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Bible prophecies can have more than one fulfillment and may be culminating in our lifetime. In this episode Christine Darg discovers how the Greek language became a vital tool for precisely translating Hebrew scriptures, and how ancient rabbis in Alexandria translated messianic verses that would later confirm Jesus.
Episode 202: Born into Idolatry Proverb: "It's easier to fool people than it is to convince them that they have been fooled." The Hebrew Scriptures provide enlightenment on the Most-High. These ideations are diametrically opposed to Christianity. In this podcast we discuss how a Christian can build their confidence to challenge what they believe and back to the ways of the Most-High. Information on First Tabernacle Fellowship can be at found at: www.firsttab.org
In this episode we hear Troy Salingers article called “AnsweringRabbi Tovia Singer: Jewish Hermeneutics/The Resurrection of The Messiah on 3rdDay”. The article appears on Salinger's “Let the Truth Come Out” website.Salinger begins by outlining the interpretive methods usedby ancient Jewish rabbis, contrasting them with the typical modern Christianemphasis on literal, historical–grammatical interpretation (peshat). In Jewishtradition, while the plain sense of a text was recognized, it was oftensecondary to deeper interpretive layers such as midrash—an approach of“mining” the scriptures for hidden meanings beneath the surface.To illustrate, Salinger cites an example from the Talmud inwhich a rabbi derives a messianic era of four hundred years from two unrelatedpassages simply because they used the same word afflict. Another exampleis from Midrash Rabbah, where a single ordinary verse is applied to sixdifferent people or events in Jewish tradition—including the Messiah—ratherthan simply to the plain meaningSalinger then shows how New Testament authors employ similarmethods: for instance, in the Gospel of Matthew the event of Jesus' flight intoEgypt and return is linked to Hosea 11:1 (“Out of Egypt I called My son”), eventhough the plain context of Hosea addresses Israel's historical situation inEgypt. These midrashic methods were normative in ancient Jewish hermeneutics.Turning to the work of Tovia Singer, Salinger contends that RabbiSinger criticizes New Testament writers for misusing the Tanakh (HebrewScriptures) but fails to apply the same standard to the rabbinic interpretershe otherwise praises. Specifically, Rabbi Singer is accused of ignoring orminimizing how the rabbis themselves freely used midrashic interpretation,while insisting that the New Testament authors are being deceptive when they dothe same. Salinger calls this approach “disingenuous,” suggesting that Rabbi Singercapitalizes on Christian ignorance of Jewish interpretive traditions in orderto undermine Christian claims about Scripture and fulfillment.Hebrew Vocabulary:Tanach:the Hebrew Scriptures, “Old Testament”Pashat:plain or “simple” meaning of the textmidrash:“enquiry”, commentary or interpretation of the Hebrew Bible usually findingdeeper meaningsResources:Answering Rabbi Tovia Singer:Jewish Hermeneutics/The Resurrection of The Messiah on 3rd Dayhttps://letthetruthcomeoutblog.wordpress.com/2025/10/29/answering-rabbi-tovia-singer-jewish-hermeneutics-the-resurrection-of-the-messiah-on-the-third-day/#d500256e-a368-4a8a-8cf0-a0ff46f15f5a-linkOne God Report Podcasts with author Troy SalingerPre-IncarnateAppearances of Jesus in the OT: Truth or Mythhttps://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLUqWXumvcp5p1klRmE6uAaU7uGSOMDuCX Is the "Memra" the Pre-incarnateSon of God?https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLUqWXumvcp5rvmD5Q9dO68RFlfeg_cc8C
The Gospel of John Week 20 Scripture: John 14:31 - 16:3. Our study of the evening of Jesus' Passover meal with His disciples continues. In our opening verse of John 14:31 we read, "Come, let us go." Pastor shares an ancient Christian tradition that states Jesus met with his disciples in the upper room in a location in the southwestern corner of the city of Jerusalem on the Western Hill. Using tradition, archeological discoveries, writings from Jewish historian Josephus, and some holy speculation, Pastor puts together an amazing picture of Jesus and His disciples walk to the Garden: ⁃ It was an evening walk. ⁃ To get there they would have moved through the Kidron Valley to the Mount of Olives where the Garden of Gethsemane was located. ⁃ On the way they would have passed the Temple ⁃ According to Josephus the Temple was 150 feet tall and on the face of the temple was a massive golden grapevine with clusters of grapes made out of solid gold. The clusters stood about 6 feet high. ⁃ What is known from rabbinical writings is that during the great feasts, (like this one at Passover) massive torches were placed in the courts of the temple. There were 4 of them and they stood 75 feet high with multiple containers of oil for each. ⁃ They provided a tremendous amount of light in the temple and could have been seen throughout the city. So as we read, "Come, let us go," we move to the first words of chapter 15, "I am the true vine." ⁃ And Jesus and His disciples are actually seeing the massive golden grapevine on the face of the temple as they walk. These are absolutely startling and dramatic words. ⁃ These words would have been more significant to them then than they are to us today. What Jesus' disciples would have thought of was that the people of Israel are compared to a grapevine in the Hebrew Scriptures and they would have thought of Isaiah's Song of the Vineyard. (Isaiah 5) an analogy of what God intended the nation of Israel to be. And now Jesus is saying He is the vine. Jesus is saying He is everything that God intends for His people to be. With this analogy Jesus is saying that He is the One who gives life to the people of God. It is only by being connected to Jesus that we have life and forgiveness and hope because He is the Messiah. Unless we receive Him as such, judgement will come. As Pastor takes us through verses 1-2 of chapter 15, he shares what he personally believes and that is that the translators have possibly not translated accurately. He goes on to share that the Greek word translated in English to "cuts off" has two meanings and the correct meaning may not have been used here, that the meaning "to raise to life up" (the second meaning)should have been used. Pastor brings in the actual care of grapevines by a good gardener and that non-producing vines are lifted up off the ground by the gardener so they can receive more light and are not cut off. Pastor makes a solid argument that the text is better translated as: "I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. He lifts up every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful." This is all happening just hours before He will be arrested and He is making sure His disciples understand these truths. He goes on with more truths of praying in His name, loving one another and He repeats Himself. Why? Because not only did they need it repeated, but we need to hear these truths over and again. Jesus wants to make sure and re-share these fundamental truths to anchor His disciples and us in the good times and in the difficult times. Jesus goes on with more truths: ⁃ As the Father has loved Me, so I have loved you. ⁃ Remain in My love. ⁃ Keep His commandments (not to earn His love, but because we have His love) ⁃ He calls His disciples His friends ⁃ He tells them whatever you ask in My name the Father will give you. ⁃ He tells them the world will hate them as it hates Him ⁃ He talks of persecution, but that there will also be those who will listen. So He encourages them to speak His words and tell others. We will have difficulties in this world be we know He is with us, and He loves us! ⁃ He shares that the Holy Spirit is coming. The Advocate. The Comforter, The Consoler. And that they will need the Holy Spirit. Then Pastor shares the story of Jacob DeShazer. It's a powerful testimony of how God changes our hearts with His Word and uses our changed hearts to impact others. Our website – https://www.awakeusnow.com Watch the video from our website! https://www.awakeusnow.com/2-year-study-of-the-gospels-upper Watch the video from our YouTube Channel!! https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLTaaqrC3dMOzMkhPyiNWwlJRpV6Bwpu01 ⁃ The Gospel of John study is part five of five of our Two Year Study of the Gospels. ⁃ The Gospel of John may be one of the most powerful books ever written. Many people have come to faith after reading only this book of the Bible. Scholarly and archeological discoveries in recent decades give us new insight on details in the Gospel of John. We can now understand it as the most Jewish rather than the most "Gentile/Greek" of the Gospels, and when we do that we see many things that we missed before. Our 2 year study of the gospels is great for large group, small group or home group study and can be started at any time!
Nick Fuentes claims that the New Testament has replaced the Hebrew Scriptures ("Old Testament"), that Jesus has replaced the Law of Moses, and that Christians have replaced Israel. This video explains why he is wrong.https://davidwilber.com/
SCOTT KARDASH AT NBCC Working with Paul over the last few years has been a real privilege for me, a real pleasure. And as you know, a lot of you have been with Paul for many, many years. And it's very rare to find somebody with a depth of wisdom and understanding of the Scriptures that Paul has. He has a real detailed recall and is able to connect dots across Scriptures in a way that I've never seen anyone else do it. Paul approached me and said, you know, we were talking about just other things. And he said, "Oh, well, you'd really like to get something going with some podcasts to get some of these messaging out." I said, "Oh, yeah, I'd love to help you." And so we've put out two series to date, hopefully many more to come: Our Ten Commandments and The Healing of the Soul and the Life-Giving Spirit. And so today I wanted to put some of that in context. Actually, they are related. It's all on a very similar theme. And the theme is all around the Spirit who heals us and reshapes us. But before I do, I might just mention briefly that for those that don't know, I did speak to Paul during the week. And he's recovering well from the operation. I think he's been home for a few days now. On Friday, he got home. And so he said things could be going as well as could be expected. That's really good news. I have a lot of faith for Paul's situation. I know we're all praying for him. An Ancient Look at the Ten Commandments In preparation for this, I did listen to Peter Carblis last week. You all here for that? Did you all hear Peter Carblis? I was very impressed with his ancient Greek. So I decided to one-up him and use an ancient manuscript. He used like modern Greek. He had lowercase. There's no lowercase of the original manuscripts. And I also decided to go for the Hebrew, not the Greek. So this is even older than the manuscripts he was relying on. Now, would anybody like to give it a crack? Because I can't read it. No? Does anybody know what that might be? No. I didn't know either. I had to look it up. So it's the Ten Commandments. And this is probably the earliest manuscript we have of the Ten Commandments. And it was found in the Dead Sea Scrolls. And you can see they've got a numbering system, which is a bit mysterious until you realise that it's quite simple. 4, Q, 4, 1. 4 is the cave they found this scroll in. Q means Qumran, which is where the caves were. And 41 was the number that they registered the scroll. So there's nothing magical about the 41. It's just the one. They got two in that sequence. And you can see that with these ancient manuscripts, they're actually quite different to the modern languages that we have. There's no punctuation. They have the same in the Greek. There's no punctuation. There are no spaces between words. They all run together. There's no chapters or verses. There's no vowels or accents. They call it the Tetragrammaton, which is Yahweh. It's always written out in full. In the New Testament, they contracted Jesus Christ, and they put a line above it. But in our Bibles, the Yahweh is always written as capital L-O-R-D, Lord. So in the Old Testament, you'll see where it's written Lord, capital letters, it's in the original, it's Yahweh. And they had very strict rules about how they created these scrolls, parchment and kosher animals. And of course, in Hebrew, it's right to left, not left to right. If you start on left and try to go to the right, you'd be in real trouble. But maybe it's better that we deal with the English today. I know I find this a lot easier. The Old Testament law, and God was forming a new nation. And so they needed a set of commandments. And it was part of a covenant that God had with this new nation. He formed them out of nothing. This nation didn't exist. It was a miracle, really, where God spoke to Abraham. And from Abraham, he said, "I will bless through you all the families of the earth, all the nations." He started with these commandments. He wrote them. He wrote them on two tablets of stone. He wrote them with his finger and gave them to Moses. Remember what happened then? Moses came down the mountain. And what were the Israelites doing? They were already rebellious and worshipping a calf that they'd made out of the gold. And so what Moses did, he smashed the Ten Commandments. They had to go back up and get a new set. The fact that they're on tablets of stone is quite important because where is the law written now? On our hearts. And Jesus came to fulfill that. He came to fulfill the law. And he helped us understand that there are two commandments that actually summarize everything. Love the Lord your God and love your neighbour. And then he said, "On these two commandments depend all the law and the prophets." That's a phrase which actually means the entirety of the Hebrew Scriptures. He wasn't just talking about the Ten Commandments, he was talking about the entirety of the Scriptures. And in the New Testament, when you see the word Scriptures, it's referring to what we now call the Old Testament. So they're referring to the Old Testament. They were always talking about the Old Testament when they talked about Scriptures. And Jesus came to fulfill everything in that Old Testament or the Hebrew Scriptures. The Purpose of the Law So there's a purpose to the law, and the purpose is still around today. So you can see since the law comes, it produces a knowledge of sin. Have you seen those YouTube videos of Ray Comfort running around and interviewing? Has anybody seen him? And he convicts people through the law. He says, "Have you ever told a lie? Have you ever stolen anything? Even something small?" And he's using the Ten Commandments because most people think they're good people. And they need to have something which exposes sin and to make them realize they need a Savior. Paul tells us later on in Galatians, the law was our guardian until Christ came in order that we might be justified by faith. But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a guardian. And then Paul again says, But God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do, by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin. He condemned sin and the flesh in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. So there's an uplifting of the law, and that's what Jesus came to do. From the Law of Stone to the Law of the Spirit And then Jesus ascended. It always surprises me that the disciples spend their time in the Holy Spirit, and they walk in the Holy Spirit. They spend all this time with Jesus face to face, had no clue who he really was for most of that time. And even when he died, they all went back to fishing and they thought, what was that all about? And it wasn't until they saw him resurrected that they realized actually who he is and he's still alive today. Jesus did ascend and there was a prophecy in Joel, which was fulfilled in Acts. I will pour out my spirit on all flesh... And I will give you a new heart. This is Ezekiel now. And a new spirit I will put within you and I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh and I will put my spirit within you and cause you to walk in my statutes and to be careful to obey my rules. We're seeing a transition here from outer to inner. And then this is a key passage here, and