Podcasts about Israelites

As nice as it is to seek out good examples to live by, it's not a bad idea to seek out bad examples to avoid, wouldn't you agree? That's what we'll do over the next several broadcasts. Today pastor Lloyd takes us to Jude verses five through seven for a look at a bad example to avoid - the Israelites in the wilderness.

Jesus is the most written about, fought over, and misunderstood person in history. But who was he, really? What does the Bible say? Peter's sermon in Acts 10 – the first sermon preached specifically to non-Jews – shows us five teachings of the early church on who Jesus was and what he did to save us. View series on PursueGOD.org: Pursuit (Series)--The PursueGOD Truth podcast is the “easy button” for making disciples – whether you're looking for resources to lead a family devotional, a small group at church, or a one-on-one mentoring relationship. Join us for new episodes every Tuesday and Friday. Find resources to talk about these episodes at pursueGOD.org.Help others go "full circle" as a follower of Jesus through our 12-week Pursuit series.Click here to learn more about how to use these resources at home, with a small group, or in a one-on-one discipleship relationship.Got questions or want to leave a note? Email us at podcast@pursueGOD.org.Donate Now--Lord of AllThe first teaching about Jesus starts with his identity. Was he just a prophet or priest, or was he something more? Peter answers:Acts 10:36 (NLT) There is peace with God through Jesus Christ, who is Lord of all. Peter calls Jesus “Lord,” a reference to his divinity. Jesus is God the Son, the second person of the Trinity (John 1:1-4). Jesus himself taught this (John 8:58), and his followers believed it. Scripture affirms that Jesus is fully God, creator and sustainer of all things. Colossians 1:15,19-20 (NLT) Christ is the visible image of the invisible God. He existed before anything was created and is supreme over all creation…. For God in all his fullness was pleased to live in Christ, and through him God reconciled everything to himself.But why does this matter? Why is it important to believe that Jesus is fully God instead of just a good man? The answer is that Jesus could not offer us “peace with God” if he were merely human. Jesus is God, and his divinity qualifies him to be our savior.But let's not miss the last part of Acts 10:36. Jesus is Lord of “all,” not just Lord of the Israelites. God's desire from the beginning was that all people would come to know him. That's why Peter was preaching this sermon in the first place. God had sent him to the house of a Gentile, and this was the inauguration of a new kind of movement. Christianity would be a faith for both Jews and Gentiles, because Jesus is Lord of all. Perfectly GoodThe next teaching fills us in on Christ's activity while he was here on the earth. What kind of a person was he? How did he live?Acts 10:38 (NLT) Jesus went around doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil.Jesus was a miracle worker unlike anything the world had ever seen. He cast out demons (Luke 4:40-41) and healed lepers (Luke 5:12-13). He miraculously fed thousands (Matthew 14:13-21), walked on water (Matthew 14:22-33), and even raised a dead guy to life (John 11:38-44).On top of his miracles, Jesus “went around doing good.” This affirms what we learned about God earlier in this series. God is for you, not against you. He's a good God, and Jesus proved it by his actions while he walked this earth.But most important of all was what Jesus didn't do: he never sinned. Jesus was perfect and sinless from start to finish. During his lifetime Jesus proved his power over sin and its consequences. Read his story for yourself and here's what you'll find: Jesus was fully God and fully man, living a sinless life and perfectly modeling the love of God. Again, why is this important? Consider this: if Jesus had been a sinner like the rest of us, then he would have had to die for his own sins. But since he was sinless, he could go to the cross on our behalf. The sin-debt that he paid could be credited to our account, because Jesus didn't owe on the debt. Crucified and RisenSo far we've learned that Jesus is fully God and perfectly sinless. That sets us up for the core teaching of the early church on the person and work of Jesus: he died and rose again. The power of faith in Jesus hinges on these two simple, historical facts. Acts 10:39-40 (NLT) They put him to death by hanging him on a cross, but God raised him to life on the third day. Jesus was about thirty three years old when the Jews put him on trial and the Romans nailed him to the cross (Luke 23:44-46, 24:1-6). From the outside looking in, this was an epic tragedy. But it was God's plan all along, even though nobody saw it coming (Isaiah 53:8-10).And here's the most important part: Jesus didn't stay dead. He rose from the grave after three days, proving once and for all his power over sin and death. This is central to the Christian faith, because a dead savior would be no savior at all: 1 Corinthians 15:14 (NLT) And if Christ has not been raised, then all our preaching is useless, and your faith is useless.But how do we know that the resurrection isn't just a myth? The simplest proof was the response of his closest followers. Though they abandoned Jesus in fear before the crucifixion, they sold out their lives to his message just three days later. Almost all of Jesus' first disciples died for their faith, because they firmly believed that Jesus was raised to life.Judge of AllThe fourth point of Peter's sermon might come as a surprise to modern listeners. Up until now it has all been good news. But Peter adds a stern warning:Acts 10:42 (NLT) Jesus is the one appointed by God to be the judge of all—the living and the dead. The Bible teaches that someday Jesus will judge you for every good and bad thing you've ever done. And here's the bad news: left to yourself, there's no hope of passing the test at the end of eternity. You were born into sin, remember? The thought of a judgment day should get every person's attention (Hebrews 10:31). That's why Peter included it in his sermon.God is not only loving; he is also fair. And so we can't blame God for not flippantly dismissing our sins (Romans 2:9,16). God did not cancel his wrath against us – he spent it on his Son. At the cross, the justice of God collides with the love of God in the person of Jesus.Forgiver of SinsThank God that Peter doesn't end his sermon at judgment! Here's the final truth he teaches us about Jesus: Acts 10:43 (NLT) Everyone who believes in Jesus will have their sins forgiven through his name. This is the new birth that Jesus offers to sinners. The good news of the Bible is that we can be forgiven – but not through a lifetime of good works. Peace with God comes only through faith in a person: Jesus Christ. This is offered to anyone who believes.Jesus is Lord of all, perfectly good, crucified and risen, judge of all, and forgiver of sins. This is what Peter preached that day to the Gentile household of Cornelius, and it remains the basic message for seekers of God today.So we have a choice to

"Then they answered Joshua, 'Whatever you have commanded us we will do, and wherever you send us we will go. Just as we fully obeyed Moses, so we will obey you. Only may the Lord your God be with you as he was with Moses.'" — Joshua 1:16–17 What does it look like to stand strong in faith when others are depending on you? Joshua 1:16–17 shows the Israelites responding to Joshua with a commitment to follow his leadership and trust God's presence. Their words remind us that faith isn't only about personal courage—it also means being willing to support others, obey God, and move forward together when the path ahead is uncertain. Want more encouragement throughout your week? Subscribe to The Good Word, LifeAudio’s free weekly newsletter. Sign up at LifeAudio.com/thegoodword “Want to listen without ads? Become a BibleStudyTools.com PLUS Member today: https://www.biblestudytools.com/subscribe/ Meet Today’s Host: Jennifer Slattery Discover more devotions with Jennifer at Your Daily Bible Verse on LifeAudio Jennifer Slattery is a national speaker, multi-published author, and founder of Wholly Loved Ministries. She’s passionate about helping believers live with bold faith, rooted in surrender to Christ’s purpose. Jennifer co-hosts both Your Daily Bible Verse and Faith Over Fear, encouraging listeners to step into their God-given identity. Her teachings blend Scripture with personal insight to help others embrace God’s power over fear and move forward with confidence.

Rabbi Steve Berkson uses the Exodus story as a powerful metaphor, guiding us from slavery to freedom. His message inspires belief in the possibility of change and deliverance, drawing on the Israelites' escape from Egypt. It emphasizes that true deliverance requires personal growth, not merely external assistance. • Intro and review• Boundaries have two sides?• This requires maturity • That's not submission • The expectations of the relationship • Why live in fear? • Yahweh has broken the yoke • Remember from where you came Listen to the Afterburn tomorrowSubscribe to be notified of new content each week.Learn more about MTOI:https://mtoi.orgThe MTOI App https://mtoi.org/download-the-mtoi-appFollow MTOI:https://www.facebook.com/mtoiworldwide https://www.instagram.com/mtoi_worldwidehttps://www.tiktok.com/@mtoi_worldwide Contact MTOI: 

This week we are reading a double Torah portion. The reading portions are called Nitzavim and Vayelech, and together they cover Deuteronomy 29:10–31:30. They capture Moses's final charge to the assembled Israelites as his life nears its end. For the last time as their leader, Moses exhorts them to commit themselves to an enduring covenant with God. Moses transfers leadership to Joshua and arranges for the written law to be preserved alongside the Ark of the Covenant.Although much of God's covenant with his people was revolutionary, the literary framework in which Moses presented it was familiar to the Israelites. In fact, the covenant was arranged in a format that any nation in the ancient Near East would have recognized. This understanding, that the covenant is following a common format, is something relatively new to biblical historians. Only in the last century have we learned a great deal about bilateral covenant-making in the ancient Near East.Support the showConsider donating (one-time or recurring) to www.TheJerusalemConnection.us so we can continue to bring valuable content via podcasts free to the public. Help us increase our audience reach and improve production quality. Your donation is 100% tax-deductible to our non-profit organization. Bible Fiber and The Red Alert Report are available via YouTube and all major podcast platforms. The Jerusalem Connection also engages in additional educational and advocacy programs. Check our "Projects" tab for all the endeavors we invite YOU to be part of.

Tim leads the community in a musical exploration of joy, arguing that after so many nights spent on hardship and catalyst, we have earned an evening of levity. Opening with the question are you happy? and a story about three sons who each try to buy their mother's happiness, he establishes that no gift cannot become a burden and no burden cannot become a gift. He then reframes joy itself: drawing on Doug's earlier teaching on the rhythm of being — emanation filled with yearning, return filled with longing, reunion filled with rejoicing — Tim proposes that the entire circulation of beingness occurs in the medium of joy, and that joy is being itself. What we seek when we seek joy is our own essence, sounded at our own unique frequency. The musical frame carries the evening. A single note on a staff stands for one incarnation; strung across lifetimes it becomes a melody. Played all at once it would be noise — which is why time is a gift, metering the score so it can be enjoyed in stages. Tim goes to Ra's counsel on revitalization (meditation, acceptance of limitations, joy through association with others and the beauty as of the singing, and contact with second-density life, especially trees) and then to Ra's musical language for chakra work: balance, tuning, and harmony. He develops each through musical analogy — the imbalanced orchestra, the guitar that must be tuned daily, the choir that sings in harmony rather than unison — and lands on Ra's description of the mind/body/spirit complex as a tone poem rather than a machine. The session's metaphysical core is sympathetic resonance: Ra's statement that the linkage between certain sound vibratory complexes and the creation is mathematical, or that of the ratio, and may be considered musical — and that when certain sounds are correctly vibrated, the creation sings. Tim examines 432 Hz and the 136.1 Hz frequency associated with Om, tracing the latter's derivation from the Earth's orbital period, and plays it on a Tibetan cymbal. He closes with transposition: keys can be changed, the Earth is changing key into fourth density, and we are here as co-composers to make the song our own. Rather than describe this, he performs it — singing his own rewritten lyrics to "One Song" from Snow White. Community reflections follow on the necessity of time for experience, sympathetic resonance as spiritual attraction, the harmonic series and the densities, tuning forks and daily practice, and perichoresis as the circle dance of the Creator. Key References Ra, Session 25.2 — Carla's question on how best to revitalize herself; Ra names meditation, acceptance of limitations, experiences of joy through association with others and with the beauty as of the singing, and exercise with contact with second-density life forces, especially trees. Ra, Session 54.8 — The precision of energy-center alignment lies in fluid and plastic placement rather than systematic arrangement; the mind/body/spirit complex is not a machine but what you might call a tone poem. Ra, Session 54.15 — Beyond activating each energy center, it is a priority to refine the balances so that each tone of the chord of total vibratory beingness resonates in clarity, tune, and harmony with each other energy; this balancing, tuning, and harmonizing is most central to the adept. Ra, Session 75.26 — The linkage between Hebrew and Sanskrit sound vibratory complexes and the creation is mathematical, or that of the ratio; it may be considered musical. Ra, Session 75.27 — Sympathetic resonance: when certain sounds are correctly vibrated, the creation sings. Q'uo — Joy as a living energy, as powerful and effective a teacher as sorrow. (Quoted by Tim from a Q'uo channeling; source session not verified against project files.) Ephesians 5:18–19 — Be filled with the Spirit, speaking to one another in psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit. Isaiah — Songs of everlasting joy. John Stuart Mill — Ask yourself whether you are happy and you cease to be. Joseph Campbell — Follow your bliss. Alan Watts — Rushing toward enlightenment as telling the conductor to play the concert too fast. Hans Cousto — Derivation of 136.1 Hz (C-sharp) from the Earth's orbital period. Doug's teaching on the rhythm of being — Emanation, return, and reunion; the circulation of beingness occurring in the medium of joy. Doug's three faces of joy — Joy at the precipice of creation, joy in creating, joy in experiencing. Music discussed: "Over the Rainbow" (Harold Arlen), transposed from A-flat to G by Israel Kamakawiwoʻole; "One Song" from Snow White, performed by Tim with original rewritten lyrics. Coming Up Next Week: DeMarcus presents on Yahweh — who they are, their involvement with our planet from the beginning of third density, the Martian transfer, the Exodus and the Israelite narratives, and what continues today.

