GOOD THEOLOGY. (1 Cor 8:8-13) Matthew 18:6 - whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to have a great millstone fastened around his neck and to be drowned in the depth of the sea. Matthew 25:40 - Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me. Sermon Notes (PDF): BLANKHint: Highlight blanks above for answers! AUDIO TRANSCRIPT 00:36-00:39Open up those Bibles to 1 Corinthians 8.00:41-00:49Oh, that sweet, sweet, quiet lull of early service on Daylight Saving Sunday.00:51-00:52So tranquil.00:54-00:55Let's kick that up, shall we?00:55-00:56Let's have a fight.00:58-01:01Amen, somebody came ready to rumble.01:04-01:06Not like a fist fight.01:07-01:09Let's just have a good old fashioned argument.01:10-01:12All right, that'll get the blood boiling.01:13-01:15All in favor of having an argument?01:16-01:16Some of you.01:17-01:18(congregation laughing)01:19-01:20Little too eager.01:21-01:22All right, here we go.01:23-01:24Is a hot dog a sandwich?01:27-01:29Oh, did you hear that Pastor Taylor?01:30-01:31Apparently we struck a nerve.01:32-01:34Show of hands, how many people say that a hot dog is a sandwich?01:35-01:36Okay.01:37-01:39Some of you, okay, how many people insist that it's not?01:41-01:41Whoa.01:43-01:46Whoa, you might wanna pump the brakes on that.01:46-01:49I mean, what, it's like meat and condiments in bread, right?01:51-01:53Isn't that the very definition of a sandwich?01:54-01:57And you're like, well, but it's shaped different.01:58-01:59Well, I'm shaped different.01:59-02:00Does that mean I'm not a human?02:00-02:01Like, come on, what's that?02:05-02:07Some of you are a little too emotional about that.02:09-02:10It's silly though, right?02:10-02:14We're not really going to fight about that.02:16-02:24But when we get to this next section in 1 Corinthians, believe it or not, and you will, it was a food controversy.02:25-02:26That's what's going on.02:26-02:31They had a food controversy, but it wasn't about hot dogs.02:33-02:40It was about something that was much bigger problem for the church.02:41-02:44All right, let's just stop for a minute.02:44-02:51This is a challenging text, but we are going to get through it together.02:52-02:55I'm gonna ask you to pray for me, and I will pray for you.02:56-02:58Let's see what the Lord has to teach us today in His Word.02:58-03:01All right, let's just take a moment and pray.03:09-03:11Father, fire us up to receive your Word.03:13-03:17We don't wanna go into a lull because we lost an hour of sleep or whatever.03:17-03:23God, this is your Word, and we should be excited to see what it is that you have told us in your Word.03:26-03:30and we should be looking to see how we can reflect the truth of your word in our lives.03:30-03:46So God, give us the faith to really believe what you said to the point that it takes root, to the point that it's manifest in our hearts, in our minds, in our attitudes, and ultimately in our conduct.03:47-03:57We pray all of this in the name of Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior, and all of God's people said, Amen, amen.03:57-04:03In this section in 1 Corinthians, it's kind of like a big Q&A session, right?04:03-04:05And look at chapter eight, verse one.04:06-04:07Do you see the first two words in your Bible?04:08-04:13He says, in this chapter, he says, "Now concerning." We talked about that, right?04:13-04:17It seems to be like, okay, next subject, right?04:17-04:20That's his clue that we're moving on to a new subject.04:21-04:46And the next topic that again is going to span next three chapters is Christian liberty. Just in case we didn't offend anybody with the last part of it, let's talk about liberty, shall we? Am I free to do whatever I want? I'm free in Christ! I can do whatever I want to do, right? Right?04:46-04:46Right?04:46-04:46Right?04:50-04:53Oh, legalism versus liberty.04:54-04:58It's the issue literally as old as the church herself.05:01-05:02Legalism.05:04-05:05That's one side.05:05-05:06Legalism.05:06-05:11The people that are legalists say to be accepted by God, here's some things you can't do.05:11-05:13Here's your list of things that you cannot do.05:14-05:16And if you keep the list, you're accepted by God.05:17-05:19That's the legalist likes the rules.05:19-05:24But on the other hand, you have the liberty people.05:26-05:28The liberty people say, "Hey, I'm saved by grace.05:28-05:30My performance doesn't matter.05:30-05:35Nothing can change the fact that I'm saved by grace and I can do whatever I want to do.05:36-05:38Nothing will separate me from the love of Christ.05:38-05:55I am free to do whatever I want to do." Well their particular liberty issue that became a problem for the church is what Paul is addressing in chapter 8, 9, and through 10.05:57-05:57Here's their issue.05:59-06:01Look again, chapter 8, verse 1.06:01-06:15He said, "Now concerning food offered to idols." That's meat that was sacrificed to a pagan God.06:17-06:19Like what in the world is going on here?06:21-06:24Understand in the Greek culture, they had gods for everything.06:25-06:29It was part of every aspect of life.06:30-06:33There was a God for literally everything.06:37-06:48And when a pagan worshiper would offer a sacrifice to a God, that sacrifice was divided into three parts.06:49-06:59Part was burned for the pagan God, part went home with the worshiper, but then the third part went with the priest.07:00-07:02The pagan priest, right?07:04-07:05How much pot roast can you eat?07:06-07:11Okay, so you can imagine, these priests, they had an abundance.07:11-07:14So they would take the extra down and sell it at the market.07:17-07:29There was other pagan meat at the market as well, because in the Greek culture, they believed that an evil spirit could enter you through what you ate.07:29-07:31So they believed that an evil spirit could get in the meat.07:31-07:34And when you ate the meat, now you had the evil spirit inside you.07:35-07:41So they would sacrifice to a God who would make sure that there were no evil spirits in the meat.07:41-07:53And on top of that, because it was such a pagan culture, the temple was sort of the community center, meaning weddings and parties were commonly held at the temple.07:53-07:55You're gonna see that come up here in this text.07:55-08:04And here's the point, my friends, Almost all the meat in this culture was used for pagan worship somehow.08:05-08:06Almost all of it.08:10-08:11So maybe you begin to see the problem.08:13-08:19For the church, for the Christians, for the Jesus followers, there was division.08:20-08:27For some, they were like, "Should we eat the pagan meat?" Absolutely not.08:27-08:28I'm not touching that.08:29-08:32They use that meat in pagan worship.08:32-08:34I'm not touching that with a 10 foot pole.08:35-08:37No way am I touching that.08:39-08:46And then there were more mature believers that were like, a hamburger is a hamburger, bro.08:48-08:50The boogeyman doesn't live in the hamburger.08:51-08:52Just eat it.08:52-08:52Come on.08:55-08:57Can you see why that would be a problem in the church?09:00-09:16People saying, "Eat the meat." People saying, "Absolutely, you shouldn't go near it." So in chapter eight here, and we're gonna be looking at the whole chapter, Paul is addressing the mature Christians who insisted on their liberty.09:19-09:26These mature Christians who said, "Hey, it bothers some of the weaker Christians that we eat the meat, but look, I'm free in Christ.09:27-09:28It's not haunted meat.09:28-09:31Am I not free to eat the meat if I want to eat the meat?09:38-09:44I'm gonna go way out on a limb here and guess that this probably isn't an issue for this church.09:45-09:46Right?09:48-09:58I don't imagine you've had to sit down at the table debate whether or not the boogeyman was in the steak, if you should eat it or not.10:02-10:06But you know there's always been issues of legalism and liberty in the church.10:07-10:25Always. Always. Okay so we're not arguing about the pagan meat, but I mean look at look at church history. We have this, even very recently, we are constantly At odds trying to figure out some things.10:26-10:28Issues of legalism versus liberty.10:30-10:32Like things like playing cards.10:34-10:39I know young people that might be hard to believe, but there was a time that that was a big issue in the church.10:39-10:41Should you be allowed to play cards?10:43-10:50Things like dancing, movies, hairstyle, dress.10:50-10:50Yes.10:53-10:55Things you can do on Sunday.10:57-10:59You can't go to a restaurant 'cause you're making people work.10:59-11:00You can't wash your car on Sunday.11:00-11:01That's considered work.11:02-11:05And you're breaking the Sabbath and there's so much wrong with that thinking.11:05-11:06But it's an issue.11:07-11:08It's an issue.11:09-11:11Things like yoga.11:16-11:20Last and certainly my favorite, Trick or treat.11:26-11:27I hate Halloween.11:29-11:32Not because you dress up like Spider-Man and get a Kit Kat.11:32-11:33I think that's kind of cool.11:34-11:42But just what it does in the church, because you have people that are like, it's fun, let's let them dress up and get candy and see the neighbors.11:42-11:45And then you have people that are like, it's demonic.11:46-11:49And like, I don't know what to do.11:51-11:53That's kind of the flavor of what we're getting here.11:55-11:56See, all these things are gray areas.11:56-12:04There's nothing explicit in the Bible that we can point to where the Bible says, do not do this, do not go trick or treating, do not dance.12:05-12:09Yet we can't find verses in the Bible that explicitly say.12:09-12:12So what do we do with these gray areas?12:12-12:18And the liberty person would say, I'm free to do whatever I want to do.12:19-12:20'Cause I'm free in Christ.12:20-12:22I'm free in Christ, man.12:22-12:24I can do whatever I want, right?12:27-12:28No.12:29-12:37No, not if doing one of these gray area things could cause a brother to sin.12:40-13:34So Paul addressing their issue with the meat gives us principles that apply for all times even until today. I want you to think about this scenario as we go through this passage because here's a real-life scenario that could happen to you where you need to apply these principles, this could happen to you this week. Just imagine the issue of alcohol. First of all, are you free to drink alcohol? Well, the Bible warns about drunkenness, but yes, the Bible does not say, "Thou shalt not ever touch