Paul actually talks about this a lot in the healing of the soul. If you love me, you will keep my commandments. And I will ask the Father. And he will give you another helper. Who's the helper? The Holy Spirit. ...to be with you forever, even the spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you. I will not leave you as orphans. I will come to you. And the disciples, they were terrified that Jesus is going to ascend and leave them all alone again. "No, no, no. Go back to Jerusalem and wait and I will send the Holy Spirit." And then one of the most startling verses I think in the Bible, ...he who is joined to the Lord becomes one spirit with him. For me, that's amazing that we are joined with our Creator through the Spirit and through our spirit, actually. The Spirit of the Law: A New Perspective So that now opens up a whole different view of the Ten Commandments. And this is where Paul has really made some interesting insights. And you can see the letter of the law is phrased in a very negative, "thou shalt not." Most of it's negative, but the spirit of the law in the New Testament enhancement of that is rephrased and uplifted in positive terms. Take a few examples, "don't murder." The New Testament spirit of the law really is to say, is addressing the root of anger and unforgiveness to become an agent of reconciliation and peace. We're moved from avoiding murder to fostering life. And you see that the whole thing is flipped on its head. Let him who stole steal no longer, but rather let him labour, that he might have something to give. So we're moving from a taker to a productive giver. "Don't tell lies, don't bear false witness." Speaking words of life that fill others' hearts. Not just avoiding literal falsehoods. So we're moving from avoiding deception to speaking truth in love. So can you see this transformation? The other thing Paul has noticed is that each of these commandments are linked. They're not just a laundry list of commands. One actually leads to the other, and ten actually goes back to one. But if you go the other way, you have a diagnostic tool. So say you're having a problem with honouring your parents. You go back one, and it will help you. And there's probably an issue there that's resulting in a symptom in the next one. I won't go into any more depth than that. If you'd like to find out more, go to YouTube and just search on "uncreated ten commandments." And there's a playlist there of all of them. It goes into much more detail there. Sanctification: The Process of Being Renewed Now, we're moving to a Greek text. Can anyone read this? I'm not even sure whether Pete can, but that's all right. Well, I was going to whisper to Carlos when you need him. He would love to get into this. I bet he'd struggle with this one, mate. This is actually Ephesians, chapter 4, verse 23 to 24. The truth is in Jesus to put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life, and is corrupt through deceitful desires, and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God, in true righteousness and holiness. The new self is created in the likeness of God. Does anybody know what process this is describing? Think of justification, sanctification, glorification. This one here is a process, so justification, glorification, less of a process. This is talking about sanctification. That's the technical word for it. Our Threefold Salvation: Spirit, Soul, and Body There's a number of scriptures which talk about that. And the reason I'm bringing that up is because you will have heard Paul talk about, the three stages of being saved. In the past, our spirit has been saved—this is our justification. We can look at it this way with the spirit. And the soul is being saved, or sanctified. This is the process, which is a lifelong transformation process. And in the future, our bodies will be saved, or glorified. Very tempting for us to separate these into three discrete entities, body, soul, and spirit. But in reality, that's very Greek thinking. Greeks used to like to separate everything into their parts. Hebrews liked to keep everything together as one entity, and they looked at different aspects of that one body. This is a key verse that Paul has really lent on heavily for the healing of the soul. And it provides a lot of meaning around sanctification. For you're receiving the outcome of your faith, the salvation, or healing, of your soul. So, the Greek word for salvation can be translated as healing. Most of our modern Bibles just call it salvation. But some of the earlier English Bibles really did translate it as healing or health. That's 1 Peter 1.9. But in reality, we are one person. And so, we have three aspects that work together to keep us whole. How Spirit, Soul, and Body Work Together (Clip 1 with Paul O'Sullivan) And so, I just wanted to now move on to having Paul tell us a little bit more about this. To answer the question, how do our spirit, soul, and body work together to shape our lives? Paul O'Sullivan: Well, we've spoken about the spirit, and the soul, and the body. And there's three parts there. So, our whole being is tripartite, if you like, Paul. And it's interesting that God is a trinity, a Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, three in one making unity. And you said that the soul is both part of our inner life and part of our outer life. So, could you illustrate how the spirit, soul, and body work in harmony to shape our lives? Well, if you draw three concentric circles, and you can see the diagram there, we can see that the body in the outer circle sends information to our souls from the outer circle of our outer world. There's a world out there, a sense world, a material world. And our spirit sends information from the innermost circle of our spirit into our souls. And our spirit is made up of our heart and our mind. So, there you've got parts. And there are divisions of working parts all working together. That's functional, but it's a design. And all of that information from the spirit coming in from the deeper parts of the spirit and then coming outwards from the body inwards to the soul can be either helpful or harmful, whatever direction, whether it's coming from the spirit or coming out from the body. It can be good information or bad information. I mean, good things can come from the outside. Bad things can come too from what the body experiences and sees and feels. There can be traumas, all kinds of things. And our spirit also sends information from the innermost circle on that diagram. And as I said, that's made up of the heart and the mind. And so the information from the spirit and from the body can be helpful or harmful, good or bad, true or false. And that can have a damaging effect upon the soul, that expresses everything that it receives from the body and the spirit. It doesn't say, "Oh, look, I'll just decide to accept certain types of information." What it can do is after it has received certain types of information that it realizes it doesn't like, it can learn a lesson and say, "I don't want to receive that anymore." But at first, if you're a young child, you're not discernible. You're not understanding what authority that information's coming from. I mean, that's just the way things are. We need to know that. There's naivety and vulnerability. Scott Kardash: Well, Paul, you're moving into an area now that we need to elaborate on quite a lot in the upcoming episodes because we've laid out a foundation, I think, for the series in this particular session. We talked about the different parts of the body, how they interact and how they function together as an overall person. But we're going to start to unravel this now and talk about the healing of the soul, aren't we? So we're going to drill into this in quite a bit of detail because it's important for people to understand. And there's going to be little keys to unlocking different applications within people's lives that I don't think they would have even realized were there. They didn't even realize there was a lock there to unlock. And I think that's where a lot of the value of this series is going to come. Paul O'Sullivan: Yeah, that's good, Scott. Yeah. And we're going to go right back to the beginning, the beginning of humanity, creation. Scott Kardash: Excellent. Yeah, thanks, Scott. Through my interactions with Paul, there are many things that I've disagreed with him on, actually. I know it doesn't come through in the podcast, but after spending time with him, I've realized he's right on just about everything. And some of them are quite big things, you know. Well, one of them was this. And I think there's a lot of confusion. Many people may not agree with this. He said, "Our spirit is made up of our heart and mind." So the heart and mind are in the spirit. Actually, I thought it was in the soul. So I was a bit confused about that. A Profound Question: Who Forms the Soul? (Clip 2 with Paul O'Sullivan) The answer to that question relates to the answer to this question. Who created our body, spirit, and soul? Quite a profound question. And this is one of the keys that Paul's unlocked as part of this series. And again, I'm just going to play some of that to look at the answer to that question. Paul O'Sullivan: Okay, remember, we're body, soul, and spirit. ...God breathed into his nostrils the breath of life. A Hebrew word there, ruach, the spirit of life. So Adam has an inner spiritual life now. He'd already become an outer physical body. He had two God-created parts. As we all do. But then it goes on to say in that verse, and this is the pivotal turning point, ...and man became a living soul. That's the third part. The astonishing statement made here is not that God instantly created a living soul like he did with the body and the spirit. It says man became a living soul. So that begs a question. If God didn't form that living soul and man became a living soul, then who forms the living soul? Scott Kardash: All right, Paul. So this is a concept which was a bit of a revelation here. So would you say that this understanding sparked this series? Paul O'Sullivan: Yeah, that was the trigger. The startling question of who formed the soul. Because we'veseen God create man in his spirit and body, and suddenly the body and spirit become something. They became something, a living soul. So the startling conclusion that I've come to, I'll put it to you now, we'll look at it in the scripture, is that the first living human soul was ready to be formed by the created spirit and body of man himself. So man formed the human soul from the God-created body and spirit that it already had. So we're going to look at that scripture a little more closely. I want to say here that God made provision for that soul. That's part of his creation for us. But he left it to us to form its nature. First of all, the human spirit is breathed into the body by God. Then the soul and its inner life is formed throughout each person's life out of the activity of the two God-created parts. The inner part, the spirit. The outer part, the body. We form or generate our own souls. That's what I'm saying. Scott Kardash: Alright, and it says that in Genesis. Paul O'Sullivan: Well, all it says in Genesis is that man became a living soul. Now I've pondered that. What does that word became mean? It does not state God created. It said man became. So where does the Bible say that we are forming or generating the soul? Well, that's another journey. I had to start searching for that and in the New Testament I found the place where Paul, writing in Corinthians, describes what it means to become a living soul. He knew about this. The same English word, became, that's used in Genesis in Hebrew. That's the English word. And that was a breakthrough. I was looking for something that humanity could generate and perhaps have a responsibility for, like a stakeholder with accountability. The formation of character within us and how the soul operates and how we participate in that. And that was all in that scripture that Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 15. 1 Corinthians 15, 45, where he says, So it is written, The first man, Adam, became a living soul. And Paul is using the same English word that's used in Genesis. Same English word, right? But Paul, who was a Greek and Hebrew scholar, knew the deeper meaning of that Hebrew word became. He uses a Greek word in the New Testament. And the Greek word is which means "to generate." Now that's not apparent in the Old Testament, became. But here it is in the New Testament. To generate, to cause to be, to become, to come into being, to have a self. It's all there. You can read it in the concordance. So humanity generated a living soul. And that scripture is pointedly clear. Man became a living soul. It has to come into being and become the responsibility of the person who generates that soul over the period of a lifetime. So God is not forming or generating the nature of that soul. We are. There is something waiting to become the expression of our spirit and our body. The angels didn't have one. The soul didn't exist. God designed the means whereby the living spirit and the body of man could generate a soul for the first time ever. And our whole life is the expression of that becoming of a living soul. Scott Kardash: So God designed humanity to have a soul and he gives us the responsibility to form and shape that soul with all the decisions and choices we make in life, both the good and the bad, Paul. Paul O'Sullivan: Exactly. That's profound. And I hope you all caught that because I don't know anybody else who's noticed that in the scripture. I've heard nobody else teach about the soul that way. And I think he's absolutely spot on. And that opened up a whole set of discoveries all based on the scriptures about how our souls get damaged and how healing can occur within the souls. And if you want to know more, just go to YouTube and there's a whole series on there. The channel is called Uncreated and the series is Healing of the Soul and the Life-Giving Spirit. It goes into much more depth later on about helper parts and how these helper parts are created in our souls and originally for good reasons, but we carry them throughout life and their purpose is no longer serving us anymore. In fact, it can be detrimental to us. Paul talks about how that can happen. Summary: Salvation as Healing So just to summarize, salvation can be translated as healing. You're receiving the end result of your faith. The salvation or healing of your souls. Our soul is shaped by choices and experiences. In a fallen world, our soul becomes damaged and disordered. It needs healing and renewal. The Holy Spirit is our healer. Salvation is not just a one-time event. It's an ongoing, effective process. We all are being transformed into His image with ever-increasing glory which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit. Salvation is the process of being reshaped into the perfect image of God, the risen Christ. We are being saved. Sometimes we might look back and say, "I was saved on that date." Well, you probably realized on that date you were justified, but we are being saved. More than rescue from sin, it's healing, transformation, union with God. It is to be conformed to the image of His Son, ...to not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind. And the ultimate goal is to restore us to the purpose for which we were created, full communion with God, ...that they may all be one, just as you, Father, are in me and I in you, that they also may be in us. That's our ultimate objective. Application: Presence Prayer And then how do we apply these principles? Well, you would have heard Paul talking about presence prayer. So he's done a couple of weeks here, I think, on presence prayer. And we will be doing a podcast to talk more about presence prayer and how to apply the healing of the soul. All right. Closing Prayer So why don't we just bow our heads in prayer and thank the Lord. Heavenly Father, we thank you for gathering us together and for the truth of your word that reveals your heart for us. Lord, we invite the Holy Spirit to continue the work of transformation within us. Heal the places in our souls that are wounded and need reordering. Renew our minds so that we may walk in your ways. Unite us as one body filled with your Spirit, Lord, so that we may reflect your love and bring glory to your name. We pray all this in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.
Start with a claim that won't let you shrug: the Father calls the Son God. We walk through Hebrews chapter 1 line by line to see how Scripture itself lifts Jesus above every created being, from angels to kings, and then crowns him with a righteous scepter. If angels refuse worship but Jesus receives it, what does that say about who he is and what he has done?We explore the rich language of radiance and exact representation, unpacking the ancient seal-and-wax imagery that shows the Son bears the very nature of God in human flesh. From identity flows mission: he upholds all things by his powerful word, makes purification for sins, and then sits down at the right hand of Majesty. That seated posture declares the work is finished and the King is enthroned. Along the way, we trace a web of Old Testament citations—Psalms 2, 45, and more—that anchor Trinitarian theology in the Hebrew Scriptures, not in later speculation.This conversation is for listeners who want sturdy, text-driven clarity: Jesus is not a created being, not merely a messenger, and not a rival deity. He is the worthy one whose name is more excellent than the angels, the rightful heir of David's throne, and the ruler with a righteous scepter who loves righteousness and hates lawlessness. For anyone under pressure or tempted to drift, Hebrews 1 offers more than comfort; it offers a captivating vision of Christ that fuels endurance, worship, and hope.If this deep dive strengthened your faith, follow the show, share it with a friend who loves careful Bible study, and leave a rating so more people can rediscover the power and beauty of Hebrews.Support the showThank you for listening!! Please give us a five-star rating to help your podcast provider's algorithm spread RTTB among their listeners. You can find free study and leader resources at the following link - Resource Page - Reasoning Through the Bible Please prayerfully consider supporting RTTB to help us to continue providing content and free resources. You can do that at this link - Support RTTB - Reasoning Through the Bible May God Bless you!! - Glenn and Steve
In speaking of the treasure hidden in a field, Jesus referred, I believe, to the kingdom of God within you. This video describes the experience of God's spirit within first by quotes from Jesus' Bible, the Hebrew Scriptures. Next, we go on to the idea that we do well to become friends with this gift of the presence of God. Finally comes the outpouring of a list of many of the blessings that await us from the inner divine source. This brief introduction is developed in the blogpost at UniversalFamily.org
Exhibit C is God's Case Against the Human Race, a representative of humanity that is the Best Case - the Jews, God's Chosen People. Paul writes as a consummate insider, a Jew writing about Jews, and the Holy Spirit gave Paul profound insights into the Jewish heart and their sacred texts of the Torah and the Prophets. Paul will reveal how even the Jews, precious to God as the very heart of humanity, the blessed recipients of the oracles of God in the Torah and all the Hebrew Scriptures, still fall short and end up doing the same things as the other Exhibits in the Court. We will see the genius of God in planning specifically to change the hearts of Jewish believers, His way of making hearts holy like He is holy, determined and written in the Torah itself and in Ezekiel.visit us at: conejochurch.com
Paul Axton preaches: There are competing images of God in the Bible between a God of law and vengeance and the God of mercy and love. This contention is resolved in Christ in which true deity is found in the face of the forgiving human victim, and this highlights a theme traceable throughout the Hebrew Scriptures. If you enjoyed this podcast, please consider donating to support our work. Become a Patron!
Welcome to the Pinkleton Pull-Aside Podcast. On this podcast, let's step aside from our busy lives to have fun, fascinating life giving conversation with inspiring authors, pastors, sports personalities and other influencers, leaders and followers. Sit back, grab some coffee, or head down the road and let's get the good and the gold from today's guest. Our host is Jeff Pinkleton, Executive Director of the Gathering of the Miami Valley, where their mission is to connect men to men, and men to God. You can reach Jeff at GatheringMV.org or find him on Facebook at The Gathering of the Miami Valley.Aaron Shust's fascination with music—with unique sounds, melodies, progressions, and techniques—has always been a salient part of who he is. From an early age, Aaron has felt most at home in front of a piano. Just as innate to Aaron is his love of God's Word—of wrestling with the Scriptures, with the hard and beautiful things they say, and the way they foretell and fulfill a picture of a suffering servant, King Jesus.You'll hear these twin loves in Shust's music, from his debut success with “My Savior My God,” winning the 2007 New Artist, Songwriter and Song of the Year. Later, as he grappled with a surprise Down Syndrome diagnosis for one son and waged a war with chronic illness for two, he continued to declare “My Hope is in You,” a song which spent 14 weeks at #1, and “Ever Be,” which debuted at #3 on the NCA chart. Over the past several years, Aaron has delved deeply into friendship with Messianic Jews, both in Nashville and Israel, as well as into the Hebrew Scriptures and Jewish tradition that they yield. Shust, a native of Pittsburgh, makes his home in Nashville with his wife Sarah and their sons Daniel, Nick, and Michael, as well as a growing menagerie of pets.
This section of The Evergetinos is among the most luminous and convicting in its entire corpus. It speaks with the voice of a Father who has entered deeply into the mind of Christ; where justice is transfigured by mercy, where the love of neighbor becomes inseparable from the love of God, and where even material loss becomes a gate to eternal life. The Elder's teaching exposes the great inversion of values that defines our time. In an age obsessed with self-preservation, power, and vengeance, the Christian is called not simply to resist these tendencies, but to live from an entirely different center. His measure of life is no longer self-interest or fear, but the eternal horizon of the Kingdom. The Elder begins with a piercing truth: God's commandments are light. It is only our attachment to self-will that makes them seem heavy. In modern terms, we could say that the weight we feel in forgiving enemies, in relinquishing possessions, or in enduring wrongs, comes not from the Gospel itself, but from our clinging to the illusion of control and possession. The commandment of Christ is light because it is love; and love is only heavy to one still bound by pride. The parable of the gem-engraver is a mirror for us. The man, faced with imminent danger, discards all his treasure to preserve a fleeting life. We, knowing the eternal stakes, cannot part with even trifles to save our souls. The Elder's irony cuts deeply: a worldly merchant becomes a philosopher in action, while we who claim the Kingdom behave as fools. Has the Christian fallen below the moral and spiritual clarity of the pagans who could endure insult or misfortune with composure? The Elder's words imply as much, for true wisdom is to value what endures, and to let go of all that perishes. We live amid a civilization that sanctifies vengeance, calls anger justice, and worships material gain. The Christian, if he is truly of Christ, stands as a contradiction to this world. His meekness will appear as weakness; his patience as passivity. Yet the Elder shows that it is precisely this self-emptying love that manifests divine power. To endure injury without resentment is to share in the Cross. To pray for the one who wrongs us is to participate in the compassion of the Crucified. The image of the Body, so carefully developed by the Elder, destroys the illusion of separateness that fuels violence. To harm my brother is to wound Christ Himself; to harbor anger is to cut myself off from the Body's life. The Christian is thus called to a supernatural realism: to perceive the unity of all in Christ and to respond to injury with the same tenderness one shows a diseased limb of one's own body. One does not amputate a member in anger; one tends it with healing concern. So must we treat the sinner who has harmed us. In the closing examples, the Elder incarnates this teaching. The monk who relinquishes his books rather than quarrel over them, the ascetic who frees the brigands who attacked him — these are not tales of naiveté but of divine wisdom. They show that peace of heart and fidelity to Christ outweigh any claim to justice or property. The true betrayal, as Abba Poimen tells the frightened hermit, is not the crime of the brigands but the monk's own fear and loss of faith. The victory of Christ is not in punishing evil but in overcoming fear through love. St. Ephraim's brief counsel at the end grounds this lofty teaching in ordinary charity. Justice begins in the smallest acts; in returning what is borrowed, in honesty, in remembering that we “owe no man anything, but to love one another.” The ascetical heroism of forgiveness begins with these humble fidelities. In an age of terror, noise, and material excess, the distinctive mark of the Christian is not moral superiority or rhetorical witness, but peace that disarms the world. The Evergetinos reminds us that the Gospel's revolution lies in meekness; in the refusal to let hatred dictate our actions or possessions define our worth. If we have not yet attained even the calm of the pagan sage or the detachment of the shipwrecked merchant, then our first step is repentance: to rediscover the lightness of the commandments and to trust that the Cross, embraced without vengeance, is still the truest power in the world. --- Text of chat during the group: 00:02:23 Bob Čihák, AZ: P. 291, G 00:08:34 Fr. Charbel Abernethy: www.philokaliaministries.blogspot.com 00:10:48 Fr. Charbel Abernethy: Page 291 G 2 00:10:57 Fr. Charbel Abernethy: http://www.philokaliaministries.blogspot.com 00:19:21 Bob Čihák, AZ: P. 292, # 2, 2nd paragraph 00:21:44 Rick Visser: We think we can have both, temporal and eternal. 00:24:02 Anthony: Prosperity gospel also came from sectarians reading the Hebrew Scriptures in a carnal manner. 00:27:45 Janine: Blessed are you poor 00:28:00 Adam Paige: Happy Are You Poor: the simple life and spiritual freedom (Thomas Dubay) 00:28:27 Rick Visser: All of us here in the class are in the top 10% of the wealthiest people in the world. 00:36:26 Jessica McHale: I got rid of just about everything. I have two boxes, one clothes, one religious items. I have never felt free-er. 00:36:44 Rick Visser: Reacted to "I got rid of just ab..." with ❤️ 00:37:56 Myles Davidson: Reacted to "I got rid of just ab..." with
In this inaugural episode of the new series "Kingdom Now," Pastor Karl introduces an in-depth journey through the Gospel of Matthew. Titled after Jesus's prayer in Matthew 6, "Your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven," this series explores the unique perspective of Matthew's Gospel, emphasizing the kingdom of God in an upside-down way that challenges expectations. Pastor Karl sets the stage by providing background on the four Gospels, highlighting Matthew's distinct focus on Jesus as the royal Messiah from the line of David, written specifically for a Jewish audience. He delves into Matthew's identity as a former tax collector, illustrating how Jesus transformed his life, changing his identity and direction. Through Matthew's story, Pastor Karl introduces the discipleship process of "belong, become, give, and go," encouraging listeners to reflect on their own spiritual journey. The episode focuses on Matthew 1:1-17, exploring Jesus's genealogy and its purposeful inclusion of unexpected figures, reinforcing the message that when God writes the story, nothing is a mistake. Join us as we begin this transformative study, learning how God uses broken backgrounds for His kingdom purposes. Watch all our sermons on our youtube channel "Flipside Christian Church"Join us in person 9:00am & 10:30am every Sunday morning.37193 Ave 12 #3h, Madera, CA 93636For more visit us at flipside.churchFor more podcasts visit flipsidepodcasts.transistor.fm
Questions about the Trinity are often asked this way: • Is the word “Trinity” in the Bible? • Do Christians worship three Gods? • Was “Trinity” invented by the Church? • Isn't the notion of “Trinity” irrational? • Don't you think this is a minor issue? Pastor digs into the question of the Trinity by starting at the beginning, in Genesis 1:1 “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” In Hebrew the word for God that is used in this verse is Elohim. Elohim is a plural noun. God is being described in plural terms! Genesis 1:2 “Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters.” In Hebrew the Spirit of God is “Ruah Elohim”. This is describing God as the Holy Spirit. Genesis 1:3 “And God said, “Let there be light, and there was light.” The word that stands out here is “said”. Observation: Genesis 1 1. Plural noun for God the Creator 2. Spirit of God involved in Creation 3. God's Word brings forth the Creation This three-fold pattern continues throughout the Hebrew Scriptures: 1. Father - Deuteronomy 32:6 “Is He not your Father, your Creator, who made you and formed you?” 2. Spirit - Job 33:4 “The Spirit of God has made me, the breath of the Almighty gives me life.” 3. Word - Psalm 33:6 “By the Word of the Lord the heavens were made and all the host of them by the breath of His mouth.” But the Old Testament also says there is but ONE God. Deuteronomy 6:4 “Hear, O Israel; The LORD our God, the LORD is one.” And yet one God is describe in a multiplicity of terms. One God and three very distinct Persons. This pattern continues in the New Testament: 1. Father - 1 Peter 1:2 “…chosen according to the foreknowledge of God the Father.” 2. Spirit - Acts 5:3-4 “…you have lied to the Holy Spirit…you have not lied just to human beings but to God.” 3. Word - John 1:1 “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” In John 1:14 we read more about the Word, “The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.” THE WORD is none other than Jesus, Himself. The Bible sets forth clearly that the One God has revealed Himself as Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Jesus says in Matthew 28:19 “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit…” The word that stands out in this verse is the word NAME - singular - yet THREE are named. 2 Corinthians 13:14 “May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.” This is clear Biblical teaching that the One true God has revealed Himself as Father, Son and Holy Spirit. God is complex!!! His ways are higher than ours! God who created us…. • Planned to Save us (God knew we would wander away from Him, but His plan from the beginning was save us) • Came to Save us (we cannot save ourselves, we need a divine rescue. Our Divine Rescuer is Jesus who came to earth taking on human flesh and enduring the cross) • Dwells in us to Save us (the God who created us dwells in us, brings us to faith, changes hearts, gives power and testifies to Jesus the Savior) God works as a unity - Father, Son and Holy Spirit - each unique and distinct but also uniquely ONE. Is the word “Trinity” in the Bible? The word is not but “the Trinity” is found: Father, Son and Holy Spirit in both Old and New Testaments. Do Christians worship three Gods? No, there is but ONE God, but has revealed Himself as Father, Son and Holy Spirit. We do not need to comprehend this to know God's power and presence and truth. Was “Trinity” invented by the Church? The term is invented but The TRUTH of THE TRINITY has been there since the beginning. Isn't the notion of “Trinity” irrational? This is a profound mystery, but not irrational. Pastor shares a lesson from Dr. Walter Martin and the Triple Point of Water where water is solid, gas and liquid all at one time. Three yet one. Is it irrational that the God of the universe can “three yet one.” Don't you think this is a minor issue? No because when we start ignoring what God says about Himself and what the Bible teaches we go into false teaching and false testimony. This is where false religions come in. We're living in a culture that has walked from God and it is disastrous. This is NOT a minor issue - God is above ALL things and He is worthy of our worship and praise. 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 Watch via our app. Text HELLO to 888-364-4483 to download our app.
The story of Jesus doesn't begin in Bethlehem - it begins in Genesis. Rabbi Jason Sobel joins us to explore how the whole Bible, from creation to new creation, points to one Messiah and one redemptive plan. His new book, Transformed by the Messiah, invites readers to rediscover the power of Scripture as one seamless narrative rather than two disconnected halves. In this episode, we trace how the Hebrew Scriptures set the stage for the Gospel: Joseph's betrayal and restoration, the feasts that frame the Kingdom, and the prophetic rhythms that pulse beneath every New Testament page. Jason shows how the Messiah fulfills - not replaces - Israel's story, inviting both Jew and Gentile into God's covenant promises. We also talk about how this restored vision transforms how we live - rooted in God's faithfulness, connected to His appointed times, and awakened to a Messiah who holds all of Scripture together. The goal isn't to add something new but to recover what's been there all along: the unity, beauty, and coherence of God's Word from beginning to end. Key Takeaways The Bible tells one continuous story of redemption, not two separate Testaments. Transformed by the Messiah helps readers see how every part of Scripture points to Yeshua. The Old Testament provides the framework; the New Testament reveals the fulfillment. Joseph's life foreshadows Messiah's rejection, suffering, and ultimate reconciliation. The biblical feasts - especially Sukkot - reveal the shape of God's Kingdom plan. Seeing Jesus through His Jewish context restores depth and meaning to our faith. Transformation in Messiah is holistic: spiritual, emotional, relational, and physical - reflecting God's shalom. Chapter Markers 00:00—Welcome & Israel tour crossover 01:17—Rabbi Jason's encounter and journey to Yeshua 08:02—Bridging Old and New without “strange fruit” 15:28—Transfiguration and Sukkot explained 20:02—Numbers, gematria, and the “vav” 27:31—Behind the scenes of The Chosen 32:50—Living Jewish after Oct 7 38:58—Simchat Torah and hostages timing 41:52—Sukkah vs. “roof” (Gog) insight 47:27—End-times drift and loving Israel's Messiah 49:36—From information to formation: practices 54:15—Book release details & where to find it 57:52—Pre-order and why it matters 58:20—Shalom and close This episode invites you to read the whole Bible in high definition - seeing Yeshua where the story has always pointed. Explore more resources at The Jewish Road, dive deeper through Fusion Global at fusionglobal.org, and pre-order Rabbi Jason Sobel's new book, Transformed by the Messiah, to experience how the Jewishness of Jesus brings Scripture - and your life - into full color.
Dr. Jay and Amazing Larry continue their look at Remez … how Rabbis teach the Bible in shorthand. Remez means to “allude” to something, usually a specific section of the Hebrew Scriptures, via a phrase, word, or even an action. In today's episode, we dig into the Book of Matthew that uses the reference to “God's Servant” to reveal Jesus' purpose when He came to provide salvation to humanity.Frothy Thoughts with the Truth BaristaVisit HighBeam Ministry, The Truth BaristaCheck out the Frothy Thoughts Blog!Check out The Truth Barista Books!Check out The Truth Barista YouTube Channel!
Before we began Galatians, I asked for recommendations as to where in scripture to go nextA trusted friend suggested we venture through the minor prophets- “minor” because they are relatively short compared to Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Ezekiel• I hesitated for awhile, then procrastinated, finally hoping to dodge The Dozen prophets at the end of the Hebrew Scriptures• even though the longest of them is only fourteen chapters and shortest is only one chapter,◦ they still require as much study and preparation as the major prophets◦ so it's basically been a matter of laziness- however, we have reached a point in our nation's history,• in which we need to hear the voice of these prophets• and Hosea in particular
While Acts 2 proclaims resurrection in response to Pentecost, Acts 3 proclaims resurrection in response to healing. And just like in chapter 2, Peter interprets the event through the Hebrew Scriptures and calls for repentance—but this time with an even more compassionate tone. ---------- Click here to access resources for supporting immigrants: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1G9suVgJsS8X6TdH6ec2TBRKTz3dCqzQ2dPzUor4TKHc/edit?tab=t.0#heading=h.ejsud9n02yg8 Thank you for joining us today! If you feel led to give to DCC, you can do so here: https://pushpay.com/g/denverchurch?src=hpp
John 9:1-6,As he passed by, he saw a man blind from birth. 2 And his disciples asked him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?” 3 Jesus answered, “It was not that this man sinned, or his parents, but that the works of God might be displayed in him. 4 We must work the works of him who sent me while it is day; night is coming, when no one can work. 5 As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.” 6 Having said these things, he spit on the ground and made mud with the saliva. Then he anointed the man's eyes with the mud…”When we describe a person as polarizing, what do we typically mean? Well, we mean that that person is someone who tends to cause heightened responses in others just about everywhere they go. In other words, were you to follow around a polarizing person throughout their day, you would find in their wake: wave after wave of people who either really, really liked having that person around, or really, really didn't.Typically, we call a person polarizing because of something that's bad within them. Maybe they use foul language. Maybe they lie or cheat. Maybe they treat other people unjustly. It's the darkness within them, that has the polarizing effect. Well, when it comes to Jesus, I think it's safe to say that he is a polarizing person. In fact, I'd dare to say he is the most polarizing person in the history of the world. But unlike so many others, the reason Jesus is polarizing is not because of inward darkness, but light.Jesus is not just good, but so good, and so holy, and so just that when he comes around, he exposes our darkness. He reveals that we're really not as good as we thought. When he does, some turn, and come to the light, and others flee.In this morning's passage, we're going to see Jesus' polarizing effect in full force. And we'll see it in the form of peoples' responses to three claims about Jesus: Jesus Does the Work of GodJesus Is Sent From GodJesus Himself Is God Let's pray, and ask God to help us once more ….So, three polarizing claims about Jesus: Jesus does the work of God, Jesus is sent from God, and Jesus himself is God. We'll begin with that first one.A Man Born BlindVerse 1,“As he [Jesus] passed by, he saw a man blind from birth.”A man who'd likely been sitting out on the roadside, hands held out, all day long, hoping to feel the cold, weighted touch of a coin being dropped into his hand. Verse 8 tells us that this man was a beggar. And the reason he was a beggar was not because he wanted to be. It's not like he grew up dreaming that one day this would be his life — sitting on the side of a road, day after day, as the people of his community passed him by.But, the fact is, he'd been born blind. Light, for whatever reason, had just never reached his eyes. And because of that, there was no job that he could hold. No service that he could offer. He was doomed to a life of begging — looking out for help from a world he had never once seen. And who knows how many people might have passed him by that day prior to Jesus and his disciples. How many people, just like Jesus' disciples, asking the question: “Who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?” But when Jesus and his disciples came by that day, something unique happened. To the question of why he'd been born blind, came an answer that, for once, didn't cite sin as the reason for his blindness. Rather, verse 3:“It was not that this man sinned, or his parents, but that the works of God might be displayed in him.” Works of God, in me? Think of it. All this man has ever known is blindness — a kind of blindness thought to be the mark of God's curse over him. Suddenly, he hears: God has a purpose. God has a design. “You mean to tell me I've been made this way to show something good and wonderful about God?” Jesus says, “Yes, and I'm here to make it happen.” Which brings us to our first claim: Jesus does the work of God.1. Jesus Does the Work of GodVerse 4, Jesus says to his disciples,“We must work the works of him who sent me…”We must do it. For,“…night is coming, when no one can work. As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.”You hear what Jesus is saying? I'm the light. And I'm here. But I won't always be. Therefore, the time to work is now.So Jesus spits on the dirt, mashes it into mud, and spreads it upon the man's eyes. Far from improving his vision, at this point, if anything, Jesus has made his vision worse. He's covered over his already blind eyes. But, he doesn't leave the man that way. He tells him, “Go, wash.” And the man does. Verse 7:“So he went and washed and came back seeing.”The man could finally see! He could see! Light, colors, shapes, faces — can you imagine seeing all these things for the very first time in your life!? It's a miracle! And Jesus did it. Because Jesus does the work of God. He calls us to as well. Verse 4 reads,“We must work the works of him who sent me.”What works of God might God be calling you to? What kind word, what helping hand, what giving up of your time might you be able to walk in and say, we're doing it. We're doing the works of God that he has called us to, as a church. Ephesians 2:10,“For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.”Sabbath WorkNow from here, the formerly blind man is going to get shuffled around a bit. First he'll go before his neighbors, then the Pharisees, then his parents. And the reason he's going to get shuffled around is not mainly because his eyes were opened. See it with me in verse 13. Following a back-and-forth with the neighbors, we read, in verse 13:“They [the man's neighbors] brought to the Pharisees the man who had formerly been blind.”And now, we've got to ask ourselves, why did they do this? What prompted them, on the heels of such a miracle, to not say, “Let's bring you to the mountains and show you the sunrise. Let's bring you to the riverbank so you can watch the water shine. Let's bring you into the city to show you architecture and design.”But, instead, let's bring you to the Pharisees.What prompted that instinct in them? What made them to think, “hmm, the Pharisees ought to see this”?We find out in the very next verse. Verse 14:“Now it was a Sabbath day when Jesus made the mud and opened his eyes.” We've seen this before, haven't we? Back in chapter 5, we had another healing miracle with incredibly close parallels to this one. And there, the problem was that Jesus had worked the miracle on the Sabbath. That had angered the Pharisees then. And not because Jesus had broken one of God's Laws. He hadn't. But because he had broken one of theirs.Now a few chapters later, here we are again. It's the Sabbath. And thanks to the events of chapter 5, the neighbors now know how the Pharisees feel about healing on the Sabbath. And so when Jesus gives sight to this blind man, the neighbors think, “we ought to bring this now seeing man to the Pharisees to find out if this was okay.”Follow along with me at verse 14:“Now it was a Sabbath day when Jesus made the mud and opened his eyes. So the Pharisees again asked him how he had received his sight. And he said to them, ‘He put mud on my eyes, and I washed, and I see.'”Now, it's unclear exactly what the problem was. It seems though that it could have had to do with the mud. After all, John clearly wants us to know about the fact that Jesus made mud. He records that detail twice in verse 6, then again in verse 11, again in verse 14, and again in verse 15.And the Pharisees did have a law concerning the making of a dough, or mud, on the Sabbath. Might seem strange, but think about it: both dough and mud can be associated with work — Dough for baking, Mud or mortar for building. So Jesus may well have made this mud on the Sabbath for that very purpose — to show that the Pharisees laws were not God's.Well regardless of the reason, the fact is: Jesus gave sight to a blind man on the Sabbath and the Pharisees didn't like it. Enter, our second claim: Jesus is sent from God. 2. Jesus Is Sent From GodIt'll begin with the Pharisees claim to the contrary. See it with me in verse 16, some of the Pharisees said,“This man is not from God, for he does not keep the Sabbath.”That's their assessment of him. Jesus is not from God, if he was, he'd obey our laws.But as we read in John 1:1,“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God.”And as Jesus says in John 3:13,“No one has ascended into heaven except he who descended from heaven.”Descended from God.John 5:24, Jesus says,“Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life.”John 7:29 Jesus claims,“I know him, for I come from him, and he sent me.”John 8:42,“If God were your Father, you would love me, for I came from God and I am here. I came not of my own accord, but he sent me.”And then, of course, from our text this morning, John 9:4,“We must work the works of him who sent me.”Jesus is from God. The Pharisees take Jesus' work on the Sabbath to be a proof he's not. But what John has been laboring to show us throughout his gospel is that it is because Jesus is from God that he does the works of God, even on the Sabbath. Just as Jesus said back in 5:17,“My Father is working until now, and I am working.”Jesus is from God. He's sent from God to do the works of God. But the Pharisees can't see that. And the reason they can't is because they are spiritually blind. What about the formerly blind man? His physical blindness has been healed, but has his spiritual blindness been healed as well?There's certainly been a progression. First time he's asked about his healing, he seems to know little about Jesus. He simply calls him a man. Verse 11:“The man called Jesus made mud and anointed my eyes.”Then in verse 17, in response to the Pharisees, he calls Jesus not just a man but a prophet. Someone who speaks the words of God and does the works of God. It's quite a statement to make in the presence of these learned, powerful elite who clearly think otherwise. And yet, it's not yet a claim to Jesus' divinity. Something more is needed.Blind ParentsWell, the next group of people to be called in are the man's own parents who confirm to the Pharisees, “Yes,” verse 20,“We know that this is our son and that he was born blind. But how he now sees we do not know, nor do we know who opened his eyes.”Does that strike you as just a bit odd? Someone has rescued their son from a lifetime of blindness. And yet they don't know who it was? Like, they just didn't think to ask, “Hey, by the way, son, who'd you say it was who healed you?” No, but instead, they tell the Pharisees, verse 21:“Ask him; he is of age. He will speak for himself.”You know what they're doing in this moment? They are lying. And they are lying because they care more about their own public perception than their son. See it with me. Verse 22. John is abundantly clear:“(His parents said these things because they feared the Jews, for the Jews had already agreed that if anyone should confess Jesus to be Christ, he was to be put out of the synagogue.”You see it? His parents knew it was Jesus who had healed their son. And they also knew that if they told the Pharisees that, and even suggested that could mean Jesus was the Christ, they'd be kicked out of the Synagogue — exiled from their community and way of life. So, they lied. And they sicced the dogs on their son instead.“Ask him; he is of age. He will speak for himself.”And we might add, speak for himself, by himself. For by now, this man has been sold out by his neighbors, sold out by his parents, and turned over to the Pharisees who have their teeth bared.Verse 24:“So for the second time they called the man who had been blind and said to him, ‘Give glory to God. We know that this man is a sinner.' The man refuses to agree with them. 'He answered, ‘Whether he is a sinner I do not know. One thing I do know, that though I was blind, now I see.'”Verse 26, the Pharisees fire back, asking him the same exact question they've already asked him:“What did he do to you? How did he open your eyes?” And now, have you ever been on hold with customer service before? Maybe you've called a company about a faulty product, or a project that just wasn't done right. And every time you got through to someone, they just kept asking you the same question, “Sir, could you tell us the reason for your call?” You tell them, then they just transfer you to the next guy.It gets tiring having to answer the same question over-and-over, right? Well, by this time, the man has already given his answer to his neighbors and to these Pharisees. And so, he responds in verse 27, how we'd expect:“I have told you already, and you would not listen. Why do you want to hear it again? Do you also want to become his disciples?” Wrong About MosesAnd this is where things get interesting, because Moses is going to get referenced. And, listen, you just know that any time Moses gets mentioned in the New Testament, things are about to get interesting.Here's what they say — Verse 28:“And they reviled him, saying, ‘You are his disciple, but we are disciples of Moses.'” And then, the incredible irony:“We know that God has spoken to Moses.”And they're right. It's true. God had spoken to Moses. And do you know who God had spoken to Moses about? Jesus — the very one they're trying to kill. And Jesus had already told them that, back 5:46,“If you believed Moses, you would believe me; for he wrote of me.”Spiritual blindness is a terrifying thing, is it not? The Pharisees have called Jesus a sinner. They've put terror in the hearts of those around them. They've claimed to follow Moses and yet disclaimed the very one he wrote about. Spiritual blindness is terrifying. At least with physical blindness you know your condition. These Pharisees are blind to the reality of God in the world, and they don't even realize it. In fact, they think they can see better than all the others. And when the formerly blind man calls them on this, they think he's the one with the problem, verse 34:“You were born in utter sin, and would you teach us?”They are intending to kill Jesus, and yet they say the man in front of him — he's the sinner. And to top it all off, verse 34, they cast the man out of the synagogue.See this man with me now. Quite a day it has been for him, yes? Just that morning, like every other morning of his life, he'd woken up blind. Blind he'd eaten his breakfast. Blind he'd been led to the roadside. Blind he'd sat begging. Now he sees. But the cost of his seeing has involved his neighbors, his parents, and the Pharisees all essentially disowning him — sending him away with the words, “You were born in utter sin” ringing in his ears. Now, he stands, alone. Eyes open, but alone.Has his life improved? Have things gotten better for him? Sure, he can now see, but all he sees is exile. He's on his own. Rejected. Discarded. Cast out. The man is alone. But Jesus does not leave him there. Jesus hears what has happened, and goes after him. Others have sent him away, but Jesus goes out to find him. To speak to him. To give him one of the greatest gifts in all the world — spiritual sight.Verse 35:“Jesus heard that they had cast him out, and having found him he said, ‘Do you believe in the Son of Man?'”The man responds, verse 36:“And who is he, sir, that I may believe in him?”Jesus answers:“You have seen him, and it is he who is speaking to you.”And the man who had been born blind can suddenly see with spiritual sight. Verse 38,“He said, ‘Lord, I believe,' and he worshiped him.”3. Jesus Himself Is GodAnd he worshiped him because Jesus is God. That's our third and final claim — Jesus is God. Here's a Jewish man that was raised up on Moses, the Ten Commandments, and the Hebrew Scriptures. A man who knows God is one, Yahweh is his name. But then he drops to his knees to worship a man named Jesus.In Revelation 19, the same thing happened to one of the angels. When it did, the angel shouted out: “You must not do that!” In Acts 14, the residents of Lystra begin bowing down in worship of Paul and Barnabas. When they do, Paul and Barnabas tear their robes and cry: “Men, why are you doing these things? We also are men, of like nature with you.”But when Jesus is worshiped, he doesn't protest. He receives.Jesus receives worship because Jesus is God. Jesus does the work of God. Jesus was sent from God. And, Jesus is God.Jesus is a polarizing figure, yes? Just as he'll say near the close of this section, verse 39,“For judgment I came into this world, that those who do not see may see, and those who see may become blind.”So there really are two choices: spiritual sight or spiritual blindness. Spiritual light or spiritual darkness. Fist shaking at Jesus or knees bowing before him. And so I want to invite you today if you are here this morning, and you want to see. See that Jesus is more than just a man. More than just a prophet. But God himself. Ask him.Jesus, come find me too.Come help me see you are the Son of Man. If you don't, you will remain in darkness. Guilt for your sin, just as Jesus says in verse 41, will remain. Don't live in the dark. Don't stay in your guilt. Ask Jesus to help you see, and he will. He will.If you are here today and like this man can say, I was spiritually blind and now I see: Realize that just as Jesus found this man in his rejection, his isolation, his loneliness, so has he come and found you as well. You see because he gave you eyes to see.Brothers and sisters, never take that sight for granted. It is one of the greatest gifts you could ever receive. Should you lose all and yet still have spiritual sight, you still have all. Treasure your spiritual sight and use it to see and enjoy Jesus every day.The TableNow, what brings us to the table this morning is both the reminder of Jesus' spilled blood and broken body, as well as the promise that one day we will eat a far greater meal with him in Heaven. There, we will finally see him, face-to-face. Because that's what this table represents, I gladly invite those who are trusting in Jesus' death on their behalf, to take and eat this meal with us. If you've not put your trust in Jesus, we ask that you'd let the elements pass for now, and instead take this moment to ask Jesus,Help me to see.
FOLLOW RICHARD Website: https://www.strangeplanet.ca YouTube: @strangeplanetradio Instagram: @richardsyrettstrangeplanet TikTok: @therealstrangeplanet EP. #1259 Golgotha's Forbidden Code: Why Bible Experts Blindly Miss the Crucifixion Screaming from Every Hebrew Letter Journey into biblical shadows on Strange Planet as pastor Carl Gallups unveils Golgotha's Groaning—his explosive claim that three crosses lurk encrypted in Hebrew Scripture, from Genesis' dawn to Revelation's roar. Why do scholars like Dennis Prager dissect the Torah for decades yet ignore its blatant Messiah blueprint? Probe Psalm 22's crucifixion blueprint, Isaiah 53's synagogue blackout, and creation's labor pains echoing Calvary's cry. Jesus as lamb, scapegoat, priest—fulfilling rituals in cosmic eruption. Satan blindsided, Judas ensnared: aftershocks rumble today. Timed for end times, this decoding ignites faith amid prophetic chaos. GUEST: Carl Gallups is a dynamic pastor, bestselling author, and prophetic teacher with over 30 years in global ministry. A frequent guest on major TV and radio platforms, he has preached worldwide, igniting audiences with bold biblical insights. Author of 14 acclaimed books—including The Yeshua Protocol, Gods of Ground Zero, and the groundbreaking Golgotha's Groaning—Gallups deciphers ancient codes and end-times prophecies, challenging conventional scholarship while affirming Scripture's divine precision. WEBSITE: http://carlgallups.com BOOK: Golgotha's Groaning: Stunningly Unique Biblical Disclosures from Genesis to Revelation That Are Shaking the End Times World SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS!!! FABRIC BY GERBER LIFE Life insurance that's designed to be fast and affordable. You could get instant coverage with no medical exam for qualified applicants. Join the thousands of parents who trust Fabric to help protect their family. Apply today in just minutes at meet fabric dot com slash STRANGE TESBROS We're a small business built by Tesla owners, for Tesla owners. Everything we do is about helping our customers customize, protect, and maintain their ride — whether it's through our products or YouTube how-tos and reviews. Go to tesbros.com and use code POD15 for 15% off your first order. BUTCHERBOX ButcherBox delivers better meat and seafood straight to your door – including 100% grass-fed beef, free-range organic chicken, pork raised crate-free, and wild-caught seafood. Right now, ButcherBox is offering our listeners $20 off their first box and free protein for a year. Go to ButcherBox.com/strange to get this limited time offer and free shipping always. Don't forget to use our link so they know we sent you. HIMS - Making Healthy and Happy Easy to Achieve Sexual Health, Hair Loss, Mental Health, Weight Management START YOUR FREE ONLINE VISIT TODAY - HIMS dot com slash STRANGE https://www.HIMS.com/strange QUINCE BEDDING Cool, Relaxed Bedding. Woven from 100% European flax linen. Visit QUINCE BEDDING to get free shipping on your order and 365-day returns. BECOME A PREMIUM SUBSCRIBER!!! https://strangeplanet.supportingcast.fm Three monthly subscriptions to choose from. Commercial Free Listening, Bonus Episodes and a Subscription to my monthly newsletter, InnerSanctum. Visit https://strangeplanet.supportingcast.fm Use the discount code "Planet" to receive $5 OFF off any subscription. We and our partners use cookies to personalize your experience, to show you ads based on your interests, and for measurement and analytics purposes. By using our website and services, you agree to our use of cookies as described in our Cookie Policy. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://strangeplanet.supportingcast.fm/
Over the last few months we have been focusing attention on the Spirit of God. We noted that in the Hebrew Scriptures, the Spirit of God is particularly seen in relation to creation, among Israel in the progression of her history, and with respect to Israel during the Messianic Kingdom.Then we turned our attention to what the New Testament Scriptures teach about the Spirit of God. First, we learned that the Spirit of God is a person. Second, we saw that, while there are angelic and human persons, the Spirit of God is a divine person. Then we looked at two ministries of the Spirit of God, the ministries of conviction, and of bearing witness of Messiah.In this message, we explore the Spirit of God's ministry of imparting life, eternal life. It is what is meant by being "born again" and "becoming a new creation" (John 3:3, 7; II Corinthians 5:17).This is also what is meant by regeneration (Titus 3:5). And the Spirit's ministry of regeneration comes to fruition by means of the word of God. Peter writes, "...since you have been born again, not of perishable seed but of imperishable, through the living and abiding word of God" (I Peter 1:23).James similarly states, "Of his own will he brought us forth by the word of truth, that we should be a kind of first-fruits of his creatures" (James 1:18). The word of truth is of course a reference to the sacred Scripture that imparts life.YouTube: https://youtube.com/live/vECx3B9nQmwSend us a text
Sermon Direct Link 9/14/25 Rev. Clint Smith How Great This Man Was (Hebrews 6:13-20) The Hebrew Scriptures provide a timeline that spans approximately 1,656 years from Adam's creation to the beginning of Noah's Flood. From ... Read More The post How Great This Man Was (Hebrews 7:1-10) appeared first on Town Creek Baptist Church.
Growing In God Podcast Program Number: GIG #266 Title: Should Christians Celebrate the Jewish Feasts? Web Description: Following the examples set for us by Paul and Yeshua (Jesus) Himself, the Jewish feasts and fasts are special occasions for believers in Christ as well. All Christians should recognize the importance of these celebrations and find ways to make them a part of their lives. Study this podcast and consider how you can incorporate these biblical holy days into your personal walk of faith. Show Notes: Christ and the early Church followed the schedule of the biblical feasts. When He was a child Yeshua and His family went up to Jerusalem and celebrated the feasts as ordained by the Lord. Later during His ministry Yeshua continued to observe the feast times. It is recorded throughout the Gospels that His pattern was to go to Jerusalem during a prescribed feast. Even when people there were seeking to kill Him, it was important for Him to go to Jerusalem for the Feast of Tabernacles. We also read that He went to Jerusalem in winter for the Feast of Dedication, which is Hanukah. The same pattern was followed by Paul. On one occasion Paul decided to sail past Ephesus because he was in a hurry to be in Jerusalem for the Feast of Pentecost. At another time he told the Corinthians that he would remain in Ephesus until the feast. So Paul often made observing the feasts a priority in his travel plans. The greatest example though of the importance of these biblical feasts is the fact that the Church was created during the Feast of Pentecost. It was the Lord Himself who directed the disciples to be in Jerusalem during that time. Zechariah prophesied that in the days of Christ's Kingdom on the earth, all the nations will come to Jerusalem to celebrate the Feast of Tabernacles together. And it will not be a matter of choice. A plague and a punishment will be on the nations and families who do not come. Clearly God is serious about these times that He has appointed for us to celebrate Him and His Word. We should approach these times with tremendous anticipation in our hearts, not out of a sense of obligation but with an expectation that God will meet us, open doors that have never been opened, and show us things in His Word we have never seen before. Key Verses: • Luke 2:40-42. “His parents went to Jerusalem every year at the Feast of the Passover.” • John 2:13, 23. “The Passover of the Jews was near, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem.” • John 5:1. “There was a feast of the Jews, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem.” • John 7:2-10. “When His brothers had gone up to the feast, then He Himself also went up.” • John 10:22–23. “The Feast of the Dedication took place at Jerusalem; it was winter, and Jesus was walking in the temple.” • Acts 20:16. “Paul … was hurrying to be in Jerusalem, if possible, on the day of Pentecost.” • 1 Corinthians 5:7-8. “Celebrate the feast … with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.” • 1 Corinthians 16:7-9. “I will remain in Ephesus until Pentecost.” • Acts 2:1-4. “When the day of Pentecost had come.” • Acts 1:4-8. “He commanded them not to leave Jerusalem, but to wait for what the Father had promised.” • Zechariah 14:16-19. “All the nations that went against Jerusalem will … celebrate the Feast of Booths.” • Micah 4:1-2. “Many nations will come and say, ‘Come and let us go up to the mountain of the LORD.'” Quotes: • “There are several appointed times in the Hebrew Scriptures. And people wonder if this is something that has passed or if there is a significance or a reason why Christians should be observing or looking for God to move in their lives during these times.” • “Even though it was dangerous for Yeshua to go into Jerusalem and go through Judea at this time, He still went up at this prescribed time of the feast.” • “Christ had told them to go back to Jerusalem and wait until they were endued with power from on high. And that endowment of the Spirit, that giving of authority and power to the disciples to spread the gospel into all the world, came on the Day of Pentecost.” Takeaways: 1. Christ's family celebrated the feasts as observant Jews. Paul himself celebrated these times. He scheduled his travels to be in Jerusalem for a specific feast. The Church itself was born during the Feast of Pentecost. 2. Zechariah prophesied that the Gentile nations will come to Jerusalem to celebrate the Feast of Tabernacles. The feasts then are not something only to be observed by Jews. They continue to be an important part of our Christian experience. 3. These are appointments with God that He has established for us. Let us schedule our hearts and our spirits to enter into these times and expect that He will meet us.
Matthew goes out of his way to present the death and burial of Jesus in a way connects to the Hebrew Scriptures and is verified
Rev. Kara Eidson has spent a decade crafting a beautiful and meaningful way to celebrate Advent, and now she's sharing it with the world. Her new book, The Advent Tree, is more than just a story; it's a full worship resource for the Advent season. It weaves together the history of the Hebrew people leading up to Jesus's birth with various worship materials, making it a powerful tool for churches and families alike.Eidson, a rural United Methodist pastor serving in the Great Plains Annual Conference, recently shared the journey behind her book. She talked about her passion for intergenerational ministry and how she developed these comprehensive Advent study materials to bring people of all ages together. Her approach is rooted in the Hebrew Scriptures, incorporating these ancient texts and visual elements to help people see the story of Jesus in a new light.The conversation wasn't all serious, though. Eidson discussed the importance of balancing both playful and serious elements in church worship.
On today's show, Episode 183, this is PART 2 of a Hebrew Scripture discussion that I had with Jeff Benner, founder of the online Ancient Hebrew Research Center in 1999. Jeff Benner loves to help serious Bible readers break free from a surface-level understanding of scripture and the biblical narratives. His objective is to teach people to read the Bible through the lens of its original language, culture, and context, without requiring a full immersion in the Hebrew language. Simply learning a few basic concepts of how Hebrew is structured and how it works, Jeff is confident that you will quickly find yourself on a path to new discoveries in the Bible, uncovering concepts that you never knew were there. Join me now for my continued discussion with Jeff Benner, picking up where we left off in Part 1, as we delve further into the rich nuances of the biblical texts. Today, we will look at words like Faith, Believe, Mitzvah (commandment), King, a Name, Hallellujah, and so much more.
Please, feel free to send a text message here and give us feedback. Also, you may send a text msg or leave voicemail (425) 550-6670. Please DO NOT ask questions here because I have no way to respond to your questions. If you have questions, please send an email: questions@cominghome.co.ilOn today's show, Episode 183, this is Part 2 of a Hebrew Scripture discussion I had with Jeff Benner, founder of the online Ancient Hebrew Research Center, in 1999. Jeff Benner loves to help serious Bible readers break free from a surface-level understanding of scripture and the biblical narratives. His objective is to teach people to read the Bible through the lens of its original language, culture, and context, without requiring a full immersion in the Hebrew language. Simply learning a few basic concepts of how Hebrew is structured and how it works, Jeff is confident that you will quickly find yourself on a path to new discoveries in the Bible, uncovering concepts that you never knew were there. Join me now for my continued discussion with Jeff Benner, picking up where we left off in Part 1, as we delve further into the rich nuances of the biblical texts.Support the show
Monday, 18 August 2025 “Therefore I say to you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven men, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven men. Matthew 12:31 “Through this, I say to you, every sin and blasphemy, it will be forgiven men, but the ‘Spirit blasphemy' not it will be forgiven men” (CG). In the previous verse, Jesus said that the one not being with Him is against Him, and the one not gathering with Him scatters. Now, to build upon that thought, He says, “Through this, I say to you, every sin and blasphemy, it will be forgiven men.” The word blasphémia is introduced. It signifies vilification, especially against God. The meaning of Jesus' words is that sins occur and people blaspheme. These things are a part of being human. People may be uninformed, misinformed, etc. Similarly, people get frustrated, tempted, over-exerted, etc. When these things occur, stamina is weakened, thoughts and emotions get distorted, and so forth. People can be forgiven of these things through the correction of their heart attitude. The weakness of the flesh might be what disrupts a right attitude. Through being reinvigorated, stamina and mental clarity arise in place of what is evil. Through self-evaluation, a pro-abortionist can redirect his thinking to understand the wrong thought process he previously held. Such examples as this are understood by God, and when a change to right thinking with a turning from sin and blasphemy, restoration is possible. However, Jesus next says, “but the ‘Spirit blasphemy' not it will be forgiven men.” Jesus' words, although understood by Christian thinking, reflect a separation that exists within the Godhead. There is the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Israel at the time was unaware of these tenets. Clues to the nature of God may be found in the Hebrew Scriptures, but without the introduction of New Testament theology, such things would remain unclear and obscure at best. What Jesus is saying is in accord with what a Hebrew thinker would understand. God's Spirit, the same Spirit who hovered over the waters in the creation, was known to those hearing Jesus' words. What He says about “Spirit blasphemy” would have been understood because of this. The Pharisees were accusing Jesus of casting out demons by Beelzebul. They were ascribing the work of the Spirit of God to the devil. Whether this, in and of itself, can be considered as “Spirit blasphemy” is debatable. The reason for this is that after being so accused, Jesus corrected their words, and thus (hopefully) their thinking, with a logical reason why it could not be so. People can do, say, and think things that seem to be beyond the pale, but they may not have any idea of the ramifications of what they are saying or even understand the thought process behind their actions. The fact is, however, that Jesus' words set a bar that, when it is reached, equates to “Spirit blasphemy.” At that point, there will be no forgiveness obtainable for that person. As the Topical Lexicon rightly states – “Matthew 12:31-32 and Mark 3:28-30 locate the unpardonable sin in attributing the unmistakable work of the Spirit to satanic power. It is not a single rash word but a settled verdict against the light, revealing a heart hardened beyond repentance.” Life application: People often wonder if they have committed blasphemy of the Spirit, worrying about the state of their eternal souls for something they thought or did. The very fact that they are concerned about that should tell them it has not happened. Unfortunately, there is a great deal of incredibly bad theology taught in seminaries and churches concerning this issue. True story: A group of young boys was outside of a charismatic church where women were rolling on the ground, disgracing themselves through false manifestations of the “Spirit.” The boys laughed at them. One of the women said to them, “You can never be saved. You have blasphemed the Holy Spirit.” One of the boys lost hope, became a drunk and a rebel in life. In the military, he heard the message about the King of kings and realized the lie that he had heard was nonsense. He gave his life to Christ and became a missionary, telling others about the goodness of God. The women, not the boys, were much closer to blaspheming the Spirit. They were ascribing their ridiculously stupid actions, showing off in public, and acting like fools to the work of the Spirit. If someone, we'll say a Muslim, says, “The Bible is the work of the devil.” Is that blasphemy of the Holy Spirit? The Bible is inspired by the Spirit. Therefore, someone could make the claim. But what if the Muslim never read the Bible and was just repeating what he had been told? He had no idea what the Bible said concerning God, the Spirit, Christ, or the Christian faith. He is condemned because he is not in Christ, just like any other human. But what if, after saying what he said, he got the desire to check out the claims of the Bible? In reading it, he realized that he was wrong, that the Bible is the inspired word of God, and that Jesus is the Christ. Can he be saved? Yes. His words about the Bible, although incorrect, did not meet the bar set by Jesus. Keep your fingers from pointing. Paul, a Pharisee who heard all about Jesus, did everything he could to destroy the faith. And yet, despite all he had done, he was not only forgiven by God, but he was given an appointment as His ambassador and apostle. “And I thank Christ Jesus our Lord who has enabled me, because He counted me faithful, putting me into the ministry, 13 although I was formerly a blasphemer, a persecutor, and an insolent man; but I obtained mercy because I did it ignorantly in unbelief.” 1 Timothy 1:12, 13 O God, help us to learn and rightly apply sound doctrine to our lives. Help us to not get swayed by false or manipulative people. Rather, lead us in understanding You, Your word, and what is correct as we live our lives in Your presence. Amen.
The Torah, also known as the Hebrew Scriptures, or the five books of Moses, is read annually in Jewish synagogues from cover to cover (or the equivalent of covers for a scroll). Pastor Joshua has decided to take this on, reading the Torah literally and interpreting it through his context as a culturally Jewish atheist Unitarian Universalist. A new parashat, or chapter, is read Ever Sabbath (Shabbat). The Torah portion for this week, August 16, 2025 is Parashat Eikav, which tells of Moses addressing the Israelites and emphasizing the importance of keeping God's commandments in preparation to enter the land of Israel.
On today's show, Episode 182, this is PART 1 of a Hebrew Scripture discussion that I had with Jeff Benner, who has authored over twenty books related to biblical studies. His works include The Ancient Hebrew Lexicon of the Bible and His Name is One. Jeff Benner founded the Ancient Hebrew Research Center in 1999. The stated objective is to help serious Bible readers break free from a surface-level understanding of scripture and to begin reading the Bible through the lens of its original language, culture, and context. Join me now for my discussion with Jeff Benner as we explore the rich nuances of the biblical texts. On today's program, we will study the Hebrew language from the perspective of its two-letter (parental) Hebrew root system. We will study words like Shalom, Faith, King, Abstract versus Concrete Thought, Righteousness, and many more concepts.
Please, feel free to send a text message here and give us feedback. Also, you may send a text msg or leave voicemail (425) 550-6670. Please DO NOT ask questions here because I have no way to respond to your questions. If you have questions, please send an email: questions@cominghome.co.ilEpisode 182 PART 1, a Hebrew Scripture discussion with Jeff Benner of the website Excavating the Bible. Jeff Benner founded the Ancient Hebrew Research Center with the objective to help serious Bible readers break free from a surface-level understanding of scripture and to begin reading the Bible through the lens of its original language, culture, and context. With today's program, Jeff will walk us through some of the deeper biblical meanings of words like Wisdom, Shalom, Faith, King, Garden (as in the Garden of Eden), and much more. I am sure you will find this study eye-opening and helpful as you learn to read the Bible in a new and fresh way. Support the show
In Jewish thought, the Spirit of God is referred to as "the Spirit of the Lord," "the Spirit of God," and "the Holy Spirit" or "Ruach ha-Kodesh" (רוח הקדש). He is often identified with the Shekinah Glory.However, in Jewish thought, the Spirit of God is not understood to be a person. Rather, He is conceived of as a created entity brought into existence, often thought of as merely God's active force or abstract manifestations of God's power.Interestingly, whenever the Spirit of God is made reference to in both the Hebrew Scriptures and the New Testament, His work and activities, His responses and actions, are always described in personal attributes.He possesses "wisdom and understanding, counsel and might, knowledge, and the fear of the Lord" (Isaiah 11:2). The Spirit of God possesses emotions. He is one who can be rebelled against (Psalm 106:33), and as a result, be grieved. In addition, the Spirit of God possesses a will. As such, He provides instruction regarding the will of God.For this and other reasons we will review, the Spirit of God is a person, not a force, a metaphor, or a figure of speech. He is a person, for He manifests the attributes of personhood - namely, intelligence, emotions and will. YouTube: https://youtube.com/live/DjyvJZJDj4sSend us a text
WATCH NOW: “Sharing From The Hebrew Scriptures, Part 1” – Rabbi Steve Weiler (07/25/2025)Erev Shabbat Service, July 25, 2025More videos available on the Shoresh David Messianic Synagogue of Tampa Youtube channel https://youtu.be/jf_1-_CUCgI Copyright Licensing InformationCCLI Profile #: 3931821Shoresh David is a congregation where Jews and Gentiles worship together. Whether you are an interfaith couple, Jewish person or a Christian, Shoresh David is a place where you can belong. We look forward to seeing you at Services. Shalom!Website: http://www.shoreshdavid.orgFacebook: http://facebook.com/shoreshdavid - You can watch services live, Friday night 7:30pm ET / Saturday morning 11:00am ET via the Shoresh David Facebook Page.Shoresh David Messianic Synagogue of Tampa4320 W Bay to Bay Blvd, Tampa, FL 33629Phone: (813) 831-5673#messianicjudaism #yeshua #tampaSupport the show
Growing In God Podcast Program Number: GIG #261 Christ Ever Lives to Intercede for Us Web Description: God never breaks His covenants. That means He will never break the covenant He made with you for your salvation through the blood of Christ. Do you feel like God has rejected you because you failed Him? Replace that feeling with the knowledge that nothing can separate you from the love of God in Christ. Far from rejecting us, He ever lives to make intercession for us. Let this truth be what fills our hearts and minds. Show Notes: The Hebrew Scriptures show us God's faithfulness and His commitment to His covenants. There are Scriptures of course that relate the many times God punished His people Israel for their sins. And Christians over the years have used these Scriptures to support anti-Semitism and replacement theology, claiming that God has rejected the Jewish people. But the opposite is true. The Scriptures are clear that God has never rejected Israel and is always faithful to His covenant people. We read in the Bible that God disciplined them like any good father would discipline his children. But we also read that He will never violate His covenant with them. God's dealings with Israel, as recorded in the Scriptures, are an example for us as Christians. If we fail Him, He will discipline us, but He will never break the covenant He made with us in Christ. Yet how many Christians really have the confidence that God will never reject them? How many feel like they have blown it so badly that there is no way back to God? According to the book of Hebrews, Christ ever lives to make intercession for us. Yet we look at our flesh and think that any one of our failings could separate us from His love for us. We so easily forget that He is at the right hand of God always, continually, at every moment, making intercession for us. This needs to be solidified in our minds and hearts. God, who never breaks His promises and never violates His covenants, will cause everything to work for good for His people. That is the reality for Israel. And that is our reality that we can have full confidence in. Key Verses: • 1 Corinthians 10:11. “These things happened to them as an example, and they were written for our instruction.” • Numbers 23:19. “God is not a man, that He should lie.” • 1 Corinthians 11:25. “This cup is the new covenant in My blood.” • Psalm 89:28–37. “My covenant I will not violate, nor will I alter the utterance of My lips.” • Jeremiah 31:31–37. “If this fixed order departs … then … Israel also will cease from being a nation before Me.” • Hebrews 7:24–26. “He always lives to make intercession for them.” • Romans 8:24–34. “Christ Jesus is He … who is at the right hand of God, who also intercedes for us.” • Romans 8:35–39. “Who will separate us from the love of Christ?” Quotes: • “I talked to believers quite a bit over the last many years that have the sense that they have blown it and there is no way back. And I think this is one of the things—in really studying the Hebrew Scriptures, in studying Judaism, and studying the Jewish people and God's promises to them throughout the Scriptures—that is not a possibility where God is concerned.” • “God has made promises to me as a believer in Yeshua, and He will never, never go back on those promises. I may mess up a thousand ways. I may mess up day after day. And although we on a human level would at some point get exasperated and give up, God doesn't do that.” • “If you really forgive, you forget. If you really forgive yourself, you're going to forget those violations, and you're going to find in your life that God is working to make all things come together for your good.” Takeaways: 1. When we read the Hebrew Scriptures and understand God's relationship with the Jewish people in His covenants with them, we understand that nothing they can do will make God separate Himself from them. In our salvation through faith in Christ, we likewise have been grafted into God's covenants that cannot be broken. 2. God will never walk away from you. He will never desert you. He will never forsake you. If you have any concept to the contrary, get that out of your thinking. The drive of the Scriptures is to get through to us the understanding that His love is unbreakable, His covenants are unbreakable, and His promises to us will stand through eternity. 3. God has provided His Son as your Messiah, as the sacrifice for your sins past, present, and future. Nothing is able to separate you from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus. He continually makes intercession for you. And God causes everything to work for your good.
Tuesday, 5 August 2025 “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 will declare justice to the Gentiles. Matthew 12:18 “You behold! My Servant whom I chose, My beloved in whom it approved, My soul, I will place My Spirit upon Him, and judgment to the Gentiles, He will proclaim” (CG). In the previous verse, Matthew noted that Jesus' actions were prophesied by Isaiah. To support this, he quotes Isaiah, saying, “You behold! My Servant whom I chose.” The word hairetizó, to make a choice, is found only here. It signifies to select as one's own. The words are a loose rendering of Isaiah 42:1 – “Behold! My Servant whom I uphold.” The Greek translation of Isaiah rewrites the Hebrew to indicate that Isaiah was speaking of Jacob, saying, “Jacob is my servant, I will help him.” Israel is called the Lord's servant in Isaiah 41:8 – “But you, Israel, are My servant, Jacob whom I have chosen.” This is probably why the Greek changes Isaiah 42:1 to read Jacob. However, there is a developed thought being made between Jacob (Israel) and the coming Messiah in the words of Isaiah, where the Messiah is given as representative of Israel. As for Matthew's citation, he continues with, “My beloved in whom it approved, My soul.” The Hebrew is close, reading, “In Him, My Chosen, it accepted, My soul” (CG). The Lord God is saying that He is fully pleased with the One He has chosen to represent His people. Therefore, Matthew continues with, “I will place My Spirit upon Him.” The Hebrew of Isaiah 42:1 says, “I gave My Spirit upon Him” (CG). The Lord, looking forward in time, speaks in the perfect aspect, as if it is already done, knowing that the Messiah would perfectly fulfill His will. This event occurred earlier in Matthew – “When He had been baptized, Jesus came up immediately from the water; and behold, the heavens were opened to Him, and He saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting upon Him. 17 And suddenly a voice came from heaven, saying, ‘This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.'” Matthew 3:16, 17 God ordained that Jesus would come and that He would fully and adequately deal with what was necessary to redeem man, restoring him to a right relationship with his Creator once again. Everything given in type and shadow under the Mosaic Covenant would be perfectly realized in Jesus Christ. As such, Matthew continues with, “and judgment to the Gentiles, He will proclaim.” The Hebrew reads, “Verdict to the Gentiles, He must cause to bring out” (CG). The word verdict, mishpat in Hebrew, signifies the system of law and truth, “especially a sentence or formal decree (human or (participant's) divine law, individual or collective), including the act, the place, the suit, the crime, and the penalty” (HELPS Word Studies). A comparable word is given in the Greek cited by Matthew, krisis, a decision. That extends to a tribunal and, thus, justice rendered by such a tribunal. Isaiah's words refer to what the Messiah would come to do, including bringing out a verdict to the Gentiles, meaning the non-Jewish people. Matthew says that Jesus is the One who fulfilled these words through His ministry. The Pulpit Commentary rightly states – “The thought here, therefore, is not of Christ's power to punish and avenge (though he refused to use it as yet), but of his bringing a revelation which should eventually spread, not only to the Jews who now rejected him, but to the Gentiles whom they despised.” Life application: Because of prophecies, such as those from Ezekiel and especially Daniel, a timeline is set in the Old Testament concerning the timing of the coming of the Messiah. There is a very precise and limited time in which He could have come. Further, other prophecies give the necessary genealogy of the coming Messiah, such as being from Judah. Israel is still waiting for their supposed Messiah to show up. This negates the timeline provided by Daniel, but it also negates the prophecies of lineage. This is because it is impossible to prove such a lineage today. There are no existing records to prove from which tribe a person descends. There is a claim that some genetic markers help isolate the priestly class of Israel, but that is not what is necessary to prove a Messiah, because priests descend from Levi, not Judah. As the timing of the coming of the Messiah is known to have occurred already, and as the genealogical records of those who could be the Messiah were destroyed after a certain point in time, either the prophecies are wrong and the Hebrew Scriptures are not the word of God, or the Messiah has come at the set time and with the proper credentials. Looking back on history, there is only One who is documented to have met those requirements. And more, there is a written record of His coming found in the four gospels. Comparing what those writers say to what was prophesied before His coming, we can be perfectly confident that Jesus is, in fact, the fulfillment of God's plans in this regard. If we believe in Jesus, we have put our eggs in the right basket. Be sure to believe the gospel, the good news, concerning Jesus Christ! Lord God, with a bit of study, we can be wholly confident that what was prophesied in the Hebrew Scriptures finds its fulfillment in Jesus Christ. As You sent Him to not only be the Messiah of the Jews, but to be the One who would render right judgment to the Gentiles, we praise You because of Him and through Him. Thank You for Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
The temptation exists to read Ecclesiastes as fundamentally different from the rest of the Hebrew Scriptures. It's not history, not law, not like proverbs or the psalms, but a completely different genre altogether. There are themes, however, that echo throughout the entire Hebrew Bible that reverberate in Ecclesiastes as well. One of them is rest. The writer doesn't want their audience to toil constantly; that would be pointless, or vanity, or like a breeze that blows through quickly and disappears. What does rest look like? And how can people like Jonathan and Seth help others rest who don't have the opportunity to do so? What does it look like to read Ecclesiastes constructively as opposed to the ramblings of a depressed Solomon? We're glad you're with us! Ecclesiastes is, maybe strangely, one of Seth's favorite books of the Bible. If you want to read a groundbreaking work, see Jennie Barbour's The Story of Israel in the Book of Qohelet: Ecclesiastes as Cultural Memory.
We continue our study of the Spirit of God. Last week, we focused attention on the ministry of the Spirit of God among the Jewish people, the nation of Israel. As it is among believers today, the Spirit of God dwelt in the midst of his people Israel.The question then comes to mind, "How or in what manner did the Spirit of God dwell in Israel's midst?" In Nehemiah's prayer, after the wall around Jerusalem was completed, and the people were celebrating the Sukkot, the Feast of Tabernacles, in praise to the Lord, he says, "You gave your good Spirit to instruct them..." (Nehemiah 9:20). It would seem that it was by the Spirit that rested upon Moses, that the "good Spirit" instructed the people of Israel.In addition to instructing the people, the Spirit of God at times filled some with strength, courage and might. Sometimes the Spirit moved upon individuals to equip them with skills of design and craftmanship.More could be said on this, but all of the working of the Spirit of God presented in the Hebrew Scriptures was for the purpose of pointing us toward Israel's Messiah upon whom the Spirit would reside without measure. Isaiah writes of Messiah that He is the one upon whom the seven-fold fullness of the Spirit would rest. He states: "And the Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him, the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and might, the Spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord" (Isaiah 11:2).And lastly, in Isaiah 61:1 it is the Spirit of the Lord who empowers Messiah to fulfill His redemption ministry. He states: "The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me, because the Lord has anointed me to bring good news to the poor, he has sent me to bind up the broken hearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound."Whether in the Hebrew Scriptures or in the New Covenant Scriptures, the work of the Spirit of God is to draw attention away from Himself, and unto Messiah. However He manifested himself among Israel in the Hebrew Scriptures, it was for the purpose of providing the Chosen People with a picture of the One they were to look for who would bring to fruition all promises made to them. YouTube: https://youtube.com/live/1wRZEp9t52YSend us a text
Linguistic Threads Across Sacred Scrolls When we speak of the Hebrew Bible, many assume it was written exclusively in Hebrew. But the truth is far more textured—woven with threads of Aramaic that reflect not only linguistic evolution, but also the historical upheaval and cultural interaction that shaped the Jewish people. Aramaic was not merely a language of exile; it became a vessel through which Scripture was preserved, interpreted, and proclaimed.
In the coming weeks at our services, we are going to focus attention on the Spirit of God, as he is revealed in the Hebrew Scriptures. It is interesting to note that while he is spoken of in both the Hebrew Scriptures and New Testament writings, reference to the Spirit of God is not as pervasive in the Hebrew Scriptures ashhe is in the texts of the New Testament.For example, the Spirit of God is mentioned in every New Testament book with the exception of the three short personal letters of Philemon, II John, and III John. On the other hand, He is only referred to in less than half of the thirty-nine books that make up the Hebrew Scriptures. We are first introduced to the Spirit of God in the opening verses of the Bible which records the creation of the universe. There He is called רוּחַ אֱלֹהִים (pronounced ruach elohim) meaning "the Spirit of God."Depending upon the context, the Hebrew word ruach can be translated as "spirit," "wind" or "breath." Here in Genesis chapter 1, reference is to the third person of the Tri-unity who is described like that of a bird "brooding" on its nest.The Hebrew term translated as "hovering," or "moving" is מְרַחֶפֶת (pronounced m'rachephet) meaning "to flutter," or "brood." As such, the Spirit of God is pictured as a brooding bird conveying life and providing protection to its young.In a word, this is "regeneration" - the bringing about of life. In the context of creation, that which was initially formless, void and in darkness comes to life over the course of the six days of creation.Regeneration is a gift of the Spirit of God in two senses. It is a gift from God as well as a gift of God. This is to say regeneration is a work of God in us by him. Paul explains: "For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith -- and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God" (Ephesians 2:8).We do not save ourselves. He saves us. This grand work of salvation does not come from us. It comes to us from God.YouTube: https://youtube.com/live/Nbca73brX9ESend us a text
What was the whole point of the Hebrew Scriptures? Why the Old Testament? Why have the patriarchs? Why have Israel? Why have the promises? What was the value? What was the point? Have you ever wondered these things? Why not just start in the Gospel of Matthew and go from there? This is where Romans […] The post The Condemnation of Sin (Romans 3:1-20) appeared first on Biblical Truths from West Palm Beach church of Christ.
Michael opens up with a discussion about the removal of The Christ from the Hebrew Scriptures and how the translation of his name to Jesus takes away from the power of the Gospel. He shares on his decision to remove the use of ‘Jesus’ from his vocabulary. Then we’re back to the physics of the […] The post 250718 Everything, Everywhere, All At Once first appeared on Gospel Revolution.com.
Why would the Creator of the universe wear dusty sandals and walk among the people He made? This thought-provoking piece explores how Jesus’ incarnation redefines our understanding of humility, authority, and the nature of true leadership. Far from distant, the divine stepped into history — with skin, sandals, and scars.
As we come to the close of the Universal Architecture series, I find myself feeling both reflective and deeply moved. There were many directions I considered taking this final episode, but my heart kept bringing me back to the number seven. This is the seventh installment, and in universal architecture, numbers carry sacred meaning..To close this series, I want to share two texts that have profoundly shaped my spiritual path. These texts honor the Divine Feminine, whom I, as a woman, am called to embody and serve here on Earth. The first is Proverbs 8, from the Hebrew Scriptures. It speaks of Wisdom, personified as a woman who calls out to all people. She was with God from the beginning, before the foundations of the earth. She stands at the crossroads, calling to those who seek truth, offering something far more precious than silver or gold. Her presence is ancient, woven into the very fabric of creation. The second text is from the Nag Hammadi library, a mystical Gnostic scripture titled The Thunder, Perfect Mind. This one is esoteric, poetic, and challenging—intentionally so. It expresses the Divine Feminine in all her paradoxes. She exists in all things and speaks directly to those who seek her. She is within you, yet beyond you. She is the one both hated and adored, hidden in shame and revealed in glory. This text, though difficult to digest intellectually, reveals something crucial: the feminine nature of God is not a doctrine to be debated but a mystery to be experienced. She is not loud or obvious; she hides in plain sight. This whole series has only scratched the surface of this universal architecture, but I hope it's planted seeds of courage in you—to seek, to question, and to go where fear tries to keep you from looking.Tune in today to dive deeper into this episode as we explore how we can truly seek the Divine and overcome our fears. As Frank Herbert writes in Dune, “Fear is the mind killer.” You must let it pass over and through you. On the other side of fear, there is nothing left to hold you back; only you remain, awakened, whole, and held by the Divine.In this episode:[00:38] Welcome back to The Fully Nourished Podcast![00:58] What do numbers represent in universal architecture?[02:52] My two favorite texts that have helped me draw closer to the divine.[03:15] Proverbs 8. [07:16] The Thunder, Perfect Mind from the Nag Hammadi library[17:58] The nature of the divine feminine is a mystery. [18:39] The key to facing our fears on our journey to seek the divine. [21:08] Thanks for joining me on The Fully Nourished Podcast! Links and Resources:Read These Texts:Proverbs 8Thunder, Perfect Mind:http://gnosis.org/naghamm/thunder.htmlGet more info on Philosophia Society Here:https://www.jessicaashwellness.com/philosophia-societySubmit a Question for our Next Q&A:https://airtable.com/appoicByQy3UFoSXs/shrXwD7wQFJQr68NnSign Up for Sunday Tea Here: https://jessica-ash-wellness.ck.page/04f86a550fConnect with Jessica:Have Sunday tea with me! Sign-up for my Sunday newsletter where I share what's on my brain from the nutritional to spiritual: https://www.jessicaashwellness.com/email-subscribe. Join the Fully Nourished community! Follow me @jessicaashwellness on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jessicaashwellness/
Mother Miriam offers a passionate catechesis on the Holy Trinity, reading the full Athanasian Creed and explaining why belief in the Trinity is essential for salvation. Drawing on Saint Augustine and the Hebrew Scriptures, she reveals how God's triune nature is eternal and not a New Testament invention.She then answers listener questions about family estrangement, fallen-away children, and the painful work of forgiveness. She rejects feel-good relativism and reminds Catholics that real absolution demands repentance—and that loving the people closest to us sometimes means saying hard truths.U.S. residents! Create a will with LifeSiteNews: https://www.mylegacywill.com/lifesitenews ****PROTECT Your Wealth with gold, silver, and precious metals: https://stjosephpartners.com/lifesitenews +++SHOP ALL YOUR FUN AND FAVORITE LIFESITE MERCH! https://shop.lifesitenews.com/ ****Download the all-new LSNTV App now, available on iPhone and Android!LSNTV Apple Store: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/lsntv/id6469105564 LSNTV Google Play: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.lifesitenews.app +++Connect with John-Henry Westen and all of LifeSiteNews on social media:LifeSite: https://linktr.ee/lifesitenews John-Henry Westen: https://linktr.ee/jhwesten Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Most people hear “Holy Trinity” and think “mystery”—something abstract and hard to explain. But for Dianne Bergant, C.S.A., the Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity, Year C, is a chance to root the doctrine in daily life. She invites us to see it instead as “the relationship that human beings have to the Creator.” God, she says, “literally serves us”—through creation, Christ, and the Spirit, who “does not go alone” but “works through us.” In this episode of Preach, Dianne reflects on preaching as an introvert, why she never writes her homilies, and her memories of teaching exegesis at Catholic Theological Union in Chicago—including to a quiet, thoughtful student now known as Pope Leo XIV. “He was a very good student,” she recalls. “I have kept every grade, a record of every grade. So when I say he was a good student, I have evidence.” Guest: Dianne Bergant, a Sister of St. Agnes and distinguished scholar of the Hebrew Scriptures, taught for over 40 years at Catholic Theological Union in Chicago and served on the Pontifical Biblical Commission. “Preach” is made possible through the generous support of the Compelling Preaching Initiative, a project of Lilly Endowment Inc. Get daily Scripture reflections and support “Preach” by becoming a digital subscriber to America Magazine Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
FOLLOW RICHARD Website: https://www.strangeplanet.ca YouTube: @strangeplanetradio Instagram: @richardsyrettstrangeplanet SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS!!! HIMS - Making Healthy and Happy Easy to Achieve Sexual Health, Hair Loss, Mental Health, Weight Management START YOUR FREE ONLINE VISIT TODAY - HIMS dot com slash STRANGE https://www.HIMS.com/strange RingBoost The largest provider of custom phone numbers since 2003 https://www.ringboost.com If you're ready to sound like the business people want to call, head over to https://www.ringboost.com and use promo code STRANGE for an exclusive discount. QUINCE BEDDING Cool, Relaxed Bedding. Woven from 100% European flax linen Visit www.quince.com/RSSP to get free shipping on your order and 365-day returns. BECOME A PREMIUM SUBSCRIBER!!! https://strangeplanet.supportingcast.fm Three monthly subscriptions to choose from. Commercial Free Listening, Bonus Episodes and a Subscription to my monthly newsletter, InnerSanctum. Visit https://strangeplanet.supportingcast.fm Use the discount code "Planet" to receive one month off the first subscription. We and our partners use cookies to personalize your experience, to show you ads based on your interests, and for measurement and analytics purposes. By using our website and services, you agree to our use of cookies as described in our Cookie Policy. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices EP. #1209 Reincarnation, Alien Deceptions, and the Cosmic Slingshot Dive into a mind-bending exploration with UFO researcher Ella LeBain, as she unveils reincarnation as a suppressed truth of the Hebrew Scriptures and early Christianity. In this episode, Ella, author of Who's Who in the Cosmic Zoo? and The Cosmic Slingshot, exposes how Rome, under Empress Theodora's influence, allegedly erased reincarnation from the Bible to control spiritual narratives. She connects alien abductions, soul harvesting, and End Times prophecy, suggesting the Antichrist may be a reincarnated historical figure walking among us. From her Near-Death Experience with an inter-dimensional Yeshua to the Jewish concept of kafakela, Ella challenges conventional eschatology and reveals reincarnation's role in Israel's prophetic destiny. This episode is a spiritual war manual for truth seekers—prepare to question everything you thought you knew about the Bible, the afterlife, and humanity's cosmic purpose. GUEST: Ella LeBain is a Messianic Jew, UFO researcher, and survivor of alien encounters, renowned for her six-volume Who's Who in the Cosmic Zoo? series. Her latest work, The Cosmic Slingshot, bridges reincarnation, Biblical prophecy, and extraterrestrial manipulation. With a Near-Death Experience in 2010 revealing inter-dimensional insights, Ella's research unveils suppressed truths about the Hebrew Scriptures, early Christianity, and the cosmic forces shaping human destiny. WEBSITE: https://whoswhointhecosmiczoo.com BOOKS: The Cosmic Slingshot: Connecting Dots to Reincarnation in the Bible, Alien Abductions and End Times Prophecies Who's Who in the Cosmic Zoo? (Book 1) Who's Who in the Cosmic Zoo? (Book 2) Who's Who in the Cosmic Zoo? (Book 3) Who's Who in the Cosmic Zoo? (Book 4) Who's Who in the Cosmic Zoo? (Book 5) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://strangeplanet.supportingcast.fm/
How the Bible Was Formed E4 — In the last three episodes of this short series, we focused on the formation of the Hebrew Bible, or the Old Testament. We also talked about other works of literature from the Second Temple period, known collectively as the Deuterocanon or Apocrypha. Today, we'll finally explore yet another collection of Second Temple literature that was formed around the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus—the New Testament. In this episode, Jon and Tim look at the people in the early Jesus movement who wrote, collected, and distributed these biographies about Jesus and letters to churches across the Roman Empire.CHAPTERSThe Fulfillment of the Hebrew Scriptures (0:00-13:51)What the Gospels Are and How They Came to Be (13:51-25:42)The Crew Who Shaped the New Testament (25:42-47:19)The Letters That Lasted (47:19-52:35)Sacred Scribal Abbreviations (52:35-1:05:01)Conclusion to Series (1:05:01-1:08:15)OFFICIAL EPISODE TRANSCRIPTView this episode's official transcript.REFERENCED RESOURCESThe DidacheJesus and the Eyewitnesses: The Gospels as Eyewitness Testimony by Richard BauckhamThe Formation and Significance of the Christian Biblical Canon: A Study in Text, Ritual and Interpretation by Tomas BokedalCheck out the The Deuterocanon / Apocrypha video series.You can view annotations for this episode—plus our entire library of videos, podcasts, articles, and classes—in the BibleProject app, available for Android and iOS.Check out Tim's extensive collection of recommended books here.SHOW MUSIC“at the pictures” by Lofi Sunday, Cassidy Godwin “little adventures” by Lofi Sunday, Cassidy Godwin “Church Pew ft. Oly.Lo, WISDM-02” by Lofi Sunday “Yo-05” by Lofi Sunday, Just DerrickBibleProject theme song by TENTSSHOW CREDITSProduction of today's episode is by Lindsey Ponder, producer, and Cooper Peltz, managing producer. Tyler Bailey is our supervising engineer, who edited today's episode and provided the sound design and mix. JB Witty does our show notes, and Hannah Woo provides the annotations for our app. Our host and creative director is Jon Collins, and our lead scholar is Tim Mackie. Powered and distributed by Simplecast.
How the Bible Was Formed E2 — The Hebrew Bible, or Old Testament, is a collection of 24 scrolls, passed down for generations, that tells the long, complicated story of ancient Israel. But who wrote these scrolls, and how did they come together in their final form? And how do we understand the claim that these books are the very voice of God? In this episode, Jon and Tim explore the formation of the Hebrew Bible and the crew who shaped its stories, poems, and laws into intricately designed literary works.CHAPTERSThe First Writing Mentioned in the Torah (2:56-13:01)Prophets as a Spirit-Led, Multigenerational Literary Community (13:01-36:30)Divine Inspiration in a Diverse, Literary Mosaic (36:30-1:03:20)OFFICIAL EPISODE TRANSCRIPTView this episode's official transcript.REFERENCED RESOURCESThe Lost World Series by John H. Walton and othersThe Lost World of Scripture: Ancient Literary Culture and Biblical Authority by John H. Walton and Brent SandyThe Shape of the Writings (Siphrut: Literature and Theology of the Hebrew Scriptures), edited by Julius Steinberg and Timothy J. StoneYou can view annotations for this episode—plus our entire library of videos, podcasts, articles, and classes—in the BibleProject app, available for Android and iOS.Check out Tim's extensive collection of recommended books here.SHOW MUSIC“StrollingThroughThePark ft. Goodiegumdrops” by Lofi Sunday“Radiance ft. solae” by Lofi SundayBibleProject theme song by TENTSSHOW CREDITSProduction of today's episode is by Lindsey Ponder, producer, and Cooper Peltz, managing producer. Tyler Bailey is our supervising engineer, and he also edited today's episode and provided the sound design and mix. JB Witty does our show notes, and Hannah Woo provides the annotations for our app. Our host and creative director is Jon Collins, and our lead scholar is Tim Mackie. Powered and distributed by Simplecast.
The Hebrew Key to Prophecy, Time Travel, and the Universe Chaim Hiam Bentorah part 1Pastor Bob Thibodeau welcomes listeners to the Kingdom Crossroads podcast, where he engages in enlightening conversations with notable Christian figures who are making significant impacts in the world. Today's guest, Haim Ben Torah, brings over 35 years of experience in exploring the depths of Hebrew Scriptures, challenging listeners to reconsider their understanding of biblical texts. The discussion revolves around intriguing philosophical questions, such as whether heaven exists as another universe and how the Hebrew Bible conceals profound insights about God, time, and eternity. Through Haim's insights, Pastor Bob and their audience embark on a journey that reveals how a deeper comprehension of a few Hebrew words can transform one's approach to reading scripture, prayer, and daily life. Haim's unique background, including his studies at Moody Bible Institute and interactions with Jewish scholars, provides a rich context for the conversation, leading to revelations about the intricate connections between Jewish and Christian teachings.Takeaways: Pastor Bob Thibodeau emphasizes the podcast's global reach, featuring influential Christian leaders to promote their impactful messages. Haim Ben Torah, an expert on Hebrew scriptures, reveals the significant layers of meaning embedded within the Hebrew Bible. He discusses how a deeper understanding of Hebrew can transform one's engagement with scripture and spiritual practices. The dialogue touches on the intersection of Jewish and Christian beliefs regarding the afterlife and the existence of parallel universes. Haim shares insights from over thirty-five years of study, highlighting the importance of Jewish teachings in understanding biblical prophecy. The episode explores the concept of 'zimzum', explaining its relevance to understanding God's presence and the nature of reality. CONTACT INFORMATION: Website: www.chaimbentorah.com Website: www.hebrewwordstudy.com _____________________________________________Check Out These Amazing LinksPastor Bob "HIGHLY" recommends "Captivate.FM" as YOUR podcast host! They have a lot of very helpful features (and more all the time) - and NO CHARGE for the features or upgrades!ModernIQs is a sponsor of the Kingdom Cross Roads Podcast Newsletter: Transform your creative workflow with ModernIQs! Explore AI-powered tools for content creation, from smart question generators to automated blog writers. Streamline and create with ease! Go to ModernIQs.com for more information!Grow your faith and your business with The Faith-Based Business Newsletter! Get practical tips, biblical insights, and strategies for success. Subscribe at FaithBasedBiz.Substack.com and tune in to the podcast at