Warfare Against Satanists (1) (audio) David Eells – 9/2/26   A Call To War Dumitru Duduman September 1993 . “Cease heading the way you have been going and turn to me”, says the Lord. “Lucifer, who is armed for war on his horse, and is coming with a powerful army behind him to take vengeance against the children of God. The day is close! A day of terror when Lucifer will try to annihilate all those that live a clean life, a day of pain and terror is near. (We are the salt, our job is to resist him. We were told “you have not because you ask not”.) “If you could see what is being prepared and what will happen, you would surely quit doing everything you know in your heart to be wrong and would seek peace more than ever. Be prepared, be holy, and don't give in to the temptations and impulses of the enemy. Seek the Lord, your God, with all your heart. Those who will be clean, those who will be holy, I will not forget. I will save them”, says the Lord. “The armies of the devil are coming against those who worship me and truly seek me, with great fury. Pray that I may give you strength so that before the storm comes, I may save you and give you joy. “Those who live in defilement, that meditate upon evil things, will have no escape. They will not have any protection. I will destroy BABYLON”, (America) says the Lord, “because of the wickedness and blasphemy of this country. Not only here but wherever there is sin, I will punish it harshly. Only the righteous will I save, some even out of the midst of the fire. “Again, I tell you, a dark cloud is gathered. Lucifer, sitting on his black horse, is ready for war. The trumpets of the devil are sounding day and night to all the demons of the deep to be prepared to make war against those who truly live their lives for God. There will be such great turmoil that only a few will escape. Those who today only carry the name of 'believer' will fight with fury against those who worship me with a clean heart. This is why I have revealed this to you -- because the days are numbered. “I reveal to you, I speak to you, I show to you”, says the Lord, “but many do not want to remember, saying to themselves, 'Is it truly the Lord speaking this?' Others become scared for the moment, but then they forget and never become pure. Many of those who carry the name of 'Christian' are overcome by greed, fornication, drunkenness, and a pursuit of great wealth. “There is no time to lose. The day of destruction and terror is coming soon. The devil is agitated, and a great deception is being prepared; but I tell you, do not fear. I have the power to protect those who obey me. You must remember the Word of God. Tell them to read the Bible and pray that I may also save them. “The great day, the day of terror, the day of affliction, of pain, the day of the punishment of Babylon prophesied in the Bible is soon coming, and I will only save the righteous”, says the Lord. “I forgive whom I want. I make holy who I want, and I prepare who I want. Judge no one, for mine is the judgment”, says the Lord. “Each of you judge yourselves. Pray and draw close to me; and if you will obey, I will come to your aid. I will send a chariot of salvation and take each one out in his appointed time”. We have dealt with the spirit of faction against our ministry for several years now and have been cleansed of it and the apostates, so we recognize it in the worldly and see it operating in the government. We are doing the necessary warfare against this work of Islam, satanism, communism, and faction, with their witchcraft, curses, railing, etc., causing problems for Christians, President Trump, his administration, and the MAGA movement. (We were told that the Bride was being cleansed now but the much larger church will go through this same thing in the tribulation.) I'm going to go over some terminology with you about these demons of:   Gossip, Slander, Railing, Reviling ... and What Motivates Them Our first defense against these demons is to not receive accusations against anyone that we do not have two or three witnesses, as the Scriptures teach. Many times, the motivation for gossip, slander, railing, and reviling, which are similar, is to divide others unto oneself for selfish ambitions, like making disciples. Satan has this same purpose. Anyone who listens to these demons gets invaded by them. In this case, the person working for satan should be marked or identified. Rom.16:17 Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them that are causing the divisions and occasions of stumbling, contrary to the doctrine which ye learned: and turn away from them. 18 For they that are such serve not our Lord Christ, but their own belly; and by their smooth and fair speech they beguile the hearts of the innocent. (This division or faction often involves jealousy, lying, and manipulation to get one's way.) Jas.3:14 But if ye have bitter jealousy and faction in your heart, glory not and lie not against the truth. 15 This wisdom is not [a wisdom] that cometh down from above, but is earthly, sensual, devilish [Greek: demoniacal]. 16 For where jealousy and faction are, there is confusion and every vile deed. Indeed, these people always are in deep sin, for when they judge they are judged in this manner. Let's get some terminology straight so we can look at some scriptures. From Wikipedia: Gossip is malicious talk or rumor, especially about the personal or private affairs of others, meant to harm the subject's reputation in the community. It is one of the oldest and most common means of sharing facts and views, but it also has a reputation for the introduction of errors and variations into the information transmitted. The term can also imply that the idle chat or news is of a personal or trivial nature, as opposed to normal conversation, but may not be intentionally malicious. Mat.12:36 And I say unto you, that every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment. Thank God that we come into days of judgment so that we don't have to come into the Day of Judgment! The Greek word translated as “idle” here means “unfruitful.” There are unfruitful words that demand punishment in a day of judgment, so we should be quick to repent and be slow to speak. (I will give Greek meanings which reveal much here. Both Greek and Hebrew verses are given to show the nature of these errors.) Slander(er): Greek: Diablos; (Diablo is also Spanish for “Devil.”), Accuser; meaning accusing falsely, finding fault with the demeanor and conduct of others and spreading their innuendos and criticisms in the church. The devil finds those people who are accusers like him to do his dirty work. Psa.15:1 Jehovah, who shall sojourn in thy tabernacle? Who shall dwell in thy holy hill? [I.e., Who will be in Jerusalem, whom John was told was the Bride?] 2 He that walketh uprightly, and worketh righteousness, And speaketh truth in his heart; 3 He that slandereth not with his tongue, Nor doeth evil to his friend, Nor taketh up a reproach against his neighbor. This of course, cannot include those whose job it is to correct the evil. Psa.50:20 Thou sittest and speakest against thy brother; Thou slanderest thine own mother's son. Psa.101:5 Whoso privily slandereth his neighbor, him will I destroy: Him that hath a high look and a proud heart will I not suffer. We can actually see God destroying the life and conscience of those who sin like this. Pro.10:18 He that hideth hatred is of lying lips; And he that uttereth a slander is a fool. Jer.6:28 They are all grievous revolters, going about with slanders; they are brass and iron: they all of them deal corruptly. Jer.9:4 Take ye heed every one of his neighbor, and trust ye not in any brother; for every brother will utterly supplant, and every neighbor will go about with slanders. Eze.22:9 Slanderous men have been in thee to shed blood; and in thee they have eaten upon the mountains: (They are lifted up in pride, imagining themselves as God.) in the midst of thee they have committed lewdness. Rom.3:8 and why not (as we are slanderously reported, and as some affirm that we say), Let us do evil, that good may come? whose condemnation is just. 1Ti.3:11 Women in like manner [must be] grave, not slanderers, temperate, faithful in all things. 2Ti.3:3 without natural affection, implacable (they cannot be appeased), slanderers, without self-control, fierce, no lovers of good, Tit.2:3 that aged women likewise be reverent in demeanor, not slanderers nor enslaved to much wine, teachers of that which is good; Rail(er): Greek: Blasphemeo; to blaspheme, rail, revile, defame, speak evil of. 2Pe.2:10 but chiefly them that walk after the flesh in the lust of defilement, and despise dominion. Daring, self-willed, they tremble not to rail at dignities: (I.e., those who have authority over them.) Jude 1:8 Yet in like manner these also in their dreamings defile the flesh, and set at nought dominion, and rail at dignities. (When I was young, people spoke with respect of the one the people voted to be president. Because of slander and railing, weak-minded people try to kill him. Jude 1:10 But these rail at whatsoever things they know not: and what they understand naturally, like the creatures without reason, in these things are they destroyed. Revile(er): Greek: Blasphemeo; to blaspheme, rail, revile, defame, speak evil of. Also commonly translated from: Loidoreo; to abuse, revile. Ecc.10:20 Revile not the king, no, not in thy thought; and revile not the rich in thy bedchamber: for a bird of the heavens shall carry the voice, and that which hath wings shall tell the matter. Joh.9:28 And they reviled him, and said, Thou art his disciple; but we are disciples of Moses. But Moses had better sense. 1Co.4:12 and we toil, working with our own hands: being reviled, we bless; being persecuted, we endure; We have to endure these ignorant people until God removes them as He always does. 1Co.5:11 but as it is, I wrote unto you not to keep company, if any man that is named a brother be a fornicator, or covetous, or an idolater, or a reviler, or a drunkard, or an extortioner; with such a one no, not to eat. Do not partake of spiritual or physical food with these demons. 1Co.6:10 nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God. So you see they are linked with other serious sins. 1Pe.2:23 who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered threatened not; but committed [himself] to him that judgeth righteously: God will repay. Most of the faction is dead. 1Pe.3:16 having a good conscience; that, wherein ye are spoken against, they may be put to shame who revile your good manner of life in Christ. Eph.4:25 Wherefore, putting away falsehood, speak ye truth each one with his neighbor: for we are members one of another. (Selfish ambition often involves pride, anger, and lying to get one's way.) 26 Be ye angry, and sin not: (?) let not the sun go down upon your wrath: 27 neither give place to the devil. 28 Let him that stole steal no more: but rather let him labor, working with his hands the thing that is good, that he may have whereof to give to him that hath need. 29 Let no corrupt speech proceed out of your mouth, but such as is good for edifying as the need may be, (Greek: Edify[ing] “the building up of the need.” i.e., If it's not building up the speaker and the spoken to, don't say it.) that it may give grace to them that hear. (If it doesn't bring graceful correction or give grace or favor from God to the hearer, then don't say it.) 30 And grieve not the Holy Spirit of God, in whom ye were sealed unto the day of redemption. 31 Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamor, and railing, be put away from you, with all malice: (All of this comes because of selfish ambition and unforgiveness for those who get in its way.) 32 and be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving each other, even as God also in Christ forgave you. If we want forgiveness from God, we must sow it.   Genghis Khan Spirit of Deception Eve Brast - 12/25/2011 (David's notes in red) In a dream, I saw many people being deceived by a much more powerful and deceptive evil principality called a Genghis Khan spirit. It will be worse than the false revival, Kundalini Eastern Spirit. (Genghis Khan was the Mongol who led legions of demon-possessed men to conquer most of Eurasia by the edge of the sword, massacring whole populations, about 40 million people. He is still worshipped by many in Mongolia, so he could represent a religious spirit here. No doubt this is a spirit that will bring spiritual death, conquering multitudes of Christians, like the Kundalini Yoga spirit's false revival. This new spirit conquers people by the sword or WORDS, written or spoken, which makes it much more dangerous than the Kundalini spirit, which was mostly imparted by the laying on of hands. These words are in the form of unforgiveness, bitterness, back-stabbing, criticism, slander, gossip, railing, lying, perversion, witchcraft, voodoo, etc. As with any war, the enemy will target the leadership with their words first in order to replace them with their own kind. If you listen to their words, you will be conquered and come into spiritual death and under their authority. These people always prefer to speak behind one's back, but you, the true Church, must tell them to go to the person they are accusing and speak to them alone, according to Jesus' command in Matthew 18:15, and if it is not sin according to the Word, they should stop gossiping and slandering and not receive such things. If they do not listen, “mark them” or identify them, as the Lord commands in Romans 16:17,18; Titus 3:10,11.) I was shaking my head in disappointment as I watched the people act like they were in love with this spirit; it was like a worldwide orgy. (The true people of God who stay with the truth of His Word won't be overtaken, even with this deception.) This is all I was shown. (We have been shown many times that this is a worldwide attack on the saints by apostates. The corporate beast spirit from the abyss is coming forth to enter the sons of perdition [Judases] and use them to conquer and make war on the true Christians. Rev.17:8 The beast that thou sawest was, and is not; and is about to come up out of the abyss, and to go into perdition. And they that dwell on the earth shall wonder, [they] whose name hath not been written in the book of life from the foundation of the world, when they behold the beast, how that he was, and is not, and shall come. As the Word says, a great falling away to strong delusion is upon us. Pray for anyone being used in this way that they would repent before they are ultimately reprobated and forever known as sons of perdition. When I opened my Bible for a scripture for this dream, my finger was on 1Th.4:3 For this is the will of God, your sanctification; that ye abstain from fornication; 4 that each of you know how to possess himself of his own vessel in sanctification and honor, 5 not in passion of lust, even as the nations who know not God. (A refusal to separate from known or hidden sins is what makes Christians vulnerable to these conquering demons, for God turns them over to them. 1Co.5:5 to deliver such a one unto Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus. [Refusal to separate from these people will infect the whole assembly.] 6 Your glorying is not good. Know ye not that a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump? 7 Purge out the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump, even as ye are unleavened. For our passover also hath been sacrificed, [even] Christ: 8 wherefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, neither with the leaven of malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.) I asked the Father what this Genghis Khan spirit was or what it represented, and when I opened my Bible, my finger was on 1Jn.2:22 Who is the liar but who denieth that Jesus is the Christ? This is the antichrist, even who denieth the Father and the Son. (Antichrist spirits always deny the true Jesus and Word to justify themselves. The rest of this text tells the whole story. 1Jn.2:18 Little children, it is the last hour: and as ye heard that antichrist cometh, even now have there arisen many antichrists; whereby we know that it is the last hour. 19 They went out from us (They get offended when you don't agree with their sin.), but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would have continued with us: but [they went out], that they might be made manifest that they all are not of us. [Notice that many antichrists in this “last hour” will separate from us because they do not belong with the true Church due to their leavened nature. In this, they deny the Father and Son (verse 22) because they deny the true Word given in the beginning, which is eternal life.] 24 As for you, let that abide in you which ye heard from the beginning. If that which ye heard from the beginning abide in you, ye also shall abide in the Son, and in the Father. 25 And this is the promise which he promised us, [even] the life eternal. 26 These things have I written unto you concerning them that would lead you astray.   12/29/2011 In the dream above, I saw many Christians being deceived by a very powerful and deceptive evil principality called a Genghis Khan spirit. I saw that this spirit is manifesting in the factious who kill by the sword of slander, and now, below, I am seeing that it is also taking over a beast government. (There has always been a beast government to back up the factious. Jesus' time was a good example of this. Obama is the head of a D.S. beast government made up of Islam, faction, communist, leftist, peoples.) I had seen a cleansing of the true church by this spirit rising up in apostates to separate them from the Man-child and Bride, but also now, below, I see a global shift and transfer of secular governmental power in the spirit realm to this Genghis Khan spirit. (To confirm this, on 1/09/12, we just discovered that Mongolia is on our school schedule for my son Noah's studies this week! And he also has to read a book about Genghis Khan, who came from there. Now I know there are no coincidences with the Father! Isn't that something?) It appears from the dreams below that there is a secular type to coincide with, and possibly give timing to, the previous spiritual meaning of the Genghis Khan spirit that God gave. The war between Iran and Israel is being used as a type of the war between the factious murderers and the righteous. The Iran faction type is also backed up by a beast government type of Russia/China. Also, it appears that what is seen below is that this is the time of the choosing of the Bride and birthing of the Man-child ministry. I asked the Father to expand my understanding of this Genghis Khan spirit from my first spiritual revelation concerning the Church. I opened my Bible and my finger fell on: Eze.32:24 There is Elam (Iran invaded by Islam) and all her multitude round about her grave, all of them slain, fallen by the sword, who are gone down uncircumcised into the nether parts of the Earth, who caused terror in the land of the living, and have borne their shame with them that go down to the pit. (Iran is about to lose her battle to Israel, backed by the U.S. In parallel, the factious in the world church will lose their battle against the righteous.) (I looked up who Elam was because I didn't know. Elam was a son of Shem, who was the father of the Persians or modern-day Iranians.) (Shem is also the father of the chosen line of Israel, meaning the true Iranians and Israelites are born of the same father. However, the Iranian's Muslim invaders and evil leadership represents the same thing as the Edomites, for they have perpetually made war against their own brothers. As we have seen in another parable, this also represents the factious in the world church who persecute their brothers but will lose by the hand of God. So now you see that the Iranian Muslim invaders' actions against Israel represent the factious people's actions against the Church, since they are born of the same murderous spirits. The Psalms speak often of the persecution and slander against David by the factious, and many of these are also prophetically speaking of Jesus and Jesus in the end-time Man-child.) Then I asked for a confirmation for this scripture and opened my Bible and put my finger down on Isa.21:2 A grievous vision is declared unto me; the treacherous man dealeth treacherously, and the destroyer destroyeth. Go up, O Elam (Iran); besiege O Media (Kurds of Iran); all the sighing thereof have I made to cease. 3 Therefore are my loins filled with anguish; pangs have taken hold upon me, as the pangs of a woman in travail; I am pained so that I cannot hear; I am dismayed so that I cannot see. (We see here that not only will the invader Muslim leadership of Iran attack first, as the factious always do. They murdered around 52,000, President Trump said 100,000 unarmed Iranian people, many turned Christians, before Israel and U.S. stepped in. We also see that this caused the woman Church there to be in travail with Christ coming through them. Is this a sign for the rest of the Church? Islam is killing Christians around the world. The red dragon of Satan is seeking to devour the woman Church. President Trump has opposed them three times recently. Iran has struck all of its Islamic neighbors.) Deb Horton's note: Genghis Khan was known and is studied in war colleges today for his strategic maneuvers. One of the most famous was dividing up his troops and sending in very small skirmish/attack forces before the actual war. (That may be what we have seen, when they struck all of their Sunni neighbor Islamists who are now against the Shia cult in the war.) The woman church, who is faced by the dragon, is in travail with the birth of the Man-child in Revelation 12:1-5. This appears to be giving us timing -- a physical sign of a spiritual happening?) About Elam: Jer.49:35 The word of the Lord that came to Jeremiah the prophet concerning Elam (Iran), in the beginning of the reign of Zedekiah king of Judah, (This was before Zedekiah made the tribulation covenant with the King of Babylon as the head of the beast -- Ezekiel 17:13,15-21) saying thus saith the Lord of Hosts: Behold, I will break the bow of Elam (Iran), the chief of their might. (This looks like the Islamists in Iran being hit by Israel and the U.S. before the tribulation covenant, as we have thought. In parallel, the factious will lose their war against the righteous in the Church by the hand of God.) 36 And upon Elam (Iran) will I bring the four winds from the four quarters of heaven, and will scatter them toward all those winds: and there shall be no nation whither the outcasts of Elam shall not come. (They are being scattered because the food, water, and pay are scarce and they are being slaughtered. The greatest revival of Christianity is there. They may scatter and spread the Gospel.) 37 And I will cause Elam (Iran) to be dismayed before their enemies, and before them who seek their life (of the Islamic Invaders); and I will bring evil upon them (Islam), even my fierce anger, saith the Lord; and I will send a sword after them (Islam), till I have consumed them; 38 and I will set my throne in Elam, and will destroy from thence king and princes saith the Lord. (Done, against Islam invaders) 39 But it shall come to pass in the latter days (now), that I will bring back the captivity of Elam saith the Lord. (Iran is being delivered from Islamic captivity. We see this as a prophecy of our day at the end of the Iran war. Also this is seen in Jer.25:25 and all the kings of Zimri, and all the kings of Elam, and all the kings of the Medes (Kurds of Iran); 26 and all the kings of the north, far and near, one with another; and all the kingdoms of the world, which are upon the face of the earth: and the king of Sheshach (Babylon U.S. weakened by war) shall drink after them. We also see in type in this text that the factious Islamic leadership will be brought into captivity in “the latter days.”) I asked the Father who the Elamites [Iranian Islamists] represented from these verses? (Could the Iranian Christians be a sign for the U.S. Christians who will also suffer under the Islamic beast?) When I opened my Bible, my finger fell on Jer.7:8 Behold, ye trust in lying words, that cannot profit. (Those Iraneans who joined the Islamists to betray their brethren,) 9 Will ye steal, murder, and commit adultery, and swear falsely, and burn incense to Baal, and walk after other gods that ye have not known, 10 and come and stand before me in this house, which is called by my name, and say, we are delivered; that we may do all these abominations? 11 Is this house which is called by my name, become a den of robbers in your eyes? Behold, I, even I, have seen it, saith the Lord. (This clearly is a warning to the Iranians under this factious beast of Islam foreshadow the Christians in the U.S. who have followed a false Jesus but are justifying their sinful actions.) I asked the Father if He had anything more for us concerning all this, and when I opened my Bible, my finger was on Psa.7:10 My shield is with God, who saveth the upright in heart. I believe this entire Psalm is a promise to us of what our Father will soon do to the factious who receive and commit adultery with this Genghis Khan spirit to conquer enemies by the sword. Be encouraged, brethren, and hold fast to the truth which you heard from the beginning! As I was lying down to sleep, I asked the Father to show me more about the Genghis Khan spirit in a dream or vision. As I was lying in bed, praying in the Spirit, He gave me this vision on 12/29/11: I was high above Earth, looking down from a southern viewpoint toward the north at the Asian continent, where Russia and China are. It was dark upon the Earth. Suddenly, I saw something dark rising up from beneath the Asian continent, from the center where Mongolia is located (where Genghis Khan came from). The Spirit told me that Mongolia is the opening to the womb between the two legs of Russia and China, and this spirit is rising up in and coming forth from them. Its back rose out first, hunched like a mountain (or kingdom); then its head and shoulders came out bowed down toward the east; then its arms, and finally its legs. It stayed kneeling down on one knee toward the east, bracing itself with its arms and hands -- one on Russia and the other on China (similar to the stance runners have at the start of a race). (This Genghis Khan spirit is a spiritual type of a conquering spirit rising in the Russia/China beast to back Iran in the Middle East. When U.S. and Israel hit Iran, they were successful. However, Russia and China have defense agreements with Iran and Syria, and because of this insult, they are coming together in an arms race to fight against the U.S. along with Israel. Iran, in its hatred for Israel, is a part of this larger beast. This is a type of the factious religious beast, being a part of the larger conquering world beast in their hatred for Christianity. This is also seen in Revelation 14 where the religious beast is one with the world secular beast.) It had a human form with sharp nails on its fingers, pointed ears, and a bald head. Heaven gave it permission to raise its head and take its first breath and as it opened its mouth and drew in a large breath, some more stars (nations) were sucked into its mouth from the night sky, along with the breath it inhaled. I could see very sharp top and bottom canine teeth. (Just as the secular beast has physical power to devour the saints, so does the religious beast have spiritual power to devour the saints. Psa.37:12 The wicked plotteth against the just, And gnasheth upon him with his teeth. Psa.57:4 My soul is among lions; I lie among them that are set on fire, Even the sons of men, whose teeth are spears and arrows, And their tongue a sharp sword.) It was very black with many stars in it. (Abraham's seed are “as the stars of heaven”. Just as Russia and China are a beast that has many stars, they will seek to conquer Israel and the U.S., and many more children of God will be sucked in under this Genghis Khan spirit's darkness. The U.S. is being weakened by war, and especially by the previous administration's destruction of our economy and military. And Russia has its hands full with Ukraine. The West may not be conquered by the Russia/China beast until the tribulation, as the Word in Hidden Manna in the chapter on the “Fall of the United States” shows.) It looked like the night sky's mirror image inside it. It didn't stand up, but if it had, the Earth under its feet would have looked like a large beach ball. It was gigantic. (Genghis Khan is a world-conquering spirit of the beast in the secular realm, just as it is in the religious realm. Genghis was a merciless murderer of men like faction, and slander is a murderer of souls.) I later asked the Father for a verse for this vision of the Genghis Khan spirit and my finger fell on Eze.21:24 Therefore thus saith the Lord: Because ye have made your iniquity to be remembered, in that your transgressions are uncovered, so that in all your doings your sins do appear; because that ye are come to remembrance, ye shall be taken with the hand (Unforgiveness, bitterness, hatred and retaliation is the nature of those who have this spirit and God does not forgive or forget their sins for this reason. In verses 11 and 12 of this text, God says the sword “is upon all the princes of Israel”, meaning natural and spiritual. So the apostate leadership of God's people can be included.), 25 And thou, O deadly wounded wicked one, the prince of Israel, whose day is come, in the time of the iniquity of the end, 26 thus saith the Lord: remove the mitre, and take off the crown; this shall be no more the same; exalt that which is low, and abase that which is high. (This is clear that this spirit will conquer an apostate leadership of God's people in the end and they will be spiritually wounded and removed from their high position over any true people of God.) When I read the last part of this scripture, the Spirit brought to my remembrance what Mary said in Luk.1:51 He hath showed strength with his arm; He hath scattered the proud in the imagination of their heart. 52 He hath put down princes from their thrones, And hath exalted them of low degree. (Again, this was spoken of the removal of the apostates over the true people of God by the coming of the Man-child ministry, as the next part of the vision shows.) Right after this, I saw the upper half of a giant woman in the heavens with long blonde hair and very fair skin, cradling a newborn with golden hair in her right arm. (The worldwide woman and true Church having brought forth the Man-child ministry.) Light from heaven was shining down upon them. (I only saw her profile and the top of the newborn's head.) She was also facing east (toward the coming of the Son), looking down at her baby, her white garment lowered off her right shoulder in preparation to nurse Him. And a clear vial filled with golden oil appeared without hands and poured oil onto the infant's mouth and onto the woman's right breast. Then she brought the baby to her breast to nurse Him. (This Man-child will partake of the oil and gold of heaven -- the anointing and nature of Jesus.) I asked the Father for a verse concerning the vision of the woman, and my finger fell on Psa.128:3 Thy wife shall be as a fruitful vine, In the innermost parts of thy house; Thy children like olive plants, round about thy table. This whole Psalm is awesome! (God will prosper the woman Church to bear the fruit of Jesus in the wilderness, in spite of the dragon, who is satan, of Genghis Khan trying to destroy her and her Man-child. Escaping this evil is for them a Passover of the Destroyer before leaving Egypt for the wilderness. It is the Man-child escaping the dragon, which is trying to destroy them.) These two events seem again to be happening almost simultaneously or very close together, but they are both under the Father's sovereign control! I believe the Lord said this will not be prayed down, just lessened in some areas.   Enemy Tares Tianna Fire 4/24/23 (David's notes in red) (This is a revelation about the dangers of even thinking slanderous thoughts). I had been getting many strange attacks in the spiritual; unusual thoughts and feelings and many physical attacks all at once. I didn't mention this to my husband Samuel, but I went and had a bath, wondering to the Lord why all these crazy attacks were happening. I saw a specific person, and the enemy was giving her evil thoughts regarding me; she was unknowingly agreeing with those thoughts, not realizing it was demons. This gave the demons legal right to attack me regarding the evil cursed thoughts. (Rev.12:10 And I heard a great voice in heaven, saying, Now is come the salvation, and the power, and the kingdom of our God, and the authority of his Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, who accuseth them before our God day and night.) I then had a vision of a few other people from my past, and some people who had fallen away. The enemy was giving them thoughts about me, and then the people were unknowingly speaking curses out loud against me. (Jam.3:5-12 So the tongue also is a little member, and boasteth great things. Behold, how much wood is kindled by how small a fire! 6 And the tongue is a fire: the world of iniquity among our members is the tongue, which defileth the whole body, and setteth on fire the wheel of nature, and is set on fire by hell. 7 For every kind of beasts and birds, of creeping things and things in the sea, is tamed, and hath been tamed by mankind: 8 but the tongue can no man tame; it is a restless evil, it is full of deadly poison. 9 Therewith bless we the Lord and Father; and therewith curse we men, who are made after the likeness of God: 10 out of the same mouth cometh forth blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not so to be. 11 Doth the fountain send forth from the same opening sweet water and bitter? 12 can a fig tree, my brethren, yield olives, or a vine figs? neither can salt water yield sweet.) I was able to understand the enemy was using these people to get a legal right to attack me; hence all the crazy physical and spiritual attacks. All of this worked because God has given authority to man; what they speak, they get. (Pro.18:21 Death and life are in the power of the tongue; And they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof.) We either bless or curse, and the consequences of man's thoughts and words are more powerful than we really understand. The Lord allowed me to see where the mental and physical attacks were all coming from. (2Co.10:5 casting down imaginations, and every high thing that is exalted against the knowledge of God, and bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ). Then I heard in my spirit that because Jesus has paid the price for us, we have the power to not accept these attacks. Even though the enemy tries to use man's thoughts and words against us, we don't have to allow the thoughts and words to affect us. (Mat.18:18-19 Verily I say unto you, What things soever ye shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven; and what things soever ye shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. 19 Again I say unto you, that if two of you shall agree on earth as touching anything that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father who is in heaven.) We are not under the curse, and we are blessed because of faith in Jesus. The attacks, the evil thoughts, evil feelings, and pains, all were put on Jesus because He paid the price to take it away. But we still have the choice to accept the curse and allow the enemy to attack us, or we can give it to Jesus, Who already took it. (Gal.3:13 Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us; for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree.) (Pro.26:2 As the sparrow in her wandering, as the swallow in her flying, So the curse that is causeless alighteth not.) As soon as I heard this, I agreed, and I didn't accept these curses and idle thoughts against me. I agreed that Jesus paid the price, and the attacks completely calmed; praise God and ALL Glory to the Creator of all for all eternity! (1Pe.2:24 who his own self bare our sins in his body upon the tree, that we, having died unto sins, might live unto righteousness; by whose stripes ye were healed.) Later I went to Samuel, and he had been spending alone time with God. Samuel shared a prayer he had written for me to agree with and it related to what God had revealed to me. This is the prayer: “Do you agree that all curses, idle words and all witchcraft are broken off us and all the Brethren? That anyone who isn't wanting to follow the Real Jesus will not try to contact or see us unless they are manifesting Christ, and that all of the Brethren are healed, restored, and we will have enough provisions, and everything is restored or replaced with better? That we will never be separated from each other, and that we be Godly parents to David forever to glorify God in all we do; and that we manifest His Word and Christ in us, 100-fold all the time? That we will be His vessels, used to help others be closer to the Lord, being His Hands and Feet to establish His Kingdom, and that we receive all this now?! Thank You Almighty Father in Jesus Name for doing all these according to Your Word and Promises!”