alcohol." Okay? So yes, technically you are free, you are free to drink alcohol.13:37-13:42If you're of age and avoid drunkenness and all that, sure, sure, sure.13:43-13:50Okay, but imagine this scenario, a man who recently comes to harvest decides he wants to go to your small group.13:52-13:55But this man is coming out of an addicted background.13:57-14:00He had a really bad problem with alcohol, he went to rehab.14:02-14:05And this man ends up coming to know Christ.14:05-14:06He's born again.14:06-14:08He received Jesus as his Lord and Savior.14:08-14:10He's been transformed.14:10-14:14And now this man hates how alcohol has wrecked his life.14:16-14:21And this man sees alcohol a whole lot different than you or I might look at alcohol.14:23-14:34All right, so that guy says, "Pastor Taylor, I want to get involved in one of your small groups." And Pastor Taylor gets the guy coming to your small group.14:35-14:43And this week, you're having a barbecue at your small group because the weather is oh so great as it has been.14:45-14:53And as a small group leader, you're wondering, "Well, can I have beer at our small group barbecue?14:58-14:58Can I?15:01-15:46We have alcohol at a church event?" And you're like, "Okay, well this guy's coming and Pastor Taylor sort of told me this man's background and I know that if we have alcohol at our barbecue, it's going to bother that guy. I know that, but I'm free. I'm free to drink it. Why is his problem my problem? Should I still have it even though this guy's coming? I mean, I can have it, so let's just go ahead and have it and he can figure that out, right? Well, that was the Corinthian dilemma. Some mature believers were eating the meat regardless of how it affected the weaker believers.15:47-15:53And I'm glad you're sitting down because you're going to be shocked that this resulted in more disunity problems for Corinth.15:55-15:57Those people fought about everything.15:59-16:00And here's another issue.16:03-16:12So on your outline, listen very closely to this next sentence because you have to understand the angle at which Paul's going after them.16:13-16:26Paul, in 1 Corinthians 8, is going after the three reasons that the mature believers were using to justify eating the pagan meat.16:29-16:33It's okay for us to eat it, and here's why it's okay for us to eat it.16:33-16:39Paul goes after those reasons, and they're the same reasons we use today.16:41-16:55And interestingly enough, Paul agrees with them, but he shows them why their reasons for eating the meat, their reasons for liberty, do not apply in light of how it's going to affect a weaker believer.16:57-16:58All right?16:59-17:03That's why the heading on your outline, it's a big one.17:04-17:10Three valid reasons for liberty that don't work when you have a weaker brother.17:12-17:17All of these are legit reasons for liberty, but they do not work when you have a weaker brother.17:18-17:18Y'all with me?17:19-17:20I can start over.17:21-17:22It's a hot dog and sandwich.17:25-17:28Three valid reasons for liberty that do not work when you have a weaker brother.17:29-17:31Here's the first one, number one, write this down.17:31-17:32I have knowledge.17:33-17:34I have knowledge.17:34-17:36I know some stuff.17:37-17:38I know, okay.17:40-17:40Back to verse one.17:40-17:50"Now concerning food offered to idols, we know that all of us possess knowledge." Stop there.17:52-17:57You see, they were saying, Look, I know I can eat the meat sacrificed to the...17:57-17:58I can do that because I know, I know.17:59-18:01I know what the Bible says about food, okay?18:01-18:05And Peter had that vision, Acts 10, the sheath, everything's clean.18:06-18:09I know about that, I know, I know, I know.18:09-18:11And look, meat is meat, I know.18:14-18:16We do the same thing, by the way, with alcohol, right?18:17-18:18We know, we know some stuff.18:19-18:22Okay, small group leader thinking about having beer at your barbecue.18:22-18:26I know, I know, I know what the Bible says, okay?18:26-18:31And in fact, you know, back in biblical times, they didn't have refrigerators.18:32-18:37So their grape juice fermented, and it was really only like a 3% alcohol on some things.18:37-18:40And it was, but some of the drinks was only 1% alcohol.18:41-18:48And (mimics barking) Look, knowledge is great.18:49-18:56Actually, God's word exalts knowledge, knowing God's truth.18:57-19:01But here's the thing, knowledge isn't everything.19:02-19:02Okay?19:04-19:06Knowledge isn't everything because look at the rest of verse one.19:07-19:18He says, "This knowledge puffs up, but love builds up." Just having knowledge puffs up.19:18-19:20Knowledge makes people proud.19:21-19:22That's what he's saying.19:22-19:23Knowledge makes people proud.19:24-19:25Have you ever been around that guy?19:26-19:27You know that guy?19:28-19:30The actually guy?19:31-19:32You know that guy?19:32-19:33That's like actually.19:33-19:34You know, you've been around that guy?19:36-19:37If you are that guy, I hope you repent.19:38-19:39But you know that guy.19:39-19:43You're like, man, it was like 80 degrees today.19:43-19:47Actually, it was 77 degrees.19:48-19:49(sniffling)19:50-19:51You got me.19:52-19:53I'm a big fat liar.19:54-20:00Or you're like, strawberries are my favorite fruit.20:01-20:04Actually, a strawberry is not a fruit.20:04-20:05It is a member of the rose family.20:06-20:08Actually, a banana actually is a berry.20:09-20:09Actually.20:14-20:15Knowledge puffs up.20:15-20:19The guy that's just knowledge, obnoxious.20:23-20:29He says, "But love, love builds up." You see, knowledge is about me, but love is about you.20:30-20:32Love is about building you up.20:32-20:37And that's why you gotta have love with your knowledge.20:37-20:38That's Paul's point here.20:39-20:41Actually, he said the same thing, Philippians 1:9.20:42-20:51"And it is my prayer that your love may abound and more with knowledge. You see that? Love with knowledge and all discernment.20:53-20:59All your Bible knowledge does you no good if you aren't operating from a position of love.21:01-21:16So look at verse 2. He says, "If anyone imagines that he knows something, he does not yet know as he ought to know." Knowledge is a funny thing, isn't it?21:16-21:20You think you know something, and you don't.21:21-21:30The guy that's walking around thinking he's the expert and he knows everything, usually doesn't really know near as much as he thinks he knows.21:34-21:38You mature people, Paul says, you mature people insisting on your liberty.21:38-21:43You think you're so smart, but you don't know as much as you think you do.21:44-22:04because you're missing what the Christian life is all about and it is love. Biblical knowledge should move you to love. You're like, "Wait, wait, hang on.22:04-22:12How does that work? How does knowledge and love, how does that How does that work together exactly?22:12-22:17And Paul's like, "Like your relationship with God Himself." Look at verse 3.22:18-22:26He says, "But if anyone loves God, he is known by God." There it is.22:26-22:31Knowledge and love working together in your relationship with God.22:31-22:33Both of them have to be present.22:34-22:36So you can know about God without loving Him.22:38-22:45But you don't really know God without loving Him.22:48-22:49So what's he saying?22:49-22:50Here's the bottom line, alright?22:51-22:53Here's the CliffsNotes version of this chunk.22:53-22:58He says, "Your knowledge means nothing without love." That's what he's saying.22:58-22:59Your knowledge means nothing without love.22:59-23:06God doesn't care that you know stuff if you don't love your weaker brother.23:06-23:07That's the point.23:09-23:13So again, you're thinking about having beer at your small group barbecue.23:15-23:20Listen, and that guy's coming that's had the struggle in the past.23:20-23:26Look, that guy that's coming, he doesn't need your list of alcohol facts.23:26-23:27Okay?23:27-23:35What he needs is you to love him enough that you care more about him growing in Christ then you do you having your beer.23:39-23:48So if you're insisting on your liberty on the basis of, I know some Bible verses, you missed the big picture.23:50-23:52All right, I have knowledge.23:54-23:55Great, great.23:57-24:01Doesn't matter in the face of a weaker brother, you gotta love him.24:02-24:03I love 'em.24:03-24:06Number two, jot this one down.24:06-24:06I have wisdom.24:08-24:09I have wisdom.24:10-24:11There's a difference, right?24:12-24:13Knowledge, you know the facts.24:14-24:19Wisdom is like knowing how to apply the facts, knowing how knowledge works together.24:21-24:23Look at verses four through six with me.24:24-24:39He says, "Therefore, as to the eating of food offered to idols, we know that an idol has no real existence, and that there is no God but One.24:41-25:14For although there may be so-called gods in heaven or on earth, as indeed there are many gods and many lords. Yet for us, there is one God the Father, from whom are all things and for whom we exist, and one Lord Jesus Christ, through whom are all things and through whom we exist." Wow. I could do like a whole series just on like the end of verse 6 there.25:15-25:16That is such an awesome verse.25:16-25:17You should highlight that in your Bible.25:21-25:23That's the gospel right there in verse 6.25:23-25:24This is the gospel.25:24-25:39God came to us in Christ, and we go to God in Christ.25:43-25:44That's awesome.25:47-25:50Regarding the issue at hand, Paul's here saying, "Look, right on, right on.25:51-25:52Hey, I'm with you.25:52-25:54The idol is just a trinket.25:54-25:55There's no boogeyman in the meat.25:56-25:57You have wisdom.25:57-26:03You understand the world in light of the truth of God's Word." Awesome.26:04-26:12Verse 7, "However, not all possess this knowledge." See that?26:13-26:14Paul's agreeing with him.26:14-26:15Yeah, yeah, yeah, I get it.26:16-26:16I get it.26:17-26:18The idol's a trinket.26:19-26:19Right.26:21-26:22The meat's not haunted, I get it.26:23-26:23You're right.26:24-26:34However, however, look, God in his word has told us everything he wants us to know about him.26:38-26:42But we are all at different levels of understanding.26:43-26:50Some of us are just a little further down the road on our journey than others in maturing with Christ.26:50-26:51That's just the way things work.26:52-26:54We learn, we grow, we mature.26:54-26:56Some of us are more mature than others.26:56-26:57That's just reality.26:59-27:00And that's what Paul's saying here.27:00-27:01He's, "Look, good for you.27:01-27:02You know some things.27:02-27:04You know some things about the idols.27:04-27:05Guess what?27:05-27:07Not everyone understands.27:08-27:09Not everyone's where you are.27:12-27:13Not everyone gets it.27:15-27:42Look at the rest of verse 7, he goes, "But some," talking about the weaker brothers here, "but some, through former association with idols, eat food as really offered to an idol, and their conscience being weak is defiled." Your conscience, he says, "These weaker brothers having a problem with their..." What is the conscience?27:42-27:44We talked about this way and through the book of Hebrews.27:45-27:46Your conscience, what is your conscience?27:46-27:57The conscience is the part of your mind that approves or condemns what you do, based on how you understand right and wrong.27:59-28:00That's your conscience.28:00-28:04And some, Paul says, have a weak conscience, meaning it's immature.28:06-28:28not fully understanding yet. And if a weaker brother eats the pagan meat, they go against their conscience and Paul says, "They are defiled." That word "defiled" actually means "guilty." They feel guilty for doing it. They went against their conscience.28:35-28:49Have you ever believed something for so long that even when you learn the truth, it's hard to let go of that old belief that you held onto for so long?28:51-28:52I think we've all been guilty of that.28:53-28:54You know, here's one for me.28:56-29:01When I was a kid, I've always been an excellent singer.29:04-29:06(congregation laughing)29:14-29:14What is going on here?29:21-29:23Learning to have grace with the weaker brothers.29:24-29:25(congregation laughing)29:28-29:30Pastor Taylor, you are absolutely right.29:30-29:32That statement was sarcastic, you are right.29:33-29:34He is absolutely right.29:34-29:36He's not the weaker brother, he's right.29:36-29:38But I have always been a great singer.29:38-29:49But anyways, when I was little, I would sing at the dinner table, 'cause I'm always singing, I'm singing, doing everything, but I'd come to the dinner table and I'd sing.29:50-29:51And do you know what my mom told me?29:52-29:57She says, "You can't sing at the table because it," anybody know?29:59-30:00She made this up.30:01-30:05My mom said, she says, "You can't sing at the table "because it makes the angels cry."30:07-30:08(congregation laughing)30:12-30:13I am dead serious.30:14-30:18Now I found, I just this minute realized she just made that up.30:20-30:21'Cause I was expecting somebody to shout that out.30:22-30:23Nope.30:25-30:29So I grew up like, don't sing, when I get to the table, I'm like, don't sing, why?30:29-30:38because all the angels in heaven are like, "Oh, please." At first I thought it was just like anybody singing, but I think mom meant my singing.30:39-30:41My singing offended the holy angels.30:41-30:56But so I was like, "Don't sing at the table "because the angels, it just made the angels cry." And you're like, "That's silly." It is, admittedly.30:57-31:05But I gotta tell you, to this day, if I'm eating somewhere and I hear somebody singing, do you know what the first thing is that I think of?31:08-31:09You're making the angels cry.31:10-31:11Way to go.31:13-31:14Do you know what I mean?31:14-31:22I know that's not true, but I do cringe when I hear somebody sing at the table because it was just so ingrained in me my whole life growing up.31:22-31:23Don't sing at the table, don't sing at the table.31:24-31:24Angels are weeping.31:27-31:27Like...31:30-31:34And it was true in this culture that Paul's dealing with here.31:35-31:40Imagine the person that got saved out of idolatry.31:41-31:42That's a huge change.31:44-31:57You know, all this time, for all these years, the evil spirits live in the meat, got to sacrifice to the gods, you get the spirits out of the meat, the evil spirits live in the meat, and then they come to Christ, They get the truth of the gospel, and they're like, "That's not true.31:58-31:59There's no evil spirits in the meat.32:00-32:07It's not true at all." It's totally safe to eat, right?32:08-32:12I mean, it is safe, right?32:17-32:23But, I mean, it is pagan meat.32:23-32:41eat. I mean, I guess it's okay to eat it. I mean, gosh, I just don't feel right about eating it. You see the dilemma? I know, but I...32:46-32:55See, mature believers, mature believers, maybe you understand the real truth about the idols and the mate.32:55-33:05Paul's like, "But your weaker brother, he's not there yet." And love says, "I will forego something that might bother the weaker brother." That's what love says.33:06-33:13Look, spiritual maturity is deeper than right and wrong.33:16-33:30The mature believer says, "How does what I do affect the baby Christians?" And you see with the whole alcohol, with the small group barbecue thing, it's the same principle in play.33:31-33:38If the weaker brother is coming to the barbecue, the loving choice is to not have any alcohol there at all.33:40-33:42Not being legalistic, being loving.33:44-33:48I don't want this to be a problem for you, so we're just going to take it off the table.33:49-33:51We'll have a Dr. Pepper.33:55-34:05Look, if you're insisting on your liberty on the basis of, "I have wisdom, I know the ways of the world and how it works," you've just missed the whole picture.34:08-34:08One more.34:11-34:15Three valid reasons for liberty that don't work when you have a weaker brother.34:17-34:19"I have knowledge." That doesn't work when there's a weaker brother.34:19-34:22"I have wisdom." That doesn't work.34:22-34:26When you have a weaker brother, number three, here's one that we often use, I have good theology.34:28-34:30And see, these all do kind of bleed together, obviously.34:32-34:33But I have good theology.34:36-34:37Look at verse eight.34:38-34:41He says, "Food will not commend us to God.34:42-34:55"We are no worse off if we do not eat "and no better off if we do." Interestingly, that word commend is literally draw us near to.34:58-35:01What you eat is not going to draw you closer to God.35:04-35:04And that's what he's saying.35:05-35:11Eating doesn't make you holy, nor does eating make you a sinner.35:13-35:15That's good theology, right?35:16-35:16It's good theology.35:18-35:20What you eat will not draw you near to God.35:21-35:24There's only one way to draw near to God, and that's Jesus Christ.35:25-35:29He provided access to God through his death, through his resurrection.35:29-35:32That's the only basis you have of coming to God.35:33-35:35The only way you can draw near is through Jesus Christ.35:36-35:38But it certainly isn't in what you eat.35:41-35:43That's great theology, right?35:45-35:53So God doesn't care what we eat, But, but God does care about his weaker children and the way we love them.35:54-35:55He cares about that.35:55-35:57Look at verses nine and 10.35:58-36:05He says, "But take care that this right of yours "does not somehow become a stumbling block to the weak.36:07-36:23"For if anyone sees you who have knowledge "eating in an idol's temple, Will he not be encouraged, if his conscience is weak, to eat food offered to idols?36:27-36:30Stumbling block, stumbling block.36:30-36:33That's something that makes you sin, right?36:33-36:34That's a stumbling block.36:35-36:41And Paul here says, you're insisting on your freedom can make the weaker brother sin.36:45-36:45What do you mean?36:46-37:03Just simply this, if their conscience says, don't eat the pagan meat, and they see you eating, they're going to feel pressured to go against their conscience and eat, and that will make them miserable.37:06-37:11They're gonna feel the pressure, they're gonna eat, and then they're gonna immediately, I shouldn't have eaten that.37:13-37:20But you know, he makes me feel guilty if I don't join in and eat, but then I do eat, and now I feel guilty that I did.37:23-37:24You see an obvious application, right?37:26-37:33You decide you're gonna go ahead and have alcohol with your little small group barbecue, volleyball extravaganza thing.37:33-37:35And you're like, I'm still gonna have alcohol there.37:36-37:39And that recovering addict shows up.37:40-37:43And he's like, yeah, I don't drink anymore.37:44-37:45It ruined my life.37:48-37:50But everybody else is drinking.37:51-37:54Man, I kind of feel like the odd man out here.37:55-38:01Maybe I should, I mean, these are new friends and I should try to fit in, right?38:01-38:06So, I don't want to look like a weirdo.38:08-38:08And then he drinks.38:10-38:11How does he feel about himself afterwards?38:14-38:15I can't believe I did that.38:22-38:26Listen, never ever violate your conscience.38:28-38:36I have people come to me for counseling all the time and it can be a gray area matter and they'll say, "I just have this conviction about this.38:36-38:39"Is that right?" I tell them the same thing, ask anybody that's come.38:40-38:42I'm like, I will never tell you to violate your conscience.38:43-38:50If you have a conviction and it's different than mine, and it's a non-biblical issue, I am not going to tell you to violate your conscience on that.38:51-38:56And at the same time, do not ever ask someone else to violate theirs.39:01-39:06With your conscience, yes, understand, seek to understand why you feel how you do.39:07-39:11Evaluate if it is from God, but never violate your conscience.39:11-39:13Look, you're going to mature in Christ.39:13-39:19Your understanding of God's word is going to mature, but don't force it.39:23-39:27Let the growth happen naturally for you and for the weaker brother.39:31-39:48And I know at this point in the message, there's still somebody, somebody's inwardly protesting all this, saying, "Why should I care what my choices "have to do with somebody else's conscience?39:48-39:55"Like, why is that any of their business?" Well, look at verse 11.39:57-40:07Paul says, "And so by your knowledge, this weak person is destroyed, the brother for whom Christ died.40:13-40:13Why should you care?40:16-40:18Because Jesus does.40:20-40:23How much does Jesus care about this weaker brother, really?40:23-40:25How much does Jesus care?40:26-40:27Jesus died for him.40:28-40:30That is how Jesus regards this man.40:30-40:35That is how Jesus so loves this man that Jesus was willing to die for him.40:36-40:38And that's why you should love him too.40:41-40:57Verse 12, he says, "Thus, sitting against your brothers and wounding their conscience when it is weak, you sin against Christ." Wow.40:59-41:00Paul ratchets it up.41:01-41:03This is the top of the mountain here.41:04-41:10He goes, "Do you need a reason to not offend the weaker brother?41:10-41:13Do you need a reason for that?" He goes, "Here's your reason.41:13-41:15Here's number one.41:17-41:21Jesus takes any mistreatment of his people very seriously.41:22-41:29You sit against that weaker brother, you're sitting against Jesus himself." And Jesus takes this very seriously.41:32-41:41Look, if you pressure my son into doing something he doesn't wanna do, we are having words.41:45-41:51Jesus has a much stronger stance on this than I do, actually.41:54-42:14Matthew 18.6, "Whoever causes," these are the words of Jesus, "Whoever causes one of these little ones "who believe in me to sin, "it would be better for him to have a great millstone "fastened around his neck "and be drowned in the depths of the sea." You sin against a weaker brother, you're sinning against Jesus.42:15-42:16He takes that pretty seriously.42:17-42:32And again, Matthew 25, verse 40, Jesus said, "Truly I say to you, "As you did it to one of the least of these, my brothers, "you did it to me." Serious business.42:34-42:36And finally, verse 13.42:39-42:58Paul says, "Therefore, if food makes my brother stumble, "I will never eat meat, lest I make my brother stumble." Paul's like, "Look, run the risk of sinning against Jesus?42:58-42:59Nuh-uh, uh-uh.43:00-43:18I'm not going to insist on my liberty, my rights." Paul says, "I will become a vegan before I cause a brother to stumble, because loving Loving my weaker brother is more important than having a burger.43:20-43:24And loving my weaker brother is more important than having a beer.43:28-43:35So if you're insisting on your liberty on the basis of, "Well, I have good theology," you missed the big picture.43:37-43:37All right.43:38-43:39That was the introduction.43:41-43:42Here's the sermon.43:44-43:47Your liberty goes only as far as love.43:50-43:56Like the Corinthians, you can say, "Well, I know the Bible and I understand spiritual truths.43:57-43:59My theology is on point.43:59-44:06I am free in Christ to do whatever I want!" No, you aren't.44:09-44:14You must be willing to lay down your rights if it means protecting your weaker brother.44:17-44:19For communion servers would come up, our worship team.44:23-44:32I'll give you one more reason why we should lay down our rights out of love.44:35-44:37And it's because we have a great example.44:37-44:45You know, the Bible says Jesus did not consider equality with God a thing to be grasped.44:45-44:46Wrap your head around that.44:47-44:55Jesus had the right to insist on all of the privileges that come with being God.44:58-45:02And he humbled himself to give them up.45:05-45:11The question I have for you this morning is, will you follow Jesus in that?45:13-45:19Are you willing to lay down your rights, your freedoms, out of love?45:21-45:22I want you to stand.45:25-45:31And when you're ready to receive the Lord's Supper, by the way, if you're a born again believer in Christ, this is for you.45:32-45:37You don't have to be a member of Harvest Bible Chapel, but you do have to be a born again believer in Christ.45:38-45:39And if you are, he invites you.45:40-45:49Come down the center aisle, receive the elements, and I'm gonna ask that you take them back to your seat by going to the outside aisle.45:49-45:56And when everyone has the elements, we will receive the Lord's Supper together as an act of church unity.45:56-45:57All right, please come.46:01-46:03Why should I choose to lay down my rights?46:07-46:11because I have a great example in my Lord.46:13-46:20The Bible tells us the night Jesus was betrayed, He took bread and He broke it.46:20-46:43He gave thanks and He said, "This is my body which is given for you. Eat this in remembrance of me." After the meal, Jesus took the cup He said, "This cup is the blood of the new covenant, which is poured out for the forgiveness of sin.46:45-46:47Drink this in remembrance of Me." Small Group DiscussionRead 1 Corinthians 8:1-13What was your big take-away from this passage / message?Do you tend to lean more on the side of “legalism” or “libertine”? Why?What exactly is meant by “stumbling block” (1 Cor 8:9)? How could you be responsible for someone else sinning (1 Cor 8:12)?Besides alcohol, what are some examples of gray areas today that we need to be careful to “not make a weaker brother stumble”?BreakoutPray for one another.
Susan Hassall arrived at Hamilton Boys' High School in 1979 as a 22-year-old English teacher. She stayed for 46 years. In 1999, she became the first woman in New Zealand to be appointed headmaster of a boys' state school — a role she held for exactly 25 years.In this conversation, Susan shares what she's learned about love, leadership, loss, and what it takes to raise good men. We talk about her mantra — "you can pretend to care, but you can't pretend to show up" — the Greek concept of aretē that became the school's cornerstone, why she believes vulnerability is the most important quality in a leader, and what people get wrong about teenage boys.Susan also opens up about working through breast cancer without missing a day, losing her deputy Graeme Robinson to a heart attack in her office, the death of her husband James, and why the years immediately after school are the most critical for young men.Whether you're a parent, a teacher, a coach, or just someone trying to figure out what matters most — this one's for you.⚠️ This episode contains a discussion about suicide. If you or someone you know needs support, please reach out: Need to Talk? Free call or text 1737 (available 24/7) Lifeline: 0800 543 354 or free text HELP to 4357 Suicide Crisis Helpline: 0508 828 865 (0508 TAUTOKO) Youthline: 0800 376 633 or free text 234Steve and Seamus are proud to be dressed by Barkers. Check out their range at barkersonline.co.nz Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Prisoner of Jesus the Messiah Ephesians 3:1-13 by William Klock Ask yourself what happens when the church is being faithful in its gospel calling and life. As we've worked through the first two chapter of Ephesians, Paul has explained that the church is God's new temple. It's a people purified by the blood of Jesus so that God can draw near in the person of his Spirit to dwell with us. That's always been God's plan for humanity and for creation. The garden was his temple and he placed us there to steward it well, on the one hand, and on the other, to dwell with him and to enjoy his presence—life with him. And ever since we rejected that calling, God has been working to restore us to it. And so the church, this people washed clean of sin and death by Jesus, and then filled with his Spirit, this new temple, we're the working model of God's coming new creation in the here and now. And if we're faithful in being that working model, what happens? The ideal, the hope is that people hear our proclamation of the kingdom and they see the first beginning of God's new creation when they look at the church. In the midst of the darkness, the church should be light. In the midst of death, the church should be life. The church should be here to show a better way through the cross. To prophetically wipe away the tears of the hurt and mourning and to confront the principalities and powers, the false lords and the corrupt systems of the world with the truth of the gospel and the lordship of Jesus. And people do hear and see and experience the faithfulness of the church. In us they meet the living God and the Lord who died for them and they encounter his glory and they kneel in faith and are, themselves washed by Jesus and filled with the Spirit. But our idea of the faithful church often stops there. Maybe that's because we think of the church, not in terms of faithfulness, but in terms of success. Butts in the pews. Money in the plate. Acclaim by the world. And yet for the first Christians the opposite was true. They were small. They were poor. They were persecuted and imprisoned and martyred by the world around them. And that's because, when the church is faithful in living and proclaiming and witnessing the presence of God's new creation and the Lordship of Jesus, the principalities and powers—that was how Jews like Paul thought of the unseen powers, once placed by God to oversee peoples and nations, but now in rebellion against him—those principalities and powers, earthly kings, and the powerful people invested in those kingdoms and the corrupt systems that run them—Brothers and Sisters, if we're doing our job showing that God's new world is breaking in and that Jesus is setting things to rights, those powers will fight back. They will try to shut us up or shut us down. They will throw us in prison. They will kill us. Or they will try to corrupt us. They'll divide our loyalties: Sure you can worship Jesus, but you'll also need to kneel to Caesar. They'll get us to adulterate the gospel with materialism and commercialism or politics. They'll convince us we can have one set of values in the church and another in business or in government. With that in mind, look at Ephesians 3. Paul rites, “It is because of all this that I, Paul, the prisoner of Messiah Jesus on behalf of you gnetiles…” Paul sort of interrupts himself there for rhetorical purposes, but we should pause here too. Paul was in prison. Probably this is when he was in prison in Rome, but it could have been in Ephesus. And for a lot of people in his word, that meant that Paul was out of favour with God. How often do we hear that sort of thing today? There are parts of the church that have been corrupted and compromised by the idea that faith means health and wealth, happiness and prosperity. That you can name it and, by faith, claim it. And if you don't get it, well, then you don't have enough faith or you're out of favour with God. If we were to turn over to Second Corinthians we'd see that that's how the Corinthians interpreted Paul's imprisonment. But this is pagan thinking. But Paul knew better. In verse 13 he tells them, “Don't lose heart because of my sufferings on your behalf. That's your glory!” In other words, he's imprisoned because he's been faithful to the calling God gave him. He's imprisoned because of his great faith. He wants the Ephesians to understand the paradox of the cross: God's power is made perfect in weakness. We're prone to forgetting this. When we bail on a church because we think it's too small, when we start adopting sales tactics as if the gospel is something to sell, when we cozy up to corrupt leaders and rulers looking for favour, when we think we have to project or pursue strength in order to win, we've lost the plot that is centred on the cross of Jesus. You can't adulterate God's new creation with the old. If we do, we lose our witness and we stop challenging the principalities and power of the old with the lordship of Jesus and the glory of the kingdom. So Paul was in prison because he was being faithful, because he was establishing, just as God had called him to do, these little communities that were breaking the rules of the old order: bringing Jews and gentiles, men and women, slave and free together into a single family. This was the family through which God will make his glory known throughout the earth. Remember the priests mocking Jesus on the cross, to come down if he was really the son of God, then they would believe. But Paul knew—and the people in those little churches in Ephesus knew—it was because Jesus is the son of God that he had to stay on the cross. It was through his weakness, through his death that the great enemy, death itself, would be defeated and the battle won. Weakness is the powerful way of the cross. Paul had got the attention of the powers of the present evil age and it landed him in prison, but instead of thinking that God had failed, Paul knew that this was actually the sign, the proof that the gospel and the Spirit were doing their work, that they were truly rising to challenge the old gods and kings. So he goes on in verse 3, “I'm assuming, by the way, that you've heard about the plan of Gods' grace that was given to me to pass on to you? You know, the mystery that God revealed to me, as I wrote briefly just now. Anyway… When you read this you'll be able to understand the special insight I have into the Messiah's mystery. This wasn't made known to human beings in previous generations, but now it's been revealed by the Spirit to God's holy apostles and prophets. The mystery is this, that, through the gospel, the gentiles are to share Israel's inheritance. They are to become fellow members of the body, along with them, and fellow sharers of the promise of Jesus the Messiah.” God's great mystery, his secret purpose that was there all along, promised to Abraham and to Moses, to David and to the Prophets, but missed by so many people in Israel—and of course totally unknown to the gentiles who did know about those promises—that mystery hit Paul like a ton of bricks the day he met the risen Jesus on the road to Damascus—or maybe it was three days later when Ananias prayed for him and his eyes were opened. Paul started to rethink everything his Jewish Pharisee brain knew—and it knew the whole story—but suddenly he was looking it at through a new lens, through the reality that this Jesus who was crucified as a false Messiah had been raised and was, in fact, the Messiah after all. And if that were true—well, that wall outside the temple, the one carved with the warning that gentile must not pass on pain of death—that wall was now irrelevant. In fact, that whole temple had become irrelevant because of Jesus. He's said this back in 2:19 and now he says pretty much the same thing again, “The mystery is this, that through the gospel, the gentiles are to share in Israel's inheritance. They are to become fellow members of the body…fellow sharers of the promise in Messiah Jesus.” In Greek he drives this point home with real force using three words that all begin with the prefix syn that means “with”. The gentiles are with-inheritors, with-body, and with-partakers—to put it very literally in English. For those in the Messiah, the distinction between the Jews and the rest of the world is gone. And we often read right past it, but this was absolutely key, heart of the gospel stuff for Paul. Israel's story reached its climax and the promises were fulfilled in the Messiah and in his death for the sins of the whole world. In that moment the whole sacrificial system, the whole system of purity and impurity, the temple itself became irrelevant for everyone—whether or Jew or gentile—for anyone who throws himself or herself at the feet of Jesus in faith and love to be purified once and for all and forever by his blood, to be filled by God's Spirit, and thereby to become a part of God's new temple. When the scales fell from Paul's eyes, he was the first to really grasp all this. The other apostles back in Jerusalem were still debating whether gentile believers had to be circumcised or not. So Jesus sent Paul to go announce to the gentiles that it's not necessary. There's now a single people defined by faith in the risen Messiah. Of course, Paul first went back to Jerusalem to make sure his fellow apostles understood this, too. But his mission was to proclaim the good news to the nations. I expect most of the his first converts were those gentiles who were already on the fringe. The “god fearers” as the Jews called them. Greeks and Romans who encountered Jewish society and saw something they'd never seen before. In a world of moral filth, they saw in Israel a passion for holiness, a desire for justice, a hope of God setting the world to rights—a hope few in the gentile world had. And they couldn't go to the temple, but they could sit in the synagogues and hear the scriptures read and there they heard about the faithfulness of Israel's God. And so they hung around, on the fringe, longing for what this family had, but knowing it was not theirs and thinking it never could belong to them. Hoping that maybe there could be a place for them, even if on the fringe, in this story of hope. And Paul came to them excited, to announce that in Jesus, they were co-inheritors, fellow body-members, and fellow partakers of all those promises God had made to his people. That in Jesus and the Spirit, the could actually become the temple of the living God…not on the fringe, but actually the temple in which he dwells. Imagine the excitement those first gentile believers felt. Like children in an orphanage, waiting and longing for years to have a place in and the love of a family, now they were part of the family. They'd escaped from the fickle gods and moral filth and hopelessness of paganism and were now sons and daughters of God. So having made clear this point that is so central to everything, Paul goes on in verse 7: “This is the gospel that I was appointed to serve, in line with the free gift of God's grace that was given to me. It was backed up with the power through which God accomplishes his work.” I have to think that Paul never ceased to marvel at this. The guy who made it his career to round up Christians so they could be brought before the Jewish council—and stoned like Stephen—that evil guy was called and chosen by God to proclaim this good news. Washed clean by the blood of Jesus and made an apostle. If anyone understood grace, it was Paul. If anyone knew the power of God made perfect in weakness, it was Paul. And so he goes on in verse 8: “I am the very least of all God's people. However, he gave me this task as a gift: that I should be the one to tell the gentiles the good news of the Messiah's riches, riches no one could begin to count. My job is to make clear to everyone just what the mystery is, the purpose that's been hidden from the very beginning of the world in God who created all things.” Paul, the least deserving of anyone having been such a great persecutor of Jesus and his church, has been given the grace to proclaim the riches of God, his immense wealth. The riches of the Messiah. Sonship in God's family. The inheritance of the word. And one day that world set to rights and fellowship with the living God forever. This is good news. Not good advice, like, “Hey, let me tell you about Jesus. Try him out and see if he works for you and if not, oh well.” No this is good news. Sin and death are defeated, the corrupt principalities and powers are on borrowed time, God's kingdom has come. And those powers have heard the proclamation of Paul and his churches and they're angry. Maybe if it had just been all talk, maybe if they'd just proclaimed it as good advice, maybe if they'd let themselves be corrupted by the desire for strength and power, but no…the principalities and powers, the king and gods of the present age are angry, because they've seen this good news at work. Caesar was the great peacemaker who had forged all the peoples of his vast empire into one with his sword and his armies. But this crucified Messiah who came out of a weak and conquered people, whose missionaries had gathered a bunch of largely poor people, women, and slaves—their unity across all their difference brought about by a message of grace—that was a real threat to the order of the old world. The Lord Jesus was the real deal. Caesar was a cheap copy. And while the Caesars of the world will one day be brought down, they won't go down easily. And yet, it's in just this that the church has its greatest witness the power of God, the power of the cross, the power of the good news. God's power is made most manifest when we are at our weakest—laughed at, imprisoned, martyred. Those things are proof of the power of the gospel. And now Paul brings the first part of the chapter to its climax in verse 10: “This is it: that God's wisdom, in all its rich variety, was to be made known to the principalities and powers in the heavenly places—through the church! This is God's eternal purpose, and he's accomplished it in Messiah Jesus our Lord. We have confidence and access to God in him, in full assurance, through his faithfulness.” I've heard and read Tom Wright say that if you want to understand what Paul is really getting at in this first half of Ephesians, look at the 10s: 1:10, 2:10, and 3:10. In 1:10 we see God's purpose to bring all things together in heaven and on earth in the Messiah. In 2:10 we see the church today, justified by grace through faith, called to have the vital role to play in God's plan to bring everything together in the Messiah. And here in 3:10 Paul reminds us that when the church is faithfully the church—that fellowship of people from every nation, tribe, and tongue who have given their allegiance to the Messiah, then the principalities and powers are put on notice and called to account. As Paul says here: “God's wisdom, in all its rich variety, was to be made known to the principalities and powers in the heavenly places—through the church!” For two thousand years God's promises to set creation and humanity rights was out there, but how was it going to happen? Brothers and Sisters, it's through the church being the church, with uncompromising allegiance to Jesus, living in the power of the Spirit, refusing to compromise, refusing to give an inch to evil men, to wicked systems, to the gods of the present age. Not one inch. Because, the resurrection and ascension of Jesus tell us, in those famous words of Abrham Kuyper, “there is not one inch in the whole domain of human existence over which Christ, who is sovereign over all, does not cry, Mine!” And knowing that with full assurance, uncompromisingly living that out, we the church are, as Paul put it in Chapter 2, we're God's poiema, his beautiful, finely crafted handywork. We put on display God's wisdom in all its polypoikilos, the ESV translates it “manifold”. I'm tempted to translate it a little more freely as something like “all the colours of the rainbow”. Think of the vision of the church in Revelation 7—an uncountable multitude from every nation, tribe and tongue. The church is meant to display the polychromed, Technicolor glory of God's new creation and, in doing so, to reveal the shabby drabness of this wicked old age and its gods and kings. But what the church has done instead is to fracture. This colour here and that colour over there. It's to our shame. And perhaps it's because we ourselves have lost the glory of that Technicolor world the church is meant to represent, we seem to be perpetually drawn back to the shabby drabness of the present age and it's cheap attempts to do what only Jesus and the Spirit can do. Again, we treat the church and the gospel like commodities to marketed and to be bought and sold. We try to divide our loyalty between Jesus and mammon or sex or power. We become captivated by the ugliness of violence and war. Or we sell our souls for a mess of political pottage, losing our vision of new creation and our passion for goodness, truth, and beauty and instead of trusting in the God who will bring it about, we trust in horses and chariots and chase after lesser evils instead of the good. Brothers and Sisters, that what the principalities and powers, that's what the devils want. They want us to think that we can bring God's kingdom by using the world's ways. But it won't, it can't work. Because doing so simply paints the church with the same shabby drabnesss of their world and casts a veil over the glory of God and the goodness of the gospel. It removes us as a threat to those powers. But when we are faithful to being the church. When we are uncompromising in our loyalty to Jesus. When love one another and are truly one, instead of fracturing our witness to the unity of the people of God, that's when the world and its rulers take notice. They recognise that, as Paul wrote back in 2:6, we are already seated with God in the heavenly places in the Messiah. That doesn't mean we're somehow above the mess. Instead it means we're right here in the midst of the mess, taking on the corrupt and evil powers of this age with power of the cross of Jesus for the sake of the people around us. We're here, with the authority of heaven, to shine the light of the gospel and to put on full display the Technicolor glory of God. Even as the powers fight back. We've all seen it. It's not always as obvious as Paul being in prison. More often than not, it seems that when a church being faithful to preach God's word and to live out the gospel and the life of the Spirit, all hell comes at us out of nowhere. People start grumbling and creating divisions. People leave over stupid things. World or national events distract us from the gospel. or divisions become obstacles to faithfulness. Those are times for prayer and to double-down on faithfulness to Jesus and the gospel when we're tempted to give up or tempted to compromise. But Paul would tell us to be prepared. When you're being faithful, when a church is putting on display the manifold wisdom of God—new creation—the enemies of the gospel will see, they'll feel the threat, they will strike back. That's why Paul was in prison. And he tells them, “That's your glory.” Think again back to the Solomon's dedication of the temple. That stunningly grand and beautiful building, skilfully and purposefully crafted so that the glorious presence of God could dwell with in it. So that God could shine forth from it. That was the glory of his people on display for the sake of the whole world. And Solomon and all Israel watched as the cloud of glory descended and filled the temple. I always struggle to visualize just how amazing that must have been. But the key takeaway here is this, Brothers and Sisters: that glory now indwells us. We are now God's temple, his skilfully and purposefully crafted handiwork, purified by the blood of Jesus, so that he can dwell in us. And if we, by his grace and sure of promises, are faithful to be what he has made, we will shine forth that glory: life in the midst of death, light in the midst of darkness, hope in the midst of despair, glorious Technicolour in the midst of dreary mud puddles, new creation in the midst of the hold. Let's pray: Almighty God, consider the heartfelt desires of your servants, we pray, and stretch out the right hand of your majesty to defend us against all our enemies, through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.
(Genesis 39:1-21) Genesis 39:6–8 (ESV) So he left all that he had in Joseph's charge, and because of him he had no concern about anything but the food he ate. Now Joseph was handsome in form and appearance. And after a time his master's wife cast her eyes on Joseph and said, “Lie with me.” But he refused. Joseph Was Distinctive: The Favor/Purpose Of The Father Was TangibleHis Coat (Favor): Genesis 37:3–4 (ESV) Now Israel loved Joseph more than any other of his sons, because he was the son of his old age. And he made him a robe of many colors. But when his brothers saw that their father loved him more than all his brothers, they hated him and could not speak peacefully to him.His Dream (Purpose): Genesis 37:10–11 (ESV) But when he told it to his father and to his brothers, his father rebuked him and said to him, “What is this dream that you have dreamed? Shall I and your mother and your brothers indeed come to bow ourselves to the ground before you?” And his brothers were jealous of him, but his father kept the saying in mind.Joseph is in prison because of his coat and his dreamJoseph is in prison because of the touch of the father, and the calling of the father.They were jealous - the same touch/favor were available to them as well.His brothers destroyed the coat to remove the father's touch and sold him to remove the father's callingGenesis 37:10–11 (ESV) But when he told it to his father and to his brothers, his father rebuked him and said to him, “What is this dream that you have dreamed? Shall I and your mother and your brothers indeed come to bow ourselves to the ground before you?” And his brothers were jealous of him, but his father kept the saying in mind.The Father's Favor And Purpose Remained - Genesis 39:2–5 (ESV) The LORD was with Joseph, and he became a successful man, and he was in the house of his Egyptian master. His master saw that the LORD was with him and that the LORD caused all that he did to succeed in his hands. So Joseph found favor in his sight and attended him, and he made him overseer of his house and put him in charge of all that he had. From the time that he made him overseer in his house and over all that he had, the LORD blessed the Egyptian's house for Joseph's sake; the blessing of the LORD was on all that he had, in house and field.Favor Attacked By A SUBSTITUTE For God's Gift Of SEXGenesis 39:7–8 (ESV) And after a time his master's wife cast her eyes on Joseph and said, “Lie with me.” But he refused and said to his master's wife, This is an iconic crossroads in life, desiring to pull you out of alignment with God's favor. At first glance, it's just sex.PhysicalNatural desiresCompanionship - I'm all alone (hard to marry-slave)Physical escape from difficulty circumstancesEmotionalBeing wanted by someone attractive/powerfulReward for the unfair trialEntitlement - deserved for accomplishmentsGateway to life goals.For all these reasons, the average person gives in.He's already a physical slave, but an emotional/spiritual slavery is attempting to take over.From 30,000 ft up, this is a bigger attack on favor/calling than his brothers.No issue will ever challenge favor like your sexuality.Sexuality is the #1 test you will every faceUnavoidable experiences in childhoodPoor decisions during youthUnknown doors opened in the spiritual realm 1 Corinthians 6:15–19 (ESV) Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ? Shall I then take the members of Christ and make them members of a prostitute? Never! Or do you not know that he who is joined to a prostitute becomes one body with her? For, as it is written, “The two will become one flesh.” But he who is joined to the Lord becomes one spirit with him. Flee from sexual immorality. Every other sin a person commits is outside the body, but the sexually immoral person sins against his own body. Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own,It's why so many children are attacked at a young age.Pollute a person's sexuality, and the impact is massive.No Issue Will Challenge Favor Like Your SexualityIt will take an and pollute a mile.Adultery (Sexual relations with a married person)Exodus 20:14; Leviticus 20:10; Matthew 5:27–28; Proverbs 6:32.Fornication / Sexual Immorality (A broad term—Greek porneia—covering sex outside of marriage)1 Corinthians 6:18; 1 Thessalonians 4:3; Galatians 5:19; Hebrews 13:4.Incest (Sexual relations with close relatives)Leviticus 18:6–18; Leviticus 20:11–12, 14, 17, 19–21; 1 Corinthians 5:1.Homosexual Acts (Same-sex sexual activity)Leviticus 18:22; Leviticus 20:13; Romans 1:26–27; 1 Corinthians 6:9; 1 Timothy 1:10.Bestiality (Sexual relations with animals)Exodus 22:19; Leviticus 18:23; Leviticus 20:15–16; Deuteronomy 27:21.Prostitution (Engaging in or soliciting sexual services for hire)Leviticus 19:29; Deuteronomy 23:17–18; 1 Corinthians 6:15–16.Rape / Sexual AssaultDeuteronomy 22:25–27; Genesis 34:1–7.Effeminacy / Cross-Dressing (Cultural expressions of gender subversion in a sexual/moral context)Deuteronomy 22:5; 1 Corinthians 6:9 (specifically the term malakoi in some translations).Lust (Cultivating sexual desire for someone not one's spouse)Matthew 5:28; Job 31:1; 1 John 2:16.Sensuality / Lasciviousness (Lack of restraint; promoting lewdness)Galatians 5:19; Ephesians 4:19; Jude 1:4.Impurity / Uncleanness (Moral or ritual defilement related to sexual conduct)Colossians 3:5; Ephesians 5:3; Romans 1:24.Seduction of a Virgin (Sex with an unbetrothed woman)Exodus 22:16–17; Deuteronomy 22:28–29.Cult Prostitution (Sexual acts as part of pagan worship)1 Kings 14:24; 2 Kings 23:7; Hosea 4:14.The Beauty Of Sex - (8) We believe that Christian marriage was established by God, confirmed by Jesus, and is between a man and a woman. We believe that sex is a gift from God designed for intimacy and procreation within marriage.Created by God - Matthew 19:4–6 (ESV) He answered, “Have you not read that he who created them from the beginning made them male and female, and said, ‘Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh'? So they are no longer two but one flesh. What therefore God has joined together, let not man separate.”For Companionship/Unity/IntamacyGenesis 2:24: "Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh."Matthew 19:5–6: "...and the two shall become one flesh? So they are no longer two but one flesh. What therefore God has joined together, let not man separate."For Pleasure/Protection 1 Corinthians 7:5: "Do not deprive one another... so that Satan may not tempt you because of your lack of self-control."1 Corinthians 7:2: "But because of the temptation to sexual immorality, each man should have his own wife and each woman her own husband."For Pro-Creation (no more reflective of God than when you have kids)Genesis 1:28: "And God blessed them. And God said to them, 'Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it...'"Psalm 127:3–5 (ESV) Behold, children are a heritage from the LORD, the fruit of the womb a reward. Like arrows in the hand of a warrior are the children of one's youth. Blessed is the man who fills his quiver with them! He shall not be put to shame when he speaks with his enemies in the gate.Between Recapture Your Sexuality. Recapture Your Alignment For Favor/PurposeEphesians 5:3 (NIV) But among you there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality, or of any kind of impurity, or of greed, because these are improper for God's holy people.1 John 1:9 (ESV) If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.CONFESS - homologeōHomos - sameLogos - word or speakTo speak the same thing. To agree with Scripture/GODCLEANSE - katharosTo be made pure, clean, or unstained
Acts 14 (ESV) 1 Now at Iconium they entered together into the Jewish synagogue and spoke in such a way that a great number of both Jews and Greeks believed. 2 But the unbelieving Jews stirred up the Gentiles and poisoned their minds against the brothers. 3 So they remained for a long time, speaking […] The post The Church Grows Through Extraordinary and Ordinary Mean (Acts 14) first appeared on Hope of Christ Church.
In this episode, Alice interviews Professor Konstantinos Nikoloutsos, based at Saint Joseph's University in Philadelphia, and Professor Lee Brice, from Western Illinois University. Konstantinos' research focuses on the afterlife of ancient Greece and Rome in the Western world, and several of his publications examine the representation of ancient history on stage and screen. Lee is a military historian, focusing especially on military unrest and indiscipline during the time of Alexander the Great and in the early Roman empire. He contributed a reflective conclusion to a collection of essays which Konstantinos masterminded, published in 2023 as Brill's Companion to ancient Greek and Roman Warfare on Film. As Konstantinos puts it, ‘Celluloid antiquity is saturated with images of combat'. In our discussion, we dig deep into how ancient war and peacemaking have been depicted in film from the 1960s to the present day. We track changes across time in the cinematic representation of ancient violence and heroism, in relation to developments in film history and contemporary socio-political contexts. Films such as Ben-Hur, Spartacus, Troy, 300, Gladiator, and Hercules are all unpicked; and along the way we discuss the ways in which they construct masculinity, humanise action heroes, stigmatise Others, and normalise war as a pathway to 'greatness'. We consider how political and military events have influenced the representation of ancient warfare on the one hand, and how films depicting ancient warfare have become commentaries on contemporary contexts on the other. Konstantinos and Lee also discuss the future of 'sword-and-sandel' movies, including the role that AI may increasingly play, and the real-world impacts of evolving trends in cinematic depictions of ancient warfare.We hope you enjoy the episode. For a version of our podcast with close captions, please use this link. For more information about individuals and their projects, please visit the University of St Andrews' Visualising War website and the Ancient Peace Studies Network.Music composed by Jonathan YoungSound mixing by Zofia Guertin
The Bible is The Foundation of Every Foundation When the Lord Jesus Christ was tempted in the wilderness, He did not rely on emotion, miracles, or personal authority. He relied on Scripture. Three times He answered, "It is written." The Son of God anchored His response to the written Word of God. That establishes our foundation. If the Bible was sufficient for Christ in confrontation with Satan, it is sufficient for us in confrontation with doubt, culture, temptation, and unbelief. The Bible is made of *66 books, written by more than 40 authors, over approximately 1,500 years, on three continents, in multiple languages (Hebrew, Aramaic, Greek). Yet it carries a unified message: redemption through Jesus Christ. It repeatedly authenticates its uniqueness by describing history before it occurs. ⛪ ABOUT CALVARY BAPTIST CHURCHES: We believe that our Calvary Baptist Churches are a movement for all people to know God, Reaching Others, Building Lives, Honouring God and Make a Difference.
Our hosts are reunited to pull back the curtain for you when sh*t hits the fan behind frat house doors. 99% of the time the reputation that Greek members get is unwarranted but, in these cases, it’s real, it’s dark and it’s a crime…See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Two Jersey Js with Jackie Goldschneider and Jennifer Fessler
Our hosts are reunited to pull back the curtain for you when sh*t hits the fan behind frat house doors. 99% of the time the reputation that Greek members get is unwarranted but, in these cases, it’s real, it’s dark and it’s a crime…See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
The tale of Jason and the Argonauts is one of the biggest and boldest stories in Greek mythology. And it involves some of the greatest heroes, many of whom are depicted in the stars – from the twins of Gemini to mighty Hercules. The boat itself was placed in the stars as well. But even it was too big. Astronomers eventually split it apart. The original constellation was Argo Navis. It was first drawn almost 3,000 years ago. It was far larger than any of the other ancient western constellations. And for a long time, that was just fine. But as astronomers began studying the stars with telescopes, the Argo was just too big – there were too many stars and other objects within its borders to catalog. In 1756, French astronomer Nicolas Louis de Lacaille decided to do something about it. He split the Argo apart. He kept the references to the boat, though. So his new constellations were Carina, the keel; Vela, the sail; and Puppis, the poop deck – the deck at the back of the boat. And those constellations are still in use today. Carina is best known for its brightest star, Canopus. It’s the second-brightest star in the night sky. And from the southern latitudes of the United States, it crawls low across the south in early evening at this time of year. As night falls, it’s just above the horizon, almost directly below Sirius, the brightest nighttime star. We’ll have more about Canopus tomorrow. Script by Damond Benningfield
Looking for last minute college basketball picks for Saturday? We have you covered! We have an absolutely loaded betting slate with College Basketball games galore on tap for today. We discuss what the market moves have been and where can we take advantage to win.Join Kelly Stewart, Gianni the Greek & Rob Veno as they give their best picks and critical steam moves! Drop your questions in the chat to have them answered during the live stream!
Dr. Tina Tran brings more than 20 years of experience in veterinary practice, education and leadership. Her career includes work in small animal private practice, shelter medicine and academic leadership roles at Portland Community College, Purdue University College of Veterinary Medicine and the University of Arizona College of Veterinary Medicine, where she served as founding faculty and clinical relations lead veterinarian. Most recently, Tina is founding dean of the proposed veterinary school at Hanover College in Indiana. Tina is widely recognized for her contributions to veterinary education and her commitment to creating learning environments where all students feel supported and empowered to succeed. Outside of work, Tina likes cooking, traveling, and taking care of her many houseplants. In episode 647 of the Fraternity Foodie Podcast, we find out why she chose UC Davis for her undergraduate experience, what made her want to join Kappa Alpha Theta, how the sorority helped to prepare her for the realities of veterinary school and leadership roles, why you don't have to "choose" between Greek life and a demanding career like medicine, the pressure she felt growing up as a first-generation Filipino-American student, what role mentors played in her journey, how student organizations—especially fraternities and sororities—can be better allies for diversity and inclusion, how she protects her mental health, what animals taught her about leadership and empathy, how working in animal welfare shaped her worldview, and what should students be doing now if they want careers in medicine. Enjoy!
Ordained minister, Dr. Dennis Hall, reviews how Jesus appointed the original twelve apostles and then explores the differences between disciples and apostles. He points out how the word “apostle” was used in the early Jewish, Greek, and Roman culture. The characteristics of apostles as outlined in the Scripture are reviewed. Dr. Hall then turns his attention to the question of whether there are contemporary apostles. The view that once the canonization of Scripture was complete that the gifts provided to the apostles ceased, called cessationism, is reviewed and compared to the view that these gifts did not cease, called continuationism, Dr. Hall outlines the implications of this debate for today's churches. Dr. Hall concludes this podcast finding it difficult to view anything in the Scripture to support a dogmatic conclusion that there are no modern-day Apostle's. Cab be heard on all podcast search engines and viewed on YouTube at: https://youtu.be/sQKaZLEnFog.
Is Mary the New Eve in Scripture? In this episode of YouTube Catechesis, we examine the biblical case for Our Blessed Mother as the New Eve, parallel to Christ as the New Adam. Rather than relying on later theological development, this episode turns directly to Scripture in its original languages: Hebrew, Greek, and Latin, to examine the grammatical precision embedded in the text itself. We walk through three scriptural anchors: • Genesis 3:15 the Protoevangelium and the promise of the Woman and her seed • Romans 5:19 St. Paul's Adam, Christ typology and reversal through obedience • John 19:26 “Woman, behold your son” at the foot of the Cross By examining the specific use of “woman” in Genesis and John's Gospel, and by following St. Paul's typological method in Romans, we consider whether the New Eve parallel is revealed in the structure of Scripture itself. This episode is explanatory and scriptural in focus, grounded in the language of the biblical text rather than later speculation. In the Patreon-only deep dive, we explore how the earliest Christians recognized and spoke about this New Eve typology long before the Reformation. Find it on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/thelatinprayerpodcast A huge thank you to my Patrons! To follow me on other platforms Click on my LinkTree below. linktr.ee/dylandrego Submit Prayer Requests or comments / suggestions: thelatinprayerpodcast@gmail.com To Support FishEaters.com Click Here ( / fisheaters ) Join me and others in praying the Holy Rosary every day; here are the Spotify quick links to the Rosary: Joyful Mysteries https://open.spotify.com/episode/1yhn... Sorrowful Mysteries https://open.spotify.com/episode/3P0n... Glorious Mysteries https://open.spotify.com/episode/3t7l... Luminous Mysteries https://open.spotify.com/episode/6vlA... 15 Decade Rosary https://open.spotify.com/episode/2q33... Know that if you are listening to this, I am praying for you. Please continue to pray with me and for me and my family. May everything you do be Ad Majorem Dei Gloriam. God Love You! Valete (Goodbye) This podcast may contain copyrighted material the use of which may not always have been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. We are making such material available in our efforts to advanced the teachings of the Holy Catholic Church for the promulgation of religious education. We believe this constitutes a "fair use” of any such copyrighted material as provided for in section 107 of the US copyright law, and section 29, 29.1 & 29.2 of the Canadian copyright act. Music Credit: 3MDEHDDQTEJ1NBB0 Welcome back to another episode of YouTube Catechesis, where we look to scripture for corroboration on the titulos languages. Pontius Pilate inscribed "jesus christ" on the cross in "biblical hebrew", "koine greek", and Latin, highlighting their sacred use. This episode emphasizes the grammatical precision of these ancient languages, offering insights for "language learning" and a deeper understanding of "new testament" contexts. #neweve #Genesis315 #CatholicScripture #Typology #blessedmother
(March 06, 2026) IT’S FOODIE FRIDAY! Food enthusiast and host of ‘The Fork Report’ on KFI Neil Saavedra joins Bill to talk about El Coyote Mexican restaurant in LA turning 95, cauliflower pizza crust is out, Jimmy John’s sandwiches going Greek, and the trending burger challenge between fast food chain CEOs. The show closes with ‘Ask Handel Anything.’See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
On Friday's edition of WagerTalk Today, The Prez shares his favorite betting angles for tonight's Avalanche vs Stars & Wild vs Golden Knights NHL Action. Marco D'Angelo joins to give his thoughts and best bets for two of Friday's College Basketball Matchups, VCU vs Dayton & UCF vs West Virginia and shares his favorites Conference Tournament/March Madness sleepers to keep an eye on! Hosts, Andy Lang & provides props and share free picks & Gianni the Greek gives out the latest Vegas Sharp Bets – don't miss out!Intro 00:00Gianni the Greek 1:45Why Gianni Loves this time of year 2:00How to tackle Big line moves? 6:45CBB Sharp Bets 8:58UFC Line Moves 10:45Johnson vs Dober 14:13Prez 20:00Avalanche vs Stars 21:00Andy's NBA Plays 28:00Marco D'Angelo 32:00VCU vs Dayton 33:20UCF vs West Virginia 37:00Marco's Conference Tournament Betting Tips 43:00Big 12 Tournament Tip! 44:20 @John HoglundWTF or LFG 51:30Let It Ride!! How To Ladder Properly 57:00
When most people think of alchemy, they imagine a medieval wizard desperately trying to turn lead into gold. But the real story of alchemy is far stranger and far more important because hidden within those mysterious experiments were the early discoveries that would eventually become modern chemistry. In this episode of For the Love of History, we explore the origins of alchemy and how early experiments in metallurgy, medicine, and chemistry shaped the scientific world we know today. What began as practical craft knowledge in ancient Egypt and Greece eventually evolved into a global intellectual tradition spanning the Islamic Golden Age, Indian Rasashastra, and Daoist alchemy in China. Along the way we meet some of the most influential figures in early scientific history. You'll hear about Zosimos of Panopolis, one of the earliest recorded alchemists, and Maria the Jewess, a pioneering woman whose inventions helped shape laboratory techniques still used in chemistry today. We'll also explore the work of Jabir ibn Hayyan, whose writings during the Islamic Golden Age helped transform alchemy into a more systematic scientific practice. From ancient alchemy recipes found in Egyptian papyri to the global exchange of scientific knowledge across continents, this episode uncovers how centuries of curiosity about matter and transformation eventually led to the birth of modern chemistry. The story of alchemy isn't just about gold—it's about humanity's earliest attempts to understand the building blocks of the universe. In This Episode
In this session, we witness the beginning of Jesus' earthly ministry as he is baptized by John and recognized as the Son of God. After his baptism, he is tempted by Satan in the wilderness, but resists all temptations, confirming his purity and righteousness. Jesus then begins his ministry, preaching the message of repentance and calling disciples to join him. We explore his interaction with his disciples, including the famous calling of Simon Peter and a few other fishermen.Bible ReadingsMatthew 3Matthew 4Support the showRead along with us in the Bible Brief App! Try the Bible Brief book for an offline experience!Get your free Bible Timeline with the 10 Steps: Timeline LinkSupport the show: Tap here to become a monthly supporter!Review the show: Tap here!Want to go deeper?...Download the Bible Brief App!iPhone: App Store LinkAndroid: Play Store LinkWant a physical book? Check out "Bible Brief" by our founder!Amazon: Amazon LinkWebsite: biblebrief.orgInstagram: @realbiblebriefX: @biblebriefFacebook: @realbiblebriefEmail the Show: biblebrief@biblelit.org Want to learn the Bible languages (Greek & Hebrew)? Check out our partner Biblingo (and use our link/code for a discount!): https://bibli...
Welcome to the Charismatic Leader Podcast. In this episode, Brett McDermott sits down with John Bowe, acclaimed author, journalist, and communication expert, to explore how the timeless wisdom of Aristotle can transform the way we speak and lead today.John shares his unlikely journey from investigative journalism to studying public speaking, sparked by a family story that revealed the life‑changing power of communication. Together, Brett and John unpack the fundamentals of ancient Greek rhetoric—why Aristotle believed the audience is the beginning and end of public speaking, how credibility and character outweigh logic alone, and why connecting your message to people's happiness is the key to influence.This episode is a masterclass in practical communication, showing leaders how to move beyond anxiety, structure their ideas with clarity, and speak in ways that inspire trust and action.Key Takeaways:Why the audience comes first in every presentationHow to connect your message to people's needs and happinessAristotle's three pillars of persuasion: logic, emotion, and characterWhy credibility is the most powerful driver of influencePractical tips to structure talks that engage and persuade
This week, we begin a two-part series on Alexander the Great,.
Ever wondered what happens when gelato meets a Ferris wheel? Sam and Jeff are back after their Seattle adventure, and honestly, this trip had everything. They nearly missed their 5:30 flight thanks to an airport power outage and an overly chatty 3 a.m. Uber driver who couldn't stop talking about San Francisco rent prices. (Trust me, not the conversation you want at that hour.)In Seattle, they hit Pike Place Market for Beecher's mac and cheese and Greek gelato with exotic flavors, toured Lumen Field home of the Seattle Seahawks, and explored the Pop Culture Museum's impressive collections. The Chihuly Gardens featured stunning glass sculptures, and the Space Needle shot them up in just thirty-eight seconds. Their ferry ride to Bainbridge Island proved delightful and relaxing with beautiful views.But let's talk about that Ferris wheel incident—one speaker's indulgent food choices created an increasingly uncomfortable situation over multiple rotations that required an urgent exit. They also caught a Disney Villains brunch at a queer bar, enjoyed espresso martinis throughout the day, and dealt with a birthday party host who refused to share cake.The chaos, the food, the mishaps—it's all here. Listen to find out which moment almost derailed the entire trip.
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