Today's Bible Verse: "So Joshua ordered the officers of the people: 'Go through the camp and tell the people, “Get your provisions ready. Three days from now you will cross the Jordan here to go in and take possession of the land the Lord your God is giving you for your own.”' — Joshua 1:10–11 How do you take the first step when you don't feel ready? Joshua 1:10–11 reminds us that following God often means taking action before we feel completely prepared. Joshua instructed the Israelites to get ready to cross the Jordan and enter the Promised Land, trusting God's direction even though they couldn't see everything that was ahead. Want to listen without ads? Become a BibleStudyTools.com PLUS Member today: https://www.biblestudytools.com/subscribe Want more encouragement throughout your week? Subscribe to The Good Word, LifeAudio’s free weekly newsletter. Sign up at LifeAudio.com/thegoodword MEET YOUR HOST: Joy A. Williams is a writer and speaker who is amazed her first name became her life’s mission. As life happens in ways that baffle us or bring us joy, she loves exploring how those moments can bring us closer to God. She is a member of the “First 5” writing team at Proverbs 31 ministries. As a licensed minister, she serves as a teacher for the Women’s Bible Study and the Married Couples Ministry at her church.Joy is also a wife and mother and shares encouragement on the “Joy to the Soul” blog. Subscribe to receive the newest posts and updates at joyawilliams.com.Follow her on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest.Get Joy’s 7-day Bible Reading Plans on YouVersion:Live Your Joy StoryWhen Easy Doesn't Live Here: Living By Faith When Life Is Hard Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

“Then Gideon said to God, ‘If you are truly going to use me to rescue Israel as you promised, prove it to me in this way. I will put a wool fleece on the threshing floor tonight. If the fleece is wet with dew in the morning but the ground is dry, then I will know that you are going to help me rescue Israel as you promised.’ And that is just what happened. When Gideon got up early the next morning, he squeezed the fleece and wrung out a whole bowlful of water.” (Judges 6:36–38 NLT) One of the crucial benefits in learning to be still is that it gives us the opportunity to become more aware of our circumstances. And that’s important because God often speaks to us through circumstances. This is not to say that we should look for God’s hand in every unexpected encounter, every missed opportunity, and every stray comment someone makes. Sometimes circumstances are just circumstances. But I can tell you this: Although I’m not one to base major life decisions on circumstances alone, I’ve experienced occasions when I sensed that something was the will of God and then found that things fell into place circumstantially. I’ve also experienced times when circumstances have made it obvious that God was saying no to something. A classic example of God graciously confirming His word through circumstances is found in the story of Gideon in Judges 6–8. God called Gideon to lead the Israelites against the Midianites. But Gideon had trouble seeing himself as a great military leader, so he asked God to confirm his calling. God worked through the circumstances of the morning dew to assure Gideon that he was the man for the job (see Judges 6:36–38). Likewise, when the prophet Jonah tried to flee from God because he didn’t want to go to Nineveh, God used a storm at sea and a giant fish to bring his journey to an abrupt halt. Of course, not all biblical examples are quite so dramatic. Acts 8:26–40 tells the story of Philip the Evangelist’s encounter with an Ethiopian official. According to verse 29, “The Holy Spirit said to Philip, ‘Go over and walk along beside the carriage’” (NLT). Philip followed the Spirit’s prompting and led the Ethiopian official to Christ. He obeyed the Spirit’s prompting and recognized the opportunity God had placed before him. Two thousand years later, God still works through circumstances involving other people. For example, there have been times when I was listening to someone preach or was talking with a friend and suddenly realized that what the person was saying addressed a situation I was going through, even though the person was completely unaware of my circumstances. Those occasions made me realize that it was God Himself who was speaking to me through those individuals. Maybe God has spoken to you through a pastor or a Christian friend. Or perhaps He has been speaking to you through circumstances. If so, pay attention. You’ll be glad you did. Reflection question: How has God guided you through circumstances in your life? Discuss Today's Devo in Harvest Discipleship! — The audio production of the podcast "Greg Laurie: Daily Devotions" utilizes Generative AI technology. This allows us to deliver consistent, high-quality content while preserving Harvest's mission to "know God and make Him known." All devotional content is written and owned by Pastor Greg Laurie. Listen to the Greg Laurie Podcast Become a Harvest PartnerSupport the show: https://harvest.org/supportSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode: In this episode, Kyle chats with Libby Backfish and Cynthia Shafer-Elliott about bringing archaeology and theology into conversation—the topic of their recent book, Grounded Theology in the Hebrew Bible: Exploring the Cultural Context that formed Ancient Israel. The conversation starts with the ancient Israelite household (and how it was essential to ancient thinking and theology), stays with the household (and related areas of ancient Israelite life and theology), and ends with the household (and, again, how it was essential to ancient thinking). Guests: Cynthia Shafer-Elliott (Ph.D. Sheffield) is Associate Professor of Hebrew Bible/Old Testament at Baylor University. Her field archaeology experience includes excavations at Tel Halif and Tel Abel Beth Maacah in Israel. She's the author and editor of several books, including Food in Ancient Israel (Sheffield, 2013), The 5 Minute Archaeologist in the Southern Levant (edited, Sheffield, 2016), and the book we're discussing in this episode (co-authored with Libby Backfish) Grounded Theology in the Hebrew Bible: Exploring the Cultural Context that Formed Ancient Israel (Baker, 2025). Libby Backfish (Ph.D. TIU) is Associate Professor of Old Testament at Jessup University. She's the author of several articles and books, including Hebrew Wordplay and Septuagint Technique in the Fourth Book of the Psalter (Bloomsbury, 2019) and the book we're discussing in this episode (co-authored with Cynthia Shafer-Elliott) Grounded Theology in the Hebrew Bible: Exploring the Cultural Context that Formed Ancient Israel (Baker, 2025). Give: Help support OnScript HERE. Thanks to all of you who have supported us!

You can be doing the right thing for the right reason—and still become discouraged enough to stop. After decades of exile in Babylon, a faithful remnant of God's people returned to Jerusalem to rebuild the temple. They had chosen obedience over comfort, but fierce opposition eventually brought their work to a halt. For years, the mission God had given them remained unfinished. In today's episode of the MY Devotional Podcast, Dr. Michael Youssef turns to Haggai 1 and 2, where God confronted His discouraged people with a repeated challenge: “Consider your ways.” The Israelites needed to examine their priorities, remember their calling, and resume the work they had abandoned. Opposition often intensifies when we begin taking God seriously. Distraction, resistance, and discouragement can tempt us to quit at precisely the moment we should persevere. Like the Israelites, we must decide whether we will follow the comfortable majority or remain part of the faithful remnant. Jesus Himself chose obedience over the easier road. In Gethsemane, facing unimaginable suffering, He surrendered to the Father: “Yet not as I will, but as you will.” Christ endured because the glory ahead was greater than the suffering before Him. Whatever opposition you are facing today, do not allow discouragement to destroy your spiritual momentum. Reconsider your priorities, surrender your will to God, and keep moving forward. The road may be difficult, but Christ is worth following all the way to the finish line. Pray with me. Lord Jesus, I pray that my faith would become even stronger so that when I face discouragement, I will not give up but press on to serve You. I pray in the name of Jesus. Amen. The voice you hear on the MY Devotional podcast is digitally generated with Dr. Youssef's permission. If today's devotional stirred a question, burden, or need for prayer, you don't have to walk through it alone.

The Story of Moses and the Message of the Cross In this week's sermon, we delved into the transformative conversation between Jesus and Nicodemus in John 3. This discussion is pivotal because it introduces essential Christian doctrines such as the incarnation, the work of the Holy Spirit, and the necessity of being born again. Jesus, in his dialogue, references the story of Moses lifting the snake in the wilderness, drawing a parallel to his own crucifixion. The Encounter with Nicodemus The sermon begins with Jesus' encounter with Nicodemus, a Pharisee and a respected teacher in Israel. Nicodemus approached Jesus under the cover of night, seeking to understand if Jesus was truly sent by God. In this conversation, Jesus introduces the concept of being "born again," explaining that entrance into God's kingdom requires a spiritual rebirth, not just adherence to the law. A Lesson from the Wilderness The story of Moses lifting the bronze snake, found in Numbers 21:4-9, serves as a precursor to the salvation offered through Jesus. As the Israelites wandered in the desert, they faced the consequences of their disobedience: venomous snakes. When they repented, God instructed Moses to create a bronze snake and lift it on a pole. Anyone bitten by a snake could look at it and live. Key Themes: Faith Over Law: The Israelites' journey highlighted the transition from law to faith. Their survival depended not on their adherence to the law, but their faith in God's provision. Symbolism of the Snake: The bronze snake symbolized the coming salvation through Jesus. Just as the snake provided physical healing, Jesus' crucifixion offers spiritual salvation. Jesus Lifted Up Jesus draws a direct line from this Old Testament story to his own mission. In John 3:14-15, Jesus states, "Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, that everyone who believes may have eternal life in him." This act of being "lifted up" is a foreshadowing of the crucifixion. Points of Reflection: The Cross as Salvation: The cross, like the bronze snake, may seem absurd as a symbol of salvation. Yet, it is through Jesus' death that believers find life. Faith in the Unseen: Just as the Israelites had to trust in the unseen power of God for healing, believers are called to trust in the unseen work of Jesus for eternal life. The Call to Action The sermon concludes with a challenge to the congregation: Look to the Cross: Believers are encouraged to place their faith in Jesus' sacrifice on the cross as the only path to eternal life. Share the Message: Those who have found salvation are urged to share this message with others, lifting up Jesus so that others might be drawn to him. In summary, this sermon beautifully ties the story of Moses to the core message of the Gospel, emphasizing the transformative power of faith and the necessity of sharing this good news with the world. As believers, we are reminded that our journey to the promised land of eternal life is paved by looking to Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith.

Here I Am | Rev. Laura Johnson | Exodus 3:1-12What does God's calling feel like?In this sermon, Rev. Laura Johnson explores the story of Moses and the burning bush in Exodus 3:1-12 and invites us to consider how God may be calling each of us in this season of our lives. While Moses receives an unmistakable call from God, complete with a burning bush and a voice calling his name, Laura reflects on how our own experiences of calling are often much less dramatic—and sometimes much more persistent.Moses responds, “Here I am,” before he even knows what God is about to ask of him. But when God sends him back to Egypt to confront Pharaoh and lead the Israelites out of slavery, Moses immediately begins offering reasons why he isn't the right person for the job. His story reminds us that feeling unprepared, inadequate, or afraid doesn't mean we aren't called.Laura shares from her own journey of calling to ministry, including the “burning” she first felt as a young teenager and the years it took before she could confidently say, “Here I am, Lord.” She reminds us that calling isn't only for pastors or church leaders. Every one of us is called to use our unique gifts, experiences, and passions in service to God and others.The sermon invites us to pay attention to the “burning bushes” around us—the people, opportunities, passions, and persistent nudges that may be pointing us toward where God is calling us next. Sometimes discerning a call means stepping outside our comfort zones, trying something new, and trusting God one step at a time.Most importantly, Moses' story reminds us that God doesn't call the equipped; God equips the called.As you listen, consider the question Laura poses: What does God's calling feel like today?

Did the Israelites deserve God's deliverance? Do we deserve salvation? God loved them then, just as He loves us now. God kept his covenant with Abraham and saved the people of Israel, and He likewise keeps His promise to save us if we call on Him. In this continued study of Exodus, we learn a little bit more about the people of Israel and God's great love and compassion for them.

I am team planning. I am team house systems. We teach it in the membership and it is the very first thing we tackle in the Catholic Mom Reset, because looking at your next 90 days and making a plan is genuinely a gift to your future self. But if you took all of it away tomorrow, dropped me in a different house in a different town with no idea what the next 90 days held, I would be okay. I could walk around and have peace. That is the part I want for you. A lot of women tell me they are type A planners. There is a healthy version of that. There is also a version that gets built in a childhood full of chaos you could not control, or in a home where performing well was how you got love and attention. Both of those grow up into a woman who plans beautifully, and one of them is holding on with an iron grip. This episode is how to tell which one you are running on, the five minute healing work that sets the grip down, and the sentence I said to a mom on a coaching call that changed her whole face.   WHAT WE COVER IN THIS EPISODE: Why the plan is not what makes you feel calm (you make a plan, then you think "I have a plan," and the thought is what creates safety in your body) The two childhoods that produce a hyper-planner: chaos you had no control over, and love you had to earn by performing The difference between planning that feels light and playful and planning you believe you cannot survive without Abraham walking up the mountain and the Israelites who never got the itinerary, and what peace looked like for both Tolerating uncertainty is a capacity you can grow, the same way a kid grows from 37 seconds to a minute and a half underwater The five minute memory work I use, sitting in the theater with the Lord while He tells you the truth about what really happened What I told the mom who was afraid that moving every two years would rob her kids of roots and stability EPISODE TIMELINE: [00:00] – Why I wanted to do this episode, and why I am solidly team planning and team systems [05:00] – All brains hate uncertainty, the AI conversation nobody can predict, and the skill we can actually grow [10:00] – Your body feels your thinking, not your plan. The Israelites, and Abraham on the mountain [15:00] – The car breaks down. The husband's job might move you. How to answer your own brain [20:00] – Chaos versus performance, the grounded healthy version of you, and asking the Lord what we are doing today [25:00] – Bob Schuchts, inner child work, and revisiting a memory with Jesus in five minutes [30:00] – "You are their mom. You bring roots and stability everywhere you go." Protocols, and week one of the Reset LINKS AND RESOURCES MENTIONED: The Catholic Mom Reset (starts Sunday, September 6th, first live call Thursday, September 10th) Bob Schuchts books Brya Hannan book on inner child healing (do one chapter a month, it is deep work) Restore the Glory podcast with Bob Schuchts and Jake Khym Calm Catholic Kids: https://calmcatholickids.com CONNECT WITH STERLING JAQUITH: Website: https://catholicmomcalm.com Connect on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/catholicmomcalm

In this episode of Holy Days, Holy People, we explore Sukkot—the biblical Feast of Tabernacles—and discover why a holiday centered around fragile, temporary shelters offers a powerful lesson about where our true security is found.Fellowship President and Global CEO Yael Eckstein explains how Sukkot remembers God's protection and provision for the Israelites during their journey through the desert. Yael shares the biblical traditions of the holiday—from building and dwelling in a sukkah to bringing together the four species—and reveals a deeper message behind them: our security does not come from the walls around us, but from the God who shelters us.You'll also hear timeless teachings from Fellowship Founder Rabbi Yechiel Eckstein, of blessed memory, as he reflects on the temporary nature of material things, the importance of gratitude, and what it means to depend on God in times of both need and abundance. His teaching reminds us that Sukkot calls God's people to leave behind comfort and convenience and recognize the One who provides every blessing.The episode also shares the remarkable story of Shuki, an Israeli who welcomed neighbors into his sukkah in Ofakim before the October 7th attacks. When terrorists entered his community, Shuki and eight others took refuge in a bomb shelter, where he held the door shut for nearly six hours. His story brings Sukkot's message of shelter and trust into the present day, reminding us that even when walls cannot guarantee our safety, we can place our faith in God.Whether Sukkot is a holiday you've celebrated for years or one that you're discovering for the first time, this podcast will deepen your understanding of this joyful festival found in the Bible, show you why its ancient traditions still speak so powerfully today, and encourage you to remember that our greatest shelter has never been made of wood or stone—it is found in the faithfulness of the God who shelters His people.Continue your journey through the Bible and the Jewish roots of your faith at The Fellowship's Learn Center.

What do we do with everything God has shown us? That is the question at the heart of this powerful message drawn from Psalm 145, the final Psalm of David in the entire book. David was a man who had seen it all -- tremendous victories and crushing failures, mountain-top moments and dark valleys -- and yet through every season, he arrived at the same conclusion: God is worthy of our praise. What makes this Psalm so striking is that David does not wait for the right circumstances or the right emotions before deciding to worship. He pre-decides. He declares that no matter what comes, no matter what he feels, his life will be oriented toward glorifying God. That kind of intentional, unwavering devotion is the model held up before us, and it challenges us to ask whether we have made the same decision for our own lives. The message also draws on the pattern seen throughout scripture of God's people forgetting what he has done -- just as the Israelites, fresh from witnessing the parting of the Red Sea, found themselves longing to return to slavery in Egypt. Their present circumstances drowned out their memories of God's faithfulness. We are called to resist that same drift by actively marking, remembering, and meditating on what God has done in our lives, so that his works remain louder than our circumstances.Subscribe https://www.youtube.com/@CelebrateChurchCelebrate Church is led by Pastor Noah Rollins. Our vision is for people to MEET JESUS so they can go out and BE JESUS.Stay Connected!Visit us at 1000 South Sycamore Avenue in Sioux Falls, SD.Website: https://www.celebrate.church/Celebrate Church Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CelebrateSF/Celebrate Church Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/celebrate.church

The discontentment of the Israelites increases as they journey toward Sinai, signaling a continued distrust in the Lord. But God proves repeatedly that he is worthy of their trust, and ours! Exodus 17

The devoteonal centers on the necessity of personal, intimate worship with God, contrasting the Israelites' desire for a mediated encounter with God through Moses to the call for individual, private communion. Drawing from Exodus 24, it emphasizes that true nearness to God comes not in crowds or collective worship alone, but in intentional solitude, where one prepares through worship, listens attentively, and records divine revelations. The passage highlights the transformative power of such encounters, as seen in Moses' radiant countenance, demonstrating how time alone with God shapes one's character and enables authentic spiritual leadership. The message calls believers beyond passive attendance to active, personal engagement with Scripture and prayer, where God speaks directly and personally. Ultimately, it urges a shift from worshipping from afar to drawing near in quiet intimacy, where divine truth is received, preserved, and shared with others.

The devoteonal centers on the necessity of personal, intimate worship with God, contrasting the Israelites' desire for a mediated encounter with God through Moses to the call for individual, private communion. Drawing from Exodus 24, it emphasizes that true nearness to God comes not in crowds or collective worship alone, but in intentional solitude, where one prepares through worship, listens attentively, and records divine revelations. The passage highlights the transformative power of such encounters, as seen in Moses' radiant countenance, demonstrating how time alone with God shapes one's character and enables authentic spiritual leadership. The message calls believers beyond passive attendance to active, personal engagement with Scripture and prayer, where God speaks directly and personally. Ultimately, it urges a shift from worshipping from afar to drawing near in quiet intimacy, where divine truth is received, preserved, and shared with others.

Who Are You Becoming Like? Proverbs 13:20 “Whoever walks with the wise becomes wise, but the companion of fools suffers harm.” Who you hang around with and spend your time with is so important. I know I have talked about this topic before, and yet I feel it is so important for us all to truly think about it, so I am going to talk about it again. I remember several years ago I told Tony that we needed more Catholic friends. He jokingly made a comment about how we should be accepting of everyone and not limit our circle to Catholic friends. I say jokingly because he knew I wasn't saying we can only be friends with people who are Catholic. I will ask you what I asked him. If you want to be a really good tennis player, do you think it would be more helpful to hang out with other tennis players, or to hang out with soccer players? It would be more helpful to hang out with tennis players because they know what it takes to be good at tennis. Both groups of people are good people. You can learn a lot from both soccer players and tennis players. I am sure soccer players could help you learn discipline, sportsmanship, and lots of other great things. However, they will not be as much help becoming great at tennis as tennis players would. Do you see where I am going with this? I don't think everyone should surround themselves with people just like them. I don't think you should only have one type of friend. I do think you should surround yourself with people who you look up to. I think you should spend the most time with those who have the same beliefs as you do. I think you should hang out with those who have similar values as you do. Jim Rohn said, “You are the average of the five people you spend the most time with.” Who you spend time with matters. There is another quote that says, “Show me your friends, and I will show you your future.” They both tell us the same thing: who we surround ourselves with is an important factor in who we become. Why is this? Why is it so important to be intentional about who we spend time with? This is so important because we become like those we spend time with. When you hang out with people for long enough, you start to talk like them, and you start to act like them. If you are Christian and all of your friends are not, then you will probably start to compromise your beliefs to fit in. You may not even do it consciously. It will probably start off small. For instance, you will not mention something amazing that happened because you don't want to mention God in front of the others. Or maybe you do mention something that happened, but you don't attribute it to God; you casually say it was a coincidence, or you got lucky. It seems when we are Christians, and our friends are not, we go out of our way not to offend anyone. We don't want to mention God because that may make them feel uncomfortable. I am so grateful I have several Christian friends, and so I can talk openly about my faith and not have to worry about offending anyone. However, I also have friends who are not Christian. I still love to hang out with them; we just keep it neutral when it comes to religion. The verse above says, “Whoever walks with the wise becomes wise, but the companion of fools suffers harm.” Have you ever heard the saying You want to buy the cheapest house in the most expensive neighborhood? I have heard something similar when it comes to choosing your friends. I have heard that if you are the smartest person in the room, you need to find a better room. We want to be surrounded by people that make us want to be better people. People who make us want to grow and learn. We will live up to or down to the expectations given to us. If we surround ourselves with people who don't believe in us, we won't think we can do very much. If everyone around us is perfectly content with staying where they are and they don't want to grow, then growth will not be important to us either. If you are listening to this podcast, it means you want to grow; you want to learn. That is awesome. Growth is so important. By starting your day off listening to me each morning, you are inviting me into your circle of influence. I am so grateful I get to be one of the people you spend time with. Who else do you spend time with? Are they helping you reach your goals? Are they helping you grow in your faith, or are they pulling you away from it? God continually told His people in the Old Testament that He set them apart from everyone else. He set them apart and told them they could not marry people who weren't Israelites because God knows how hard it is to be surrounded by people who are different than you and to not join in their ways. Do you remember Solomon? He was one of the wisest men in the history of the Bible. God blessed him with Wisdom so he could rule the country. God had told his people they must not intermarry because they would surely turn their hearts toward other Gods. Solomon was very wise, and yet He continued to take wives from other religions. Solomon had seven hundred wives of royal birth and three hundred concubines, and his wives led him astray. If Solomon, who was given an abundance of wisdom straight from God, couldn't resist the pull of his wives, what hope do we have? If you want to grow in your faith, and you want to challenge yourself, then you need to carefully select who you spend the most time with. Some of us have family members that challenge our faith, or maybe make us feel we can't do all we want to do. If this is the case, I am not saying you can never spend time with those family members. I do, however, think you should limit your time with anyone who doesn't bring out the best in you. While it is true we don't get to choose family, we do get to choose how much time we spend with them. We do get to choose how much influence those members of our family have on our lives. Set some boundaries if you need to. Protect what you are building. Protect your beliefs from those who wish to change them. How we live in this world determines how we spend eternity. Surround yourself with people who will help you live in a way that will help you spend an eternity it the presence of God. It will be worth it, I promise! Dear Heavenly Father, I ask you to bless all those listening to this episode today. Lord, we ask you to help us surround ourselves with those people who will help us grow in our faith. Help us to set boundaries for those who wish to change us. The enemy is always sending people into our lives; please help us to spot them and not let them change our beliefs. Help us to follow you always. Help us to be a good influence on those in our lives and help us to help bring others close to Christ. We love you Lord, you are truly amazing. We are grateful for all you do for us. We ask all of this in accordance with your will and in Jesus' holy name, Amen. Thank you so much for joining me on this journey to walk boldly with Jesus. I would like to invite each one of you into my mentoring community. This is a new month, and the topic this month is “Created for a Purpose: Discovering God's Plan for Your Life. Week 1 — You Were Created on Purpose, Week 2 — What Is My Purpose?, Week 3 — What Happens When Life Doesn't Go According to Plan? and Week 4 — Walking in God's Plan One Step at a Time. Is this the month you give mentoring a try? Is this the month where you decide to grow closer to the Lord with a small community of individuals who also want to grow closer to the Lord. There is a link in the show notes. I hope you will join us! I look forward to meeting you here again tomorrow. Have a blessed day! Today's Word from the Lord was received in February 2026 by a member of my Catholic Charismatic Prayer Group. If you have any questions about the prayer group, these words, or how to join us for a meeting, please email CatholicCharismaticPrayerGroup@gmail.com. Today's Word from the Lord is, “Hold my hand so you, in turn, can hold me, and I will proclaim that you are mine. Hold all that is dear to you and entrust it to me, for I will protect it, I will enrich it, I will give it back to you. Hold my hand, never doubt my love for you.” www.findingtruenorthcoaching.comCLICK HERE TO DONATECLICK HERE to sign up for Mentoring CLICK HERE to sign up for Daily "Word from the Lord" emailsCLICK HERE to sign up for my newsletter & receive a free audio training about inviting Jesus into your daily lifeCLICK HERE to buy my book Total Trust in God's Safe Embrace

Read OnlineA Holy ProvocationWhen the people in the synagogue heard this, they were all filled with fury. They rose up, drove him out of the town, and led him to the brow of the hill on which their town had been built, to hurl him down headlong. But he passed through the midst of them and went away. Luke 4:28–30What a sobering beginning to our Lord's public ministry. Shortly after His baptism in the Jordan River and the establishment of Capernaum as the center of His ministry, Jesus began calling His disciples and performing powerful miracles. News of His preaching and healing spread rapidly, reaching His hometown of Nazareth.When Jesus returned to Nazareth, those who had known Him from His youth were not prepared for what they witnessed. In the synagogue, He stood and read from the scroll of the Prophet Isaiah. It was a messianic passage foretelling the One anointed by the Spirit to bring glad tidings to the poor, liberty to captives, sight to the blind, and freedom to the oppressed. After reading, Jesus sat down and solemnly proclaimed, “Today this Scripture passage is fulfilled in your hearing.” With these words, He revealed Himself to be the long-awaited Messiah.At first, the people were amazed at the gracious words He spoke. But their awe quickly turned to confusion, then to hostility. “Is this not the son of Joseph?” they asked, unable to reconcile the divine authority they had just encountered with the humble figure they remembered from years past. Their familiarity bred contempt. Their hearts, bound by human reasoning and pride, could not accept the divine mystery standing before them.Perceiving their thoughts, Jesus addressed the unspoken demand in their hearts—the desire to see in Nazareth the same wonders He had performed elsewhere. But He offered them no signs. Instead, He offered truth, recalling that in the days of Elijah and Elisha, God's blessings were extended not to Israelites, but to Gentiles—a widow in Zarephath and a leper from Syria. This comparison deeply offended their national pride and shattered their assumptions about divine favor. Rather than receiving His rebuke with humility, they were filled with fury. The crowd attempted to kill the very One they had once known as neighbor and craftsman. Yet Jesus, untouched, “passed through the midst of them and went away.”Jesus certainly knew this would happen. In His divine wisdom, He foresaw the reaction He would receive. And in a mysterious way, He even appears to draw it out. Why? Because this holy provocation was an act of mercy. In exposing the hardness of their hearts, Jesus gave them an opportunity to confront their pride, repent, and receive the Kingdom in truth.In the months and years ahead, many of the people of Nazareth likely benefited from this initial encounter. There is little doubt that after Jesus left Nazareth, He remained the talk of the town. There is no record of Him returning. However, as He continued His public ministry, the people who had rejected Him would have continued to hear reports of His authoritative preaching and miraculous works. Some may have even traveled to nearby towns, such as Capernaum, to witness Him for themselves. In doing so, their initial rejection would have confronted them anew—forcing a choice: Either repent and believe, or grow in bitterness and confusion. Either Jesus of Nazareth was the Messiah or He was a false prophet. There could be no middle ground.Reflect today on the mysterious ways Jesus continues to provoke hearts—including your own. Sometimes His Word unsettles us not because it is harsh, but because it is true, and we are unprepared to accept it and change. The people of Nazareth teach us that we—like them—sometimes need our pride stirred up so we can see it and reject it. As you consider the people of Nazareth from that moment forward, see yourself in them. Recognize any ways that you respond with hostility to humbling truths that are hard to accept, and allow time and grace to heal you—helping you to repent and grow in gratitude for Jesus' humbling and holy provocation.My challenging Lord, You see into the depths of my heart. When I resist Your Word, provoke me in mercy. Confront my pride, reveal my blindness, and call me to repentance. May I never reject You, but always surrender with trust to the truth You offer. Jesus, I trust in You.  Image: The Brow of the Hill near Nazareth, by James Tissot  Source: Free RSS feed from catholic-daily-reflections.com — Copyright © 2026 My Catholic Life! Inc. All rights reserved. This content is provided solely for personal, non-commercial use. Redistribution, republication, or commercial use — including use within apps with advertising — is strictly prohibited without written permission.

What does it truly mean to make an impact? A women's basketball coach at Texas A&M offered a simple but powerful distinction: success is what happens to you, while impact is what happens because of you. Numbers 8, set against the backdrop of the Israelites preparing to journey through the wilderness, gives us four clear attributes of a person who makes a lasting difference. God was literally at the center of the Israelite camp, and that arrangement was intentional. When He is at the center of our lives, everything else finds its proper place.The four attributes are ears that hear the Lord, hands that build a team, a heart that loves the presence of God, and a soul that shines while dented. Hearing God means opening His Word with genuine expectancy, not just asking Him to bless our existing plans but actually listening for His. Building a team means delegating real trust and responsibility to others, whether in ministry, marriage, or family life. Loving His presence means creating space to actually be with God, not just attending church or reading a verse occasionally, but slowing down enough to connect deeply. And shining while dented means allowing the painful, hammered seasons of life to shape us into purposeful instruments rather than broken ones.Jesus modeled all four of these attributes perfectly. He listened constantly to His Father, built a team of disciples, withdrew regularly to pray, and shined most brilliantly while suffering on the cross. Because of it, He became the most impactful person who ever walked the earth. Impact is not reserved for pastors or missionaries or people with large platforms. It belongs to anyone willing to live with ears open, hands extended, a heart pursuing His presence, and a soul that keeps shining even when life has left its marks.

BEST OF: The largest LGBTQ pride event just took place on the Dead Sea on behalf of the Israeli people. It just so happens that the location aligns with the historical Sodom and Gomorrah. Because of this and other factors relating to psychopathy and homicidal behavior, will divine judgment be visited on these people again? Also, why does the Hebrew spirit of abortion and sexual promiscuity, of desolation and temptation, wear a rainbow? Does she have anything in common with Baal or Moloch?*The is the FREE archive, which includes advertisements. If you want an ad-free experience, subscribe below. 

Zac Price - Youth Pastor   1 Corinthians 10v1-22 is centered on warning against idolatry and temptation. We see that Paul takes us back to the wilderness with the Israelites and we can learn from their mistakes.  Click on the links below for additional Cascade Church resources. Connect Card: https://cascadechurch.org/connect  Give Online: https://cascadechurch.org/give Discussion Questions: https://cascadechurch.org/first-corinthians-discussion-questions

Welcome to Real Life... Church for Everyone. As we gather this week both in-person and remotely, join us, with Jim Miller and today's message entitled, "Does God Cause Suffering"? TODAY'S MESSAGE "The Bible tells the history of God's house - from a tabernacle, to a Temple, to the Spirit living in God's people. Ultimately the ancient Israelites sought to make a permanent house of worship in the center of their community, in the hopes that God would hear their prayers." WE WELCOME YOU... ...each week, join us via our Sunday Sermon podcast, on online broadcast on Facebook & YouTube every Sunday morning, or in person at Real Life | LA. Visit reallife.la to learn more, request prayer, or to connect directly with someone at Real Life. May God bless you in miraculous ways today!

Our bodies need rest. Our hearts need healing. Our souls need the presence of God. On the seventh day of creation, God implemented rest which is a ceasing from work, a rhythm that Adam enjoyed immediately. The Israelites in the wilderness were commanded to collect extra food ahead of their sabbath day and trust that God had given them enough. In Matthew 11, Jesus invites us to reorder our hurried lives around Him. Jesus is our rest. Pastor Ryan Akers teaches this week's message from our mini-series, “Rest and Work.”Click here for message notes.Click here for the discussion questions for this episode.Find us on:YouTube: YouTube.com/TheHarborInstagram: Instagram.com/TheHarbor_lifeFacebook: Facebook.com/TheHarbordotlifeWebsite: https://www.TheHarbor.lifeWatch/listen on The Harbor AppNew episode every week!

In this message, Pastor Joey Sarlo uses the story of the Israelites crossing the Jordan River to show us how to navigate new and uncertain seasons with faith. He challenges us to follow God before we know where He's leading, prepare our hearts before stepping into His promises, and have the courage to step into the river before we see a way through. We're also reminded that faith isn't just about making it across ourselves—the Church is called to stand firm and help others make it through too. Whether entering a new school year, a new responsibility, or an unfamiliar season, we are sent to carry God's presence wherever He leads us.Freedom Church exists so that you would know God, find freedom, discover your purpose and make a difference. We want to help you find freedom from anything that holds you back from all that God has planned for your life. Our mandate comes from the Bible, and we have a few steps we've implemented to make finding freedom simple. Find out more here — http://myfreedom.org/Stay Connected!Freedom Church Website: http://bit.ly/2w8wD4QFreedom Church Facebook: http://bit.ly/2MgOd1c Freedom Church Instagram: http://bit.ly/2PfYkRE --To invest in the mission of Freedom Church, click here.http://bit.ly/2Zm0Nz8--#freedomchurch #iamfreedomchurch

Even thought 400 years passed for the Israelites with no word from God, His timing is perfect.  The next prophet to speak out was John the Baptist proclaiming that the one to follow him was even greater.  The Messiah was coming!Frank Spalding and the preaching team at Lincoln Hills Christian Church welcomes all those seeking to know more about the Real Jesus and how to be an active disciple.

Believers commit to worship our great God because He sovereignly redeems, blesses, and sustains us. In this message from Exodus 12:29-41, the tenth plague strikes at midnight. Pharaoh, broken and defeated, finally issues an unconditional surrender and drives Israel out in haste. What looks like a sudden “you're fired” moment for the Israelites is actually the culmination of God's perfect, sovereign plan. God not only redeems His people—He richly blesses them with silver and gold from the Egyptians and sustains them for the journey ahead. The proper response is not pride or self-congratulation, but committed gratitude and wholehearted worship of the God who alone orchestrates every detail of our redemption. Preached by Rodney Brown Jr. at Rhome Bible Church Website: https://www.rhomebible.org #Exodus #BibleTeaching #RhomeBibleChurch #Sermon #ChristianPodcast #BiblicalPreaching #GodsSovereignty #OldTestament #Faith #ImpartingTheWord #Reformed #ExpositionalPreaching #ExpositionalTeaching #Passover #YoureFired

In the book of Malachi, the prophet confronts the people of Judah regarding their lack of covenant faithfulness. Faithfulness to God is the foundational requirement for life, yet the Israelites had allowed their spiritual corruption to erode their commitment to holy standards. This moral decline manifested in rampant marital infidelity, reflecting a broader disregard for the covenants God established. Dr. Smith emphasizes that when one abandons the core covenant with God, all other relational structures collapse. The people sought to prioritize their own desires over God's commands, resulting in idolatry and disunity. Ultimately, the message is clear: authentic faith must permeate every aspect of life. Believers are called to guard their hearts, remain faithful to their vows, and prioritize unity within the family of God.

In the book of Malachi, the prophet confronts the people of Judah regarding their lack of covenant faithfulness. Faithfulness to God is the foundational requirement for life, yet the Israelites had allowed their spiritual corruption to erode their commitment to holy standards. This moral decline manifested in rampant marital infidelity, reflecting a broader disregard for the covenants God established. Dr. Smith emphasizes that when one abandons the core covenant with God, all other relational structures collapse. The people sought to prioritize their own desires over God's commands, resulting in idolatry and disunity. Ultimately, the message is clear: authentic faith must permeate every aspect of life. Believers are called to guard their hearts, remain faithful to their vows, and prioritize unity within the family of God.

So, what is the hymn “Come Thou Fount” referring to with this obscure and unfamiliar phrase about raising an Ebenezer?  When you hear the word Ebenezer, you probably think of Scrooge from Dicken's Christmas Carol. Not too many people name their sons Ebenezer these days. But in Scripture we find this word in 1 Samuel 7:12:  Then Samuel took a stone and set it up between Mizpah and Shen. He named it Ebenezer, saying, “Thus far has the Lord helped us.”  Literally the word Ebenezer means “Stone of Help.” Samuel set up—or raised—this stone as a memorial, a marker-stone, to commemorate the Israelite victory over the Philistines. This was not a stone to be worshiped; it was not to make a certain place holy, like a Mecca. But Samuel knew well that the Israelites were very prone to forget God's goodness and blessings. So, he raised this stone as an everlasting reminder of how God had helped them win this victory.  I'd like to talk about Ebenezer stones—or stones of remembrances—for our own lives, by looking at the life of Moses. There were some definite Ebenezer stones in his life—stones of remembrance, stones when God helped him. And these turning points in his life relate to ours as well. As we look at Moses' stones of remembrance, consider how your own life may have some similar ones.  The Stone of Salvation  You are no doubt familiar with the story of how Moses's life was saved as a baby by a very creative mother and sister. When Pharaoh's daughter saw baby Moses in the basket on the Nile, she took him into Pharaoh's home and raised him as one of her own. He was physically saved, so there would be a Stone of Salvation for Moses.  Do you have a Stone of Salvation? I'm talking about salvation from the penalty of your sins. Can you tell of a time when you were made aware of your sins, where you were convicted of your sinful condition, and you knew you could not save yourself?   If you have not yet set up your stone of salvation, here's all you have to do:   If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved (Romans 10:9-10).  The Stone of Shame  As Moses grew to manhood, he was educated as an Egyptian with all the privileges that came from being raised as Pharaoh's daughter. But he never forgot that he was one of God's chosen people, so he wanted to help his people. Pharaoh kept the Jewish people in bitter servitude, and they were sorely mistreated. One day when Moses saw an Egyptian beating one of his Hebrew brothers, he killed the Egyptian and hid his body in the sand. He thought he was doing the right thing to defend his countryman, but the next day, when he saw two Hebrews fighting each other and tried to stop them, they turned on him and said, Who made you ruler and judge over us? Are you thinking of killing me as you killed the Egyptian? (Exodus 2:14).  Well, this just blew Moses away. He thought his murderous act was a secret, but now he realized it wasn't, and when Pharaoh heard about it, he tried to kill Moses. So, Moses fled from Pharaoh and went to live in Midian, where he became a lowly, humble shepherd. For forty years Moses lived in exile in Midian.  Here Moses would need to raise a Stone of Shame.  Overnight Moses went from the prestigious position as Pharaoh's grandson to that of a fugitive. He had disgraced himself by killing a man, and now he had lost his honor and position, and he was reduced to being a shepherd in a foreign land—for 40 long years.  Have you ever had a Stone of Shame in your life? I have. My period of shame lasted for about ten years. Ten years when I decided I could run my life better than God, and I walked away from my commitment to him and did my own thing. I told myself a lie and believed it—and the lie was that life would be intolerable as a single woman. There could be no happiness or fulfillment if I didn't get married! Now, I know I'm not the only person in the world to ever think like that, but that's the truth!   So, my legitimate need for love and acceptance became an addiction, as I determined to do it my way instead of trusting God. During those ten years, doing my own thing led to a sinful lifestyle, one that was not pleasing to God and one of shame.   Maybe some of you are in that place now. You know something is not right in your life. You're living in disobedience to God's plan, and you know it. Or there is a big dark cloud hanging over you from your past, and you're stuck at the Stone of Shame. God wants to help you put this Stone of Shame behind you so you can move forward to the good things he has for you.  Stone of Assurance  Moses figured he had blown it so badly that God would never use him again. But he was wrong. After 40 years, as Moses was tending his father-in-law’s flock at Horeb, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in flames of fire from within a bush.   As God spoke to him from the burning bush, he commissioned Moses to rescue his people from the hand of the Egyptians. Moses is now a humbled man, and he insists he cannot do it. But God says to him, “I will be with you. I am who I am, and you will tell the Israelites that ‘I am has sent me to you.'” (Exodus 3:14). Moses feared they would not believe him, so God gave him some signs to assure him that as long as God was with him, he could do what God called him to do.  So, here Moses would raise a Stone of Assurance.  Do you need a Stone of Assurance today? You need to know that God isn't through with you yet, and he has a plan for you. Like Moses, you may need reassurance that he will be with you, but you have to give him control of your life.  What is keeping you from doing what God has planned for you to do? Is it fear? Is it that you have your own plan, and you just want God to bless your plan? Is it laziness? Is it lack of trust in God's ability to do through you what you cannot do yourself? Is it a relationship? Until you submit it to God, you cannot go forward to the good things God has for you, the good works he put you here to do.  Stone of Deliverance  After forty long years Moses was finally ready to do what God had called him to do. And now begins the battle between Moses and Pharaoh to let God's people go! You know how God took them across the Red Sea, escaping Pharaoh's last attempt to catch them and bring them back. They crossed on dry ground, and Pharaoh and his army were drowned as the waters came rushing back over them.  There Moses could raise a Stone of Deliverance.  Maybe you need to raise a stone of deliverance, a memorial to God's faithfulness in your life. A testimony of his goodness to you in spite of all you've done and all your failures. Has he been faithful to you? Then raise your Stone of Deliverance.  Stone of Commitment  Many years later as Moses was presenting to the children of Israel the tablets with the Ten Commandments, he said to them:  The Lord your God commands you this day to follow these decrees and laws; carefully observe them with all your heart and with all your soul. You have declared this day that the Lord is your God and that you will walk in obedience to him, that you will keep his decrees, commands and laws—that you will listen to him. And the Lord has declared this day that you are his people, his treasured possession as he promised, and that you are to keep all his commands. (Deuteronomy 26:16-18).  He challenged the people to set up a Stone of Commitment.  They were to declare before God and his servant Moses and before all the people that they were committed to obey the Lord, to walk in his ways, to keep his commands, to glorify their God all the days of their lives.  Today you may need to set up a Stone of Commitment, where you say to God, “I'm not playing around any longer. I am serious about walking with you, obeying you, living for you, spending time getting to know you.”   Yes, there are landmark times when we need to set some stones of remembrance: a Salvation Stone, a Stone of Shame, a Stone of Assurance, one of Deliverance, and a Stone of Commitment. What stones—what Ebenezers—do you need to raise even today? Could you reflect and let God's Spirit speak to you. This could be a good time for you to raise some stones of remembrance; stones to help you to go forward to the new thing God wants to do for you and through you in this year.    

The CEO was hurting employees with his sharp tongue. No one dared confront him. Everyone was afraid of him, including Gene. But one day the CEO berated a new employee, reducing her to tears. When Gene saw how everyone in the room stayed silent, he spoke up. “I told him the way he was treating people was wrong,” Gene recalls. “He was astonished; it was the first time someone stood up to him. He didn’t change, but I’m glad I spoke up.” Scripture tells us of another man who stood up to a challenge many were afraid of. Shammah, a military warrior of David, came from difficult circumstances (see 1 Samuel 22:1-2), but God used him to defeat the Philistines, a formidable enemy of the Israelites. “When the Philistines banded together at . . . a field full of lentils, Israel’s troops fled from them” (2 Samuel 23:11). Only Shammah had the courage to defend Israel’s food supply. Being the lone man against the Philistine army meant death, but Shammah “took his stand in the middle of the field. He defended it” (v. 12). God helped Shammah defeat the Philistines (v. 12). He may have been the only Israelite in the field, but he wasn’t alone－God was with him, giving him great victory that day. There may be times when we’re called to stand up to a challenge that everyone else is avoiding. Like Shammah, let’s take our stand, relying on God’s presence and help.

Welcome to Day 2937 of Wisdom-Trek. Thank you for joining me. This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom. Day 2937 – Wisdom Nuggets – Proverbs 3:9-20 Daily Wisdom Wisdom-Trek Podcast Script - Day 2937 Welcome to Wisdom-Trek with Gramps! I am Guthrie Chamberlain, and we are on Day 2937 of our Trek. The Purpose of Wisdom-Trek is to create a legacy of wisdom, to seek out discernment and insights, and to boldly grow where few have chosen to grow before. The Title for today's Wisdom-Trek is: The Priceless Tree of Life and the Cosmic Blueprint – Honoring God, Embracing Discipline, and Finding True Riches On our previous podcast, on Day Two Thousand Nine Hundred Thirty-Five, we stepped into the opening movements of Proverbs chapter three, uncovering that famous master compass for the human heart: trusting in Yahweh with all our heart, refusing to lean on our own limited human understanding, and allowing Him to smooth out every crooked path before us. We saw how writing covenant loyalty and truth deep upon our hearts brings physical healing to our bodies and marrow-deep strength to our bones. Today, as we step onto Day Two Thousand Nine Hundred Thirty-Seven of our ongoing trek, we advance directly into Proverbs chapter three, verses nine through twenty. In these twelve rich verses, Solomon takes the general principle of total trust in God and applies it directly to four vital arenas of our daily walk: our finances, our trials, our value system, and our understanding of the cosmos itself! Having spent over fifty years focusing on and studying Biblical wisdom, and having accumulated seventy years of life experiences—watching wealth come and go, seeing how discipline forms character, and witnessing the eternal value of a life rooted in God—I am eager to share these timeless truths with you today. Let us open our minds to the first practical manifestation of trust, as recorded in the New Living Translation, grouping together the deeply connected thoughts in Proverbs chapter three, verse nine, and verse ten. Honor the Lord with your wealth and with the best part of everything you produce. Then your barns will be filled with grain, and your vats will overflow with good wine. In these two powerful verses, Solomon addresses an area that touches every single human being on life's trail: our material resources! He commands us to "honor the Lord with your wealth and with the best part of everything you produce." In the original Hebrew, "the best part" refers to the reshith—the firstfruits! In ancient Israelite worship, offering the firstfruits of the harvest was a profound act of faith. Before a farmer knew if the rest of the crop would survive the weather, locusts, or raiders, he brought the very first, finest portion to Yahweh's sanctuary as a holy offering of gratitude. To fully grasp the spiritual significance of this command, we must view it through the Ancient Israelite divine-council worldview. In the ancient Near East, neighboring pagan cultures believed their localized territorial idols owned the land, demanding transactional sacrifices to grant agricultural fertility. But Israel knew a far greater, cosmic truth: Yahweh, the supreme Sovereign of the celestial host, is the sole Owner of the earth and everything in it! When we bring Him our firstfruits, we are not paying a divine tax; we are acknowledging His ultimate lordship over all creation. Look at the glorious result in verse ten: "Then your barns will be filled with grain, and your vats will overflow with good wine!" Over my seventy years of living, and my fifty years of studying wisdom, I have seen this financial truth proven without fail. When you hoard your resources out of fear and self-reliance, your soul shrinks; but when you open your hands to honor God first, He opens the windows of heaven, filling your life with true spiritual and material abundance. The narrative now transitions from stewardship of wealth to the stewardship of our struggles, weaving together the contiguous thoughts in Proverbs chapter three, verse eleven, and verse twelve. My child, don't reject the Lord's discipline, and don't be upset when he corrects you. For the Lord corrects those he loves, just as a father corrects a child in whom he delights. Solomon issues a vital warning to every trekker on the path of wisdom: "My child, don't reject the Lord's discipline, and don't be upset when he corrects you." The Hebrew word for discipline here is musar—a foundational word we first encountered in Proverbs chapter one, verse two! Musar encompasses training, moral correction, and character refinement. Human nature naturally recoils from pain, friction, and correction; we prefer smooth, uninterrupted, easy trails. However, Solomon pulls back the curtain to reveal the divine motivation behind every season of trial: "For the Lord corrects those he loves, just as a father corrects a child in whom he delights!" When hard times come, or when God allows circumstances to expose our vulnerabilities, it is not evidence of His abandonment or cold anger; it is the ultimate proof of His fatherly affection! In the divine court, God treats us not as forgotten strangers, but as His cherished children, refining us so that we can bear His royal image with dignity. In my seven decades of life, I can tell you honestly that I have learned far more about wisdom, patience, and humility in the furnace of divine correction than I ever did on the sunny mountain peaks of easy success. Having shown us how to handle wealth and trial, Solomon launches into a radiant, poetic celebration of Lady Wisdom's matchless value, linking together the contiguous thoughts in Proverbs chapter three, verse thirteen, fourteen, fifteen, sixteen, seventeen, and eighteen. Joyful is the person who finds wisdom, the one who gains understanding. For wisdom is far more profitable than silver, and her wages are better than gold. Wisdom is more precious than rubies; nothing you desire can compare with her. She offers you long life in her right hand, and riches and honor in her left. She will guide you down delightful paths; all her ways are satisfying. Wisdom is a tree of life to those who embrace her; happy are those who hold her tightly. What an exquisite, soaring anthem of joy! Solomon declares that the person who finds wisdom—chokmah—and gains understanding is truly joyful. He compares her value to the highest commodities of the ancient and modern worlds: refined silver, fine gold, and radiant rubies. He proclaims with absolute certainty: "Nothing you desire can compare with her!" Look at how Lady Wisdom is pictured in verse sixteen and seventeen: she stands as a regal queen, holding long life in her right hand, and riches and honor in her left! She guides her followers down delightful, satisfying paths. But look at the breathtaking climax in verse eighteen: "Wisdom is a tree of life to those who embrace her; happy are those who hold her tightly!" In biblical theology, the "Tree of Life"—Etz Chaim—transcends earthly metaphor! It points us directly back to the sacred cosmic sanctuary of Eden, where humanity once enjoyed unhindered fellowship with Yahweh in the presence of the heavenly council. When sin fractured that world, access to the Tree of Life was lost. But here, Solomon reveals a stunning secret: when you embrace divine wisdom and hold her tightly, you are granted a foretaste of Eden right now! You gain access to the eternal, life-giving fruit of God's presence on your daily trek. The narrative reaches its ultimate climax as Solomon reveals why wisdom possesses such infinite power and value, connecting the logical thoughts in Proverbs chapter three, verse nineteen, and verse twenty. By wisdom the Lord founded the earth; by understanding he established the heavens. By his knowledge the deep fountains of the earth burst forth, and the dew settles from the night sky. Solomon pulls back the cosmic veil to reveal that wisdom is not merely a clever human philosophy; wisdom is the very blueprint through which the entire universe was constructed! He proclaims, "By wisdom the Lord founded the earth; by understanding he established the heavens." In the Ancient Israelite worldview, creation was an act of sovereign master craftsmanship. When Yahweh laid the foundations of the earth, set the boundaries of the atmosphere, and commanded the celestial bodies, He did so through Chokmah! Look at verse twenty: "By his knowledge the deep fountains of the earth burst forth, and the dew settles from the night sky." Solomon highlights both the subterranean waters—the deep...

Send us Fan MailRomans 9:24 sounds simple until you slow down and let it hit: God calls “even us,” and that “us” includes Jews and Gentiles on the same footing. We walk through Paul's argument step by step, starting with the potter and the clay and then zeroing in on what it means to be a “vessel of mercy” prepared beforehand for glory. The focus is not human potential or religious advantage, but the way God makes known the riches of his glory through sovereign mercy.We also draw a bright line between an outward invitation to hear the gospel and the inward, effectual calling that actually brings sinners to Christ and produces faith. That distinction matters because it explains why the “called” can only point to God, not to personal merit, willpower, family history, or moral achievement. It is meant to humble us, steady our assurance, and keep grace at the center where Paul keeps putting it.From there, we tackle the tension Paul anticipates: if many ethnic Israelites reject the Messiah, has God's word failed? We follow Romans 9:6 and the claim that “not all Israel is Israel,” clarifying the difference between physical descent and the Israel of promise. We close by previewing the transition into Romans 9:25–29 and tying the theme to John 3:16 as God's love for the world without distinction or partiality.If this sharpened your thinking, subscribe for more, share it with a friend who loves Romans, and leave a review with your take: how do you understand God's calling in Romans 9:24?Support the showBE PROVOKED AND BE PERSUADED!

There is an entire content industry built on "biblical archaeology" right now — TV shows, YouTube channels, the House of David series on Amazon, all of it running on big Nephilim energy. Cynthia Shafer-Elliott does not watch any of it, because it makes her yell at the screen. (Her husband, however, likes to watch her watch it.) She is a professor of Hebrew Bible at Baylor and an actual field archaeologist, and here is what she would rather you get excited about: in one of her first seasons at Tel Rehov, in a square she had been working, they found hundreds of ceramic beehives — industrial apiaries. Which means the land of milk and honey had actual honey. Not date syrup, not wild honey. Real, farmed, bee-produced honey. She also personally uncovered a household shrine with a lion's face carved into it, tongue out, human faces cowering under its paws. That one is in the Israel Museum now, and she says hello to it whenever she visits. We got into what "back in Bible times" and "biblical worldview" actually obscure, what household archaeology reveals about women's authority that the text buries, why ancient Israelite religion should always be plural, why lentils deserve more respect than they get, and yes — the residue analysis at Arad confirming THC at an official Israelite worship site. She is one of the four Bible Divas, and all four are coming to Theology Beer Camp. You can WATCH the conversation on YouTube About our guest Dr. Cynthia Shafer-Elliott is Professor of Hebrew Bible at Baylor University in Waco, Texas, in the religion department. She holds her PhD from the University of Sheffield, where she studied with Philip Davies, and specializes in Iron Age archaeology of ancient Israel and Judah with sub-specialties in household archaeology, food, and gender. She has excavated at Tel Rehov, Tell Halif, and currently at Tel Abel Beth Maacah in northern Israel — the site of the wise woman of Abel in 2 Samuel 20, who talks a general out of destroying a city. Check out her book: Food in Ancient Judah: Domestic Cooking in the Time of the Hebrew Bible. The Bible Divas Podcast — Cynthia with Jennifer Garcia Bashaw, Anna Sieges, and Angela Parker. Two Old Testament scholars, two New Testament scholars, one of them an archaeologist. Go subscribe. ⁠⁠⁠JOIN OUR OPEN ONLINE CLASS: The Empire Christ Couldn't Keep⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Ever notice how Christian nationalism gets talked about like it's some bizarre new glitch in the faith? It isn't — it's a 2,000-year-old arrangement wearing new clothes, and once you see how the pattern works, you can also spot the Christ who keeps slipping free of it. Join theologian Joerg Rieger and Tripp Fuller for The Christ Empire Couldn't Keep, a free six-week online class tracing the holy alliances, imperial creeds, and stubborn resistance that have shaped Christianity from Paul to the present. You'll get six lectures from Joerg, six live Q&As, weekly readings from his book Christ and Empire, and a community of fellow troublemakers thinking it through together. It's free to join, every session is recorded, and it kicks off Thursday, August 27. Grab your spot at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠HomebrewedClasses.com.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ This podcast is a ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Homebrewed Christianity ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠production. Follow ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠the Homebrewed Christianity⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Theology Nerd Throwdown⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, & ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠The Rise of Bonhoeffer⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ podcasts for more theological goodness for your earbuds. Join over 75,000 other people by joining our ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Substack - Process This!⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Get instant access to over 50 classes at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.TheologyClass.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Follow the podcast, drop a review⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, send ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠feedback/questions⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ or become a ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠member of the HBC Community⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sukkot begins sunset of  Friday, September 25, 2026 Ends nightfall of  Friday, October 2, 2026 Sukkot is a time of remembrance.  We not only recognize what God blessed the Israelites with but also recognize that God has blessed us today.  Rabbi wraps up his teachings on the fall holy days by reminding us to rejoice and be thankful. **** BECOME A MONTHLY PARTNER - https://djj.show/YTAPartner   **** DONATE - https://djj.show/YTADonate  **** TEACHING NOTES - https://djj.show/d1z     

When your adult child is going through heartbreak, it can be difficult to know what to do. You want to protect them, take away their pain, and somehow make everything better—but you can't walk through the heartbreak for them. Whether they are grieving a breakup, betrayal, disappointment, or another painful relationship experience, Christian parents can learn to support their adult children while trusting God to carry them through the storm. Isaiah 43:2 reminds us that God doesn't promise a life without painful seasons, but He does promise His presence in the middle of them: “When you pass through the waters, I will be with you.” As a parent, that means you don't have to fix your adult child's heartbreak. You can listen, offer a steady and loving presence, pray for them, and give their pain and future to God, trusting Him to bring healing, wisdom, and hope in His timing. Highlights How to support an adult child through heartbreak without trying to fix everything Why parents must learn to trust God with their grown children's pain How Isaiah 43:2 offers hope in seasons of grief and emotional pain Practical ways to be present for an adult child who is hurting Why listening can be more helpful than offering advice or pity How to cast your own anxiety about your child's pain on God Finding faith, hope, and love while waiting for healing and redemption Want more encouragement throughout your week? Subscribe to The Good Word, LifeAudio’s free weekly newsletter. Sign up at LifeAudio.com/thegoodword Do you want to listen ad-free? When you join Crosswalk Plus, you gain access to exclusive, in-depth Bible study guides, devotionals, sound biblical advice, and daily encouragement from trusted pastors and authors—resources designed to strengthen your faith and equip you to live it out boldly. PLUS ad free podcasts! Sign Up Today! Full Transcript Below: Giving Your Adult Child’s Heartbreak to God By: Lia Girard Bible Reading: When you pass through the waters,I will be with you;and when you pass through the rivers,they will not sweep over you.When you walk through the fire,you will not be burned;the flames will not set you ablaze. – Isaiah 43:2, NIV As Christians, we know that Jesus doesn’t promise a trouble-free life here on earth. Which naturally means we can expect that there will be days or seasons of pain, heartache, confusion, or grief. However, just knowing that we’re human (and that hurt will find us eventually) doesn’t prevent the sadness and anger heartbreak causes—whenever and however it shows up. We can try to gird ourselves with gratitude, faith, and hope. Relying on this inclination can help us weather storms. But we can’t make the storms simply not come. Being a parent of two adult children, I deeply understand the desire to wish every hard thing away from your children’s lives. It starts early, before their very first injury, and continues through your entire parenting journey. And although you know that surviving struggles will help your children build compassion, wisdom, and strength, this can get dicey when it comes to someone mistreating them or breaking their heart. Because you’ve raised your child to be an adult, you know they’re “out there” in this world, taking chances, loving deeply, and making their own choices. Yet you still want to be there for them, whenever they may need you. But the role has shifted fully now, from daily provider to encourager as they chart their own path. You know it’s right to raise adults, and not “baby” your grown children, but it’s also a strange and somewhat tender passage. It means letting go of having a say-so and just being available for them as they seek direction from the ultimate parent, God. In Isaiah 43:2, God is reassuring the Israelites that he is carrying them through their exile, no matter how hard it seems. And he is assuring all of us today that no matter what your adult child is walking through, God promises to step right into the murky water with them. Later in Isaiah 43:18-19, God says, “Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland.” Some biblical scholars say that God is clearly stating here that when a situation is dire and feels unbearable, he will never abandon you and is working on something new for you. This is good news when your own heart is aching because someone has broken your adult child’s heart. It means you can be sure that God is in control of your child’s recovery. Remember, it’s a promise. And for your own heart, while you’re believing in God to carry your child through grief, you can lean into 1 Peter 5:7, and “cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.” When someone hurts your grown child’s heart, leaving them holding a heavy load of bewilderment or loneliness, let them know you love them and are right here for anything they want or need. Keep checking in and listening. It’s likely they’ve been through enough maturing to not want or need you to preach to them, offer them pity, or even cry with them—though I know you want to. Because God is with them, you can be the same present, interested, loving parent you’ve always been, and have faith in better days ahead. You may have been through to the other side of heartbreak yourself and seen the kind of redemption your child hasn’t. Yet. It’s certain they will encounter their own unique ups, downs, and renewals. So be patient. Be kind. And remember that the final verse of the famous 1 Corinthians 13 “love chapter” that tells us true love is patient and kind, also encourages us: “And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.” Remind your child that God loves them, and so do you. And that you believe God’s promise: that He will carry them through. Intersecting Faith & Life: When you want to “fix” your adult child’s relationship heartbreak, consider instead offering your loving presence in ways like these: Invite them to lunch, dinner, or dessert somewhere they’ve been wanting to try Find and suggest a nature hike to enjoy together Have them over to watch a show or sports game you both enjoy If they’re far away, send them something soothing, like socks, slippers, or a delivery dinner Interact with them the same way you always have—with love, joy, and interest in them Ask: Do you want to talk? And respect their wishes. Further Reading:Psalm 147:3 Psalm 55:22 Psalm 23 Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Why did the Rabbis tell the Exodus through the words of a farmer—and leave Mount Sinai out of the story? What if the Torah's shortest version of the Exodus leaves out the most important moment? The story of the Exodus without using the Book of Exodus? In Parshat Ki Tavo, an Israelite farmer enters the Temple carrying a basket of first fruits and recites a compact history of his people: "My father was a wandering Aramean. The Egyptians oppressed us. We cried out. God brought us forth and gave us this land." Those words would eventually leave the Temple, enter the Jewish home and become the centerpiece of the Passover Haggadah. Geoffrey Stern and Rabbi Adam Mintz explore why Mikra Bikkurim fascinated both the Rabbis and modern critical scholars. Gerhard von Rad called it Israel's "little historical creed," while Jeffrey Tigay noted its memorable alliteration and preservation of Israel's landless beginnings. Ibn Ezra, Rashbam and Shadal debate whether its wandering ancestor was Jacob, Abraham—or all the patriarchs combined. Unlike the narrative in Exodus, this declaration is spoken in the first person: "They oppressed us. We cried out. God brought us forth." It allows every later Israelite to enter the ancestors' history and claim it as personal memory. But the declaration also begins the Exodus before Pharaoh. By reaching back to the wandering and vulnerability of Abraham and Jacob, it transforms the Exodus from a single historical event into a recurring pattern of exile and return, danger and deliverance. Like Isaiah in the Haftarot of Consolation, the Rabbis reopened Genesis and repurposed its ancestral voices to give hope to later generations. They moved this declaration: From the Temple to the home From the pilgrim's basket to the Seder table From possession of the land to life in exile From bringing first fruits to telling the story Finally, we confront the great omission: Why does Mikra Bikkurim move from Egypt directly to the Promised Land without mentioning Moses or the revelation at Mount Sinai? Perhaps the Exodus repeats itself, while Sinai does not. Exile and redemption can recur nationally and personally, but the Torah came down from heaven only once. From then on, lo bashamayim hi—"It is not in heaven." The Torah was given to human beings to interpret and make their own. And as Rosh Hashanah approaches, the same first-person grammar returns in the Selichot confession: Aval anachnu va'avoteinu chatanu—"But we and our ancestors have sinned." We inherit not only our ancestors' redemption, but also their failures, their repentance and their hope. Join us for Liberation: Personal and Recurring. Key Takeaways When History Becomes Identity - Sacred memory is not simply the recollection of what happened to our ancestors. By speaking their story in the first person, we enter it ourselves: their vulnerability becomes our vulnerability, their liberation becomes our liberation, and their history becomes our identity. A Timeless Grammar of Liberation - The most enduring stories are not confined to the events that first produced them. By beginning before Pharaoh and extending the pattern into every generation, Mikra Bikkurim transforms the Exodus from a single historical event into a timeless grammar of exile, survival and return. The Exodus Repeats; Sinai Does Not - Liberation and revelation move through history differently. The Exodus can recur whenever human beings move from oppression to freedom, but Sinai was a singular moment. Once the Torah came down from heaven, its interpretation—and the responsibility to live by it—passed into human hands. Timestamps 00:00 Temple Script Origins 01:29 Ki Tavo Setup 02:06 Mikra Bikkurim Reading 03:54 Von Rad Historical Creed 08:23 Missing Sinai Question 12:09 Who Is the Aramean 15:36 Sponsor Break 16:42 Why Haggadah Uses It 20:53 Personal Exodus Every Year 24:50 Exile Proof Text Power 28:34 Sinai Once vs Exodus Repeat 30:43 Rosh Hashanah Tie In 32:07 Wrap Up and Viewer Question Links & Learnings Sign up for free and get more from our weekly newsletter https://madlik.com/ Sefaria Source Sheet: https://voices.sefaria.org/sheets/744553 Transcript here: https://madlik.substack.com/  

The David Alliance  TDAgiantSlayer@gmail.com Garth Heckman Urge   INTRO: Its a strange memory at best: A young man at church - my sister Renee's friend. HS stud athlete, great looking, always jumping in and out of bed with whomever he could. Now in his early 30's he came to church and Renee said one night after church… he better hurry up and figure out life - his hair is getting thinner and his glasses are getting thicker.  Funny, sad, but telling of his life falling apart. He lived his life by his emotions… his “URGES” if you will.    the phrase "a piece of work" originated as a high compliment before evolving over centuries into a sarcastic insult. The Literary Origin Its earliest famous usage comes from William Shakespeare's Hamlet (around 1601). In Act II, Scene 2, Prince Hamlet marvels at the creation of humanity: "What a piece of work is a man! How noble in reason, how infinite in faculty..."       He's a piece of work ISRAELS FIRST KING!  King Saul had it all but lost his call as a know it all only to fall.      Saul's ultimate downfall was not a lack of talent or opportunity; it was a fundamental flaw in his internal compass. Saul lived a life governed by feelings rather than character.     Have you ever met someone who lives by their emotions/feelings/the wind?     I used to say to my boys… “dad is in a bad mood today, so don't push it”. WHAT I WAS REALLY SAYING WAS DAD IS IN THE FLESH… LIVING BY HIS URGES!        Romans 8:5 Those who are dominated by the sinful nature think about sinful things, but those who are controlled by the Holy Spirit think about things that please the Spirit. 6 So letting your sinful nature control your mind leads to death. But letting the Spirit control your mind leads to life and peace. 7 For the sinful nature is always hostile to God. It never did obey God's laws, and it never will. 8 That's why those who are still under the control of their sinful nature can never please God. 9 But you are not controlled by your sinful nature. You are controlled by the Spirit if you have the Spirit of God living in you. (And remember that those who do not have the Spirit of Christ living in them do not belong to him at all.)         King Saul highlights critical decisions based on fear, jealousy, and impulsivity rather than steadfast character and obedience.     1 Samuel 13:8-12 (Impatience and Panic): When the prophet Samuel delayed his arrival and the Israelite army began to scatter out of fear, Saul panicked. Instead of trusting God and waiting, his anxiety drove him to unlawfully offer the burnt offering himself. Emotions make God's Word feel optional rather than authoritative. When feelings become the filter for truth, scripture gets reduced to "does this resonate with me" instead of "is this what God said." Jeremiah 17:9 warns that the heart is deceitful above all things — not evil in a cartoonish sense, but genuinely unreliable as a final authority. A Christian who only obeys when it feels right isn't actually submitted to Christ's lordship; they're submitted to their own emotional state, with God's Word as an occasional consultant rather than the authority.   Abortion, adultery, fornication, bitterness, gossip… emotions muddy up the water.   Anterior Midcingulate Cortex it behaves like a muscle, shrinking when underused and expanding physically when you engage in effortful, resistance-heavy activities.   Anatomy of the aMCC The Friction Requirement: The aMCC only grows when you face friction or internal resistance. Pushing through a workout you love doesn't trigger the same growth as forcing yourself to do a workout—or a task—that you genuinely do not want to do     The Battle of Sarx (The Flesh): Paul describes the "flesh" not merely as the physical body, but as the path of least resistance—primal drives, comfort-seeking, and self-preservation.    The body only wants to eat, sleep be tickled and have sex!      In Galatians 5:17, he notes: "For the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are in conflict with each other." The subjective internal friction you feel when forcing yourself to do a hard task is the exact experiential battleground Paul describes. Mortification (Nekroo): In Colossians 3:5 and Romans 8:13, the New Testament commands believers to "put to death" or "mortify" lower impulses. This is not a passive event; it is an active, effortful override of natural inclination—the exact stimulus that drives aMCC hypertrophy.     How do you put to death the desires of the flesh? Lets put this misconception to bed for good! You do the opposite of the flesh according to scripture.       1 Samuel 14:24, 43-44 (Rashness and Impulsivity): Driven by the heat of battle, Saul made a foolish, impulsive oath binding his army to fast until evening. This emotional decision left his men exhausted and nearly resulted in the execution of his own son, Jonathan, who had unknowingly eaten honey.   Emotional highs get mistaken for spiritual maturity. Feeling moved during worship, feeling peace after a decision, feeling conviction in the moment — these can be real and God-given, but they can also be manufactured by music, social pressure, or just brain chemistry. The danger is building a faith that needs a constant emotional high to feel "real," which sets people up to crash hard when the feelings fade — and many walk away from faith entirely when the emotional experience stops delivering, mistaking the absence of feeling for the absence of God.   **When emotions supersede logic or common sense, they will typically supersede Gods best as well.     MANY/MOST times God will ask you to do something that goes against your emotions!    1 Samuel 15:24 (Fear of Man over Integrity): After failing to completely destroy the Amalekites as God commanded, Saul shifted the blame. He finally confessed to Samuel that his lack of character stemmed from insecurity, stating: "I was afraid of the men and so I gave in to them.” Remember… He's the King! And he is afraid of the men? It makes obedience conditional instead of covenantal.  Abraham didn't feel like sacrificing Isaac.  Jesus, didn't feel like going to the cross —    Obeying when you feel like it is not obedience its convenience!    men: leading a family, staying faithful in a hard marriage, disciplining kids, showing up to serve when you're exhausted — none of that runs on feelings. It runs on covenant commitment that outlasts emotion.   *If I win the lottery I will definitely tithe and even give more than 10%.  NOPE! If you can't give $10 out of $100 you won't give 1 Million out of 100 Million.      1 Samuel 18:10-11 (Uncontrolled Rage): Saul's jealousy quickly escalated into murderous anger. While David was playing the lyre to soothe him, Saul was overcome by an evil spirit and his own rage, throwing his spear at David twice in an attempt to pin him to the wall.   Emotional volatility becomes a discipleship excuse instead of a growth area.  "I just felt led" or  "I couldn't help how I reacted"  “We are in Love”.  “She started it”. “It was Tuesday”    The flesh wether in a high or a low is meant to be cultivated by the fruits of the Spirit!    I love what Socrates said “any virtue in and of itself is a danger, it must be balanced with another virtue. i.e. if you are generous but do not balance that with wisdom, you will give all your money away and your family will starve. This is what the fruits of the Spirit do for us when in the midst of great emotion.

The David Alliance TDAgiantSlayer@Gmail.com  Garth Heckman   INTRO: Its a strange memory at best: A young man at church - my sister Renee's friend. HS stud athlete, great looking, always jumping in and out of bed with whomever he could. Now in his early 30's he came to church and Renee said one night after church… he better hurry up and figure out life - his hair is getting thinner and his glasses are getting thicker.  Funny, sad, but telling of his life falling apart. He lived his life by his emotions… his “URGES” if you will.    the phrase "a piece of work" originated as a high compliment before evolving over centuries into a sarcastic insult. The Literary Origin Its earliest famous usage comes from William Shakespeare's Hamlet (around 1601). In Act II, Scene 2, Prince Hamlet marvels at the creation of humanity: "What a piece of work is a man! How noble in reason, how infinite in faculty..."       He's a piece of work ISRAELS FIRST KING!  King Saul had it all but lost his call as a know it all only to fall.      Saul's ultimate downfall was not a lack of talent or opportunity; it was a fundamental flaw in his internal compass. Saul lived a life governed by feelings rather than character.     Have you ever met someone who lives by their emotions/feelings/the wind?     I used to say to my boys… “dad is in a bad mood today, so don't push it”. WHAT I WAS REALLY SAYING WAS DAD IS IN THE FLESH… LIVING BY HIS URGES!        Romans 8:5 Those who are dominated by the sinful nature think about sinful things, but those who are controlled by the Holy Spirit think about things that please the Spirit. 6 So letting your sinful nature control your mind leads to death. But letting the Spirit control your mind leads to life and peace. 7 For the sinful nature is always hostile to God. It never did obey God's laws, and it never will. 8 That's why those who are still under the control of their sinful nature can never please God. 9 But you are not controlled by your sinful nature. You are controlled by the Spirit if you have the Spirit of God living in you. (And remember that those who do not have the Spirit of Christ living in them do not belong to him at all.)         King Saul highlights critical decisions based on fear, jealousy, and impulsivity rather than steadfast character and obedience.     1 Samuel 13:8-12 (Impatience and Panic): When the prophet Samuel delayed his arrival and the Israelite army began to scatter out of fear, Saul panicked. Instead of trusting God and waiting, his anxiety drove him to unlawfully offer the burnt offering himself. Emotions make God's Word feel optional rather than authoritative. When feelings become the filter for truth, scripture gets reduced to "does this resonate with me" instead of "is this what God said." Jeremiah 17:9 warns that the heart is deceitful above all things — not evil in a cartoonish sense, but genuinely unreliable as a final authority. A Christian who only obeys when it feels right isn't actually submitted to Christ's lordship; they're submitted to their own emotional state, with God's Word as an occasional consultant rather than the authority.   Abortion, adultery, fornication, bitterness, gossip… emotions muddy up the water.   Anterior Midcingulate Cortex it behaves like a muscle, shrinking when underused and expanding physically when you engage in effortful, resistance-heavy activities.   Anatomy of the aMCC The Friction Requirement: The aMCC only grows when you face friction or internal resistance. Pushing through a workout you love doesn't trigger the same growth as forcing yourself to do a workout—or a task—that you genuinely do not want to do     The Battle of Sarx (The Flesh): Paul describes the "flesh" not merely as the physical body, but as the path of least resistance—primal drives, comfort-seeking, and self-preservation.    The body only wants to eat, sleep be tickled and have sex!      In Galatians 5:17, he notes: "For the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are in conflict with each other." The subjective internal friction you feel when forcing yourself to do a hard task is the exact experiential battleground Paul describes. Mortification (Nekroo): In Colossians 3:5 and Romans 8:13, the New Testament commands believers to "put to death" or "mortify" lower impulses. This is not a passive event; it is an active, effortful override of natural inclination—the exact stimulus that drives aMCC hypertrophy.     How do you put to death the desires of the flesh? Lets put this misconception to bed for good! You do the opposite of the flesh according to scripture.       1 Samuel 14:24, 43-44 (Rashness and Impulsivity): Driven by the heat of battle, Saul made a foolish, impulsive oath binding his army to fast until evening. This emotional decision left his men exhausted and nearly resulted in the execution of his own son, Jonathan, who had unknowingly eaten honey.   Emotional highs get mistaken for spiritual maturity. Feeling moved during worship, feeling peace after a decision, feeling conviction in the moment — these can be real and God-given, but they can also be manufactured by music, social pressure, or just brain chemistry. The danger is building a faith that needs a constant emotional high to feel "real," which sets people up to crash hard when the feelings fade — and many walk away from faith entirely when the emotional experience stops delivering, mistaking the absence of feeling for the absence of God.   **When emotions supersede logic or common sense, they will typically supersede Gods best as well.     MANY/MOST times God will ask you to do something that goes against your emotions! 

What do Christian leaders do in the seasons of life where they find themselves in the wilderness? What did John the Baptist do? What did Jesus do? These are the questions that Jason Jensen, the author of Formed to Lead, faithfully addresses. He focuses on the beginning of Luke 3, when the Word of God came to John in the wilderness. Why is the wilderness important? How does it cultivate growth and maturity? How can we not just survive, but thrive during those moments and learn to lean totally on God? We need to pay attention when we're experiencing those seasons of life, cultivating that time by implementing spiritual disciplines that will help us slow down and learn important lessons God wants to teach us. Jason calls this “creating a wilderness space” to allow the Word of the Lord to arrive and bless. TAKEAWAYS God taught the Israelites in the desert that they needed to totally rely on Him Listen quietly and daily to the voice of the Holy Spirit Create spiritual disciplines and don't be afraid to listen to your fellow believers' experiences and insights Rest is so important; it allows us to give our leadership burdens to God

Through the story of Abraham, we see what it means to trust God before seeing the outcome. God promised Abraham descendants, a land, and a legacy that would bless generations. Yet many of those promises took years—and even generations—to unfold. Abraham did not always understand how God would fulfill His promises, and he did not live to see every part of them completed. Still, God remained faithful. When progress feels slow or the results of our work remain unseen, it can be tempting to quit. But a lack of visible results does not mean God is absent or inactive. Faith often means continuing to obey, trust, and move forward while we wait for God's purposes to unfold. Highlights What Abraham's story teaches us about trusting God's timing Why God's promises are not always fulfilled according to our preferred timeline How Abraham waited years to see the birth of Isaac Why faith means obeying God even when we do not know the outcome How discouragement can grow when we focus only on visible results Why a lack of immediate progress does not mean God is not working How remembering God's faithfulness can strengthen us while we wait Want more encouragement throughout your week? Subscribe to The Good Word, LifeAudio’s free weekly newsletter. Sign up at LifeAudio.com/thegoodword Do you want to listen ad-free? When you join Crosswalk Plus, you gain access to exclusive, in-depth Bible study guides, devotionals, sound biblical advice, and daily encouragement from trusted pastors and authors—resources designed to strengthen your faith and equip you to live it out boldly. PLUS ad free podcasts! Sign Up Today! Full Transcript Below: Faith While We WaitBy: Laura Bailey Bible Reading: “I will make you into a great nation, and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you.” Genesis 12:2-3 (NIV) “I am done! I have spent hours investing in this ministry, and after a year, still nothing has changed,” I yelled into the air. I’d felt confident in God’s leading me to start this new program for the community, yet everywhere I turned, I was faced with opposition, roadblocks, and general disappointment. Admittedly, I am great at starting things but horrible at finishing them– especially when I can’t see the fruits of my labor. I shared with my husband that I was contemplating throwing in the towel; I’d obviously misheard God speaking to my heart. My husband, who, thank goodness, is always there to calm me and offer a word of encouragement or a different perspective, gently nudged me to recall what we’d been studying in Sunday School recently. A few months prior, my husband and I began teaching through the book of Genesis, line by line. Just the previous week, we covered God’s promise to Abraham to make him into a great nation. God promises to give Abraham a purpose, a place, and people, but God doesn’t tell him how or when He will fulfill them. ⁠ Let’s look at the first part of God’s promise to make Abraham into a great nation. This promise would have been difficult for Abraham to digest because at the time, he and his wife, Sarah, were childless. Abraham did have a son with his female slave, Hagar, but God is clear that he is not the one to whom God will fulfill his promise (Genesis 21:5). Eventually, God does give Sarah and Abraham a child, Isaac, but it is 25 years later! Talk about a test of patience and faith. The Lord also promises, “To your offspring I will give this land (Genesis 12:7). Abraham moves his family from the place they’ve always called home into a foreign land where they are strangers, temporary residents, all on a promise of future ownership. Abraham spends his life traveling through the Promised Land as a visitor; he never takes ownership in his lifetime. And, it will be many years before the Israelites inhabit it, after centuries of trials and tribulations. God does make Abraham’s name great so that he can bless the many generations before him. Yet, this doesn’t happen overnight; Abraham dies before he sees the fulfillment of God’s promises. But as we know, God was faithful to keep His promise. It’s easy to get discouraged when we don’t see earthly results, but that doesn’t mean God isn't at work. God works on His timeline, not ours. Abraham is listed in Hebrews 11 as a man who walked by faith. If you read through Abraham’s story, you will see that he didn’t always walk by faith flawlessly, yet he trusted in God to keep His promises. Abraham obeyed God’s commands without knowing the outcome. As I think about Abraham and the numerous others in Scripture who walked by faith, even when they didn’t see results, they continued to press on to what God called them to do. Selfishly, I pray I will be able to see positive movement in ministry visually, but if not, I’ll remind myself that even when I can’t see it, God is faithful. Intersecting Faith & Life: Has God called you to something, but you are struggling to remain faithful? Write down 3 promises that God fulfilled in Scripture and put them somewhere to encourage you when you're wavering. Further Reading: Unwavering Faith Amid Uncertainty Hebrews 11 Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Explore the pivotal moment in biblical history as King David brings the Ark of the Covenant to Jerusalem. This episode delves into the significance of Jerusalem as God's chosen city and the importance of the Ark as a symbol of God's presence. Learn about David's initial attempt to transport the Ark, the tragic incident involving Uzzah, and the ultimate successful procession into Jerusalem. Discover how this event highlights the delicate balance between God's love and His holiness, and the importance of obedience in worship. Key topics include: David's reign, conquest of Jerusalem, the Ark of the Covenant, God's holiness, and ancient Israelite worship practices. Support the showRead along with us in the Bible Brief App! Try the Bible Brief book for an offline experience!Get your free Bible Timeline with the 10 Steps: Timeline LinkSupport the show: Tap here to become a monthly supporter!Review the show: Tap here!Want to go deeper?...Download the Bible Brief App!iPhone: App Store LinkAndroid: Play Store LinkWant a physical book? Check out "Bible Brief" by our founder!Amazon: Amazon LinkWebsite: biblebrief.orgInstagram: @realbiblebriefX: @biblebriefFacebook: @realbiblebriefEmail the Show: biblebrief@biblelit.orgWant to learn the Bible languages (Greek & Hebrew)? Check out our partner Biblingo (and use our link/code for a discount!): https://biblin...

In this week's episode of The Bible for Normal People, Pete and Jared talk with Phillip Lasater about how ancient Israelite and Jewish writers understood the self, personal agency, emotion, and human flourishing in ways that can be very different from modern assumptions. They explore how concepts like fear, the heart, and individuality function in the Hebrew Bible, how texts such as Ruth and Genesis 22 invite readers to engage the interior lives of biblical characters, and how ancient Jewish traditions understood human beings as having the capacity for godlikeness and ethical transformation. Together, they invite listeners to recognize the distance between modern ideas of the autonomous self and ancient biblical conceptions of identity, challenge assumptions readers unconsciously bring to Scripture, and consider how the Bible's diverse perspectives on human agency and flourishing might reshape the way people understand themselves. Show Notes → thebiblefornormalpeople.com/episodes/episode-335-phillip-lasater-the-self-phillip-and-personal-agency-in-the-hebrew-bible Watch this episode on YouTube → https://youtu.be/wn2wKoJ_L5Q Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Deuteronomy 20:4 was spoken by Moses, not to one soldier before one battle, but to an entire nation standing at the edge of years of warfare, enemy after enemy, again and again. What the priest was instructed to tell them changes everything: the Lord your God is the one who goes with you to fight for you. Not that He will help you fight, or hand you strength for your fight, or cheer from the sidelines. He does the fighting. That distinction matters enormously, because fighting and wrestling are not the same thing. When you wrestle something, your arms are wrapped around it, and you cannot put it down because you are the one holding on. Some of us are not exhausted because our battle is hard. We are exhausted because we are wrestling with something God is already fighting. Moses did not promise the Israelites they would never face the same enemy again. He told them who would be doing the fighting when they did. That is enough. Today's Bible Verse "For the LORD your God is the one who goes with you to fight for you against your enemies to give you victory."— Deuteronomy 20:4, NIV Ponder Today God does not just help you fight — He is the one who fights. The promise of Deuteronomy 20:4 is not that He will strengthen your grip on the battle. It is that He goes and He fights. That is a fundamentally different posture than the one most of us have been taking. Fighting and wrestling are not the same thing. When we wrestle a worry, our arms are around it and we cannot put it down because we are the ones holding on. Exhaustion in the Christian life often comes not from hard battles but from wrestling what God is already fighting. Handing something to God and then taking it back is not failure — it is the pattern we are learning to shorten. The goal is not a perfect record of surrender. It is noticing sooner when our hands are full again and giving it back one more time. Moses did not promise the Israelites would never face the same enemy twice. He told them who would be doing the fighting when they did. A war that keeps returning does not mean God has stopped showing up. He keeps coming back to fight it. "This isn't mine" is a complete and sufficient response to a returning worry. You do not need to figure it out, wrestle it into submission, or explain why you picked it up again. Open your hands and give it back. That is the whole move. A Prayer for You Today Heavenly Father, here I am with this again — the same thing I brought You last week and the week before. I am honestly tired of listening to myself pray about it. But You knew this would be a long war when You said You would fight it. You promised You would go with me and fight for me. Not once have You declared that I had to win it on my own. Lord, I have had my arms wrapped around something You never handed me, and then wondered why I am exhausted. Forgive me for that. Help me open my hands. When I pick it back up, help me notice sooner. Shorten the distance between grabbing it and giving it back. You are the One who goes and who fights for me. Help me live like that is true. In Jesus' name, Amen. Want More? Sign up for our free newsletter, The Good Word, for weekly biblical wisdom and encouragement delivered right to your inbox. Join our community today: https://www.lifeaudio.com/thegoodword/ If you're still praying and starting to wonder if it's working, I wrote Praying Through Life's Battles: 90 Days to Strengthen Your Faith for you. You can preorder it now at battleprayers.com. Until next time, remember, God sees you, hears you, and He knows your needs. Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Before they ever met, Jesus already knew Bartholomew's heart — and told him so under a fig tree. St. Bartholomew was skeptical when his friend Philip told him they'd found the Messiah — until Jesus spoke first, revealing that He'd already seen Bartholomew before Philip ever called him. Bartholomew became one of the Twelve Apostles and carried the Gospel as far as Armenia, where he was martyred for refusing to deny what he'd witnessed. "Here is a true Israelite, in whom there is no deceit." ⭐Today's challenge is just the start.  Get the free Every Day's a Feast Day calendar and walk with a new saint every single day: https://shop.catholicsprouts.com/pages/every-days-a-feast-day-follow-along  

Professional boxer Jim Braddock was known as someone who fought not for riches and fame, but to put food on the table for his family. The movie Cinderella Man chronicles his fairytale-like comeback from a past-his-prime boxer to the world heavyweight champion. While facing extreme poverty during the Great Depression, Jim repeatedly sacrifices his own resources, health, and pride to provide for his children. He’s never intimidated by an opponent and courageously endures pummeling in the ring to keep his family safe. Jim’s legacy is one of passionate defense of his family. We too, have a passionate defender who has promised to take our place in the ring. When the Israelites faced Pharaoh’s mighty army after their escape from slavery in Egypt, they were terrified and cried out to God. “It would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than die in the desert!” they foolishly said (Exodus 14:12). But Moses replied in faith: “The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still” (v. 14). And without any action from the Israelites, their enemies were literally swept away by the sea as God supernaturally ended the battle before it even began. Sometimes it feels like we’re facing the trials of life or arrows from the enemy, Satan, on our own. But God has promised never to leave us or forsake us (Deuteronomy 31:6). He fights for us; we need only to be still.

In this Bible Story, God's people are freed from the empire of Babylon and Persia to return home. The exiles journey back to the home of their forefathers. There they rebuilt the temple, and attempted to rebuild their broken hearts. This story is inspired by Ezra 1-6 & Haggai 1-2. Go to https://www.BibleinaYear.com and learn the Bible in a Year.Today's Bible verse is Ezra 3:7 from the King James Version.Episode 168: Cyrus King of Persia, had conquered all that was once Babylon. Because of this, he had learned from King Darius the stories of Daniel's God and his heart grew toward the exiles from Judah. So, in fulfillment of God's Word through Jeremiah, he issued a decree that the exiles could return to Judah if they would like. It took over two years to wipe the dust and rubble from the ruined city. However, while Zerubbabel, one of the exiles returning from Babylon, was rebuilding the temple, he sent away his fellow Israelites. Creating enemies instead of unity. All of this showed that it was not just the city that needed to be rebuilt, but the hearts of the people as well.Hear the Bible come to life as Pastor Jack Graham leads you through the official BibleinaYear.com podcast. This Biblical Audio Experience will help you master wisdom from the world's greatest book. In each episode, you will learn to apply Biblical principles to everyday life. Now understanding the Bible is easier than ever before; enjoy a cinematic audio experience full of inspirational storytelling, orchestral music, and profound commentary from world-renowned Pastor Jack Graham.Also, you can download the Pray.com app for more Christian content, including, Daily Prayers, Inspirational Testimonies, and Bedtime Bible Stories.Visit JackGraham.org for more resources on how to tap into God's power for successful Christian living.Pray.com is the digital destination of faith. With over 5,000 daily prayers, meditations, bedtime stories, and cinematic stories inspired by the Bible, the Pray.com app has everything you need to keep your focus on the Lord. Make Prayer a priority and download the #1 App for Prayer and Sleep today in the Apple app store or Google Play store.Executive Producers: Steve Gatena & Max BardProducer: Ben GammonHosted by: Pastor Jack GrahamMusic by: Andrew Morgan SmithBible Story narration by: Todd Haberkorn